Leffe Radieuse

Brewed by InBev Belgium
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Leuven, Belgium

This pours a dark amber to cherry color with a large, off-white head and a lot of carbonation manifested in oversized bubbles. The nose is standard strong Belgian fare - the alcohol is fairly prevalent, and there are hints of grain and saltiness - but his beer has a bit of a fruity hint in the nose also. The taste consistes mostly of a strong punch of alcohol upfront, but it is followed mostly by grains and slight hints of caramel and fruit In fact, the absence of fruit in the palate is more surprising than any presence that I could find Overall, this is a fine brew, but it is certainly nothing to rave about.

Bottle. Poured deep red brown with a slight off-white head. The aroma developed as the beer warmed up. Initially just malty, a toffee aroma developed and then some notes that were less pleasant (cheesy, barnyard?). Full bodied with ample, but refined, carbonation giving excellent mouthfeel. The flavour is very complex, but predominantly rich and malty. When cold the initial taste has fruity (maybe apples) hints, passing through toffee / trecale and dark malt to some bitterness in the finish. As the beer warms up more flavour is released with chocolate, cherries, plums and spicyness (cloves?). Excellent beer.

Bottle - clear red with a large off white head. Medium carbonation. Medium to full body. Slightly frothy mouth feel. Smooth. Sweet, malty, with caramel. Slightly spicy. Alcohol present. Sweetish finish.

amber, hops with hints of fruit, very fizzy and biting with a long finish... good BSA

Bottle, 33cl. Pours translucent dark mahogany, with short-lived off-white head, some lacing. Cherry, malt and yeast on the nose, and very sweet on the palate, too sweet in fact. A shadow of a beer in comparison to a genuine secondarily fermented beer, and added sugar is no substitute.

Pale amber/ruby. Inch-high off-white head fades to a thing covering. Good lacing. Typical Belgian yeast aroma, some white rum, lots of phenols, then some banana, nutmeg and cinnamon. Remarkably like the dubbel I brewed the other day. Flavour is mostly alcohol, some fruity malt, doughy yeast and some lemon. The alcohol and high sweetness combine to make and annoying cloying finish. Loads of alcoholic heat on the palate and too much carbonation. Used to think Leffe was the be all and end all of intense expensive beers. Thank god I got over the stage.

Pours a rich amber with a thin lasting head that laces throughout the drink. The aroma is yeast, dried apricots, aged apples, with hints of raisins and currants. The taste is primarily bread and malt. The taste is a little flat compared to the aroma, and there is a ripe banana flavor that seems slightly out of balance. Finishes with a slight metallic feel. Not nearly as flavorful as other Trippels / Belgian Strong ales. But the only disappointment here is the slightly metallic finish.