Leffe: Vladimir's Beer Thread

[Vladimir]

I'm putting all you Belgans on notice now. I went to a Trader Joe's store and found a 6-pack of Leffe blonde beer and it's sitting in the freezer. I was so excited that I almost drank the first one on the drive home!

I'm warning you all though: If it isn't worth the 11 USD I paid for it I'm giving you all back to the Spanish or Germans (which ever ones you guys like the least).

I really shouldn't complain though. This is the land of $5 domestic draft beers.

I'll let you know how it goes later.

I think the drunk thread should have its own forum to get around the Backroom closures!

[Hosakawa Tito]

Leffe Blond for less than $2 a bottle is worth every penny. Don't forget and leave them in the freezer too long, could result in a tragic waste of beer, fine Belgian beer at that. Do you want to start an international incident? Piss off the Belgians so that they cut off our, and my, supply of tasty Belgian beer? Holy Hoengaarden man, are you insane?

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Leffe is over-rated. There are much better European lagers out there.

$5 for draught beer is really expensive, especially if it's for the standard Ammerican rubbish. Is that price for a pint?

[Vladimir]

Leffe is over-rated. There are much better European lagers out there.

$5 for draught beer is really expensive, especially if it's for the standard Ammerican rubbish. Is that price for a pint?

Well that's the crappy DC inflation for you. I can't imagine how bad it is in London or any other European capitol.

There might be better European beers but this one is pretty damn good. Honestly, I can't finish all 6...that just means I won't have any tomorrow.

Pleasant smelling...just when you think the taste will become overpowering it backs off to a malty hop-like body with a slightly sweet finish. I had some Shiner Bach (bock, whatever...) over the weekend and it left a nasty film in my mouth. Not to mention that the alcohol content of Leffe seems just about right, 'tis good!

[Big_John]

whenever i see "beer" and "trader joe's" in the same setance, i feel anxiety. not familiar with this leffe though.

[Andres]

Leffe Blond for less than $2 a bottle is worth every penny. Don't forget and leave them in the freezer too long, could result in a tragic waste of beer, fine Belgian beer at that. Do you want to start an international incident? Piss off the Belgians so that they cut off our, and my, supply of tasty Belgian beer? Holy Hoengaarden man, are you insane?

There might be better European beers but this one is pretty damn good. Honestly, I can't finish all 6...that just means I won't have any tomorrow.

Pleasant smelling...just when you think the taste will become overpowering it backs off to a malty hop-like body with a slightly sweet finish. I had some Shiner Bach (bock, whatever...) over the weekend and it left a nasty film in my mouth. Not to mention that the alcohol content of Leffe seems just about right, 'tis good!

Ah, good to know there are still some "connaisseurs" living abroad.

Leffe Blond, one of my favorites. If you really like Leffe Blond, you might try the Ciney Blond. Not to mention Westmalle Tripel.

[Peasant Phill]

For goodness sakes men, take those bottles out of your freezer in in to your cellar. You don't want to end up with a Leffe snow cone.

Leffe blond is a good beer if you want something with a little more character than a normal pils (aka budweiser, stella, ...). Here in Belgium it is a very popular beer, even with the ladies. But if you really enjoy your beer I would recommend to go a little bit heavier.

[Beirut]

Not crazy about Leffe.

Fortunately, we have a huge micro-brewery industry in Quebec. Our local store stocks almost a hundred different kinds of beer. I almost never drink the same beer two days in a row.

There's one standard size, standard octane, bottle of micro-brewery beer that sells for $5.99. Haven't tried it. Probably won't.

[Fragony]

The FREEZER????????????????????

To the stake, never before did I see herecy so foul.

ps, Leffe blonde sucks, get a chouffe instead, you want Leffe double

[Sir_Hawkwood]

Leffe blonde is a great beer!
My local has started selling it on draught!

Quite partial to Leffe brown served at room temperature, beside an open fire, though.

Buying Leffe: Good
Drinking it whilst driving: Bad... (Edit, Just saw, You ALMOST drank it on the way home... Sorry)

[Sjakihata]

I like Leffe a lot. Although I prefer Leffe Brune, the dark variant. You shouldnt drink it ice cold though, around 15 degree celcius is optimal, if it's too cold you wont be able to taste the flavour. Really cold is only good for extremely cheap beer.

[Sjakihata]

you want Leffe double

or triple

[Moros]

Leffe Brown>Leff Blond.
Leffe's good, but far from the best. But I bet it's much better than all that American ****.

[Fragony]

or triple

That's the blonde, not a bad one at all, but there are much better ones. Grimbergen makes a really nice one, oh these flemish and their leet brewing skillz.

With beer it's simple, for the full deep beers the flemish are the absolute masters, and for a pils the good people of the czech republic reign surpreme.

So thirsty now..........

[Andres]

Leffe Brown>Leff Blond.

Grimbergen Brown > Leffe Brown



Is there still no beer thread in the Frontroom?

[Fragony]

Grimbergen

Grimbergen

beat you to it Good taste sir.

God how I love discussing beers.

[Sjakihata]

Do you gentlemen know of a beer called Youngs double chocolate?

Im in love with it.

[Moros]

We had one over at EB once. It started of discussing a roman shield or helmet or something like that. But it quickly turned to a beer fest. good times, good times.

Indeedy do, we should make one. But who'll have the honour to start it.

@ grimbergen:

You know what beer I like a lot too? Petrus oud van't vat. Verry good if you ask me.

[Fragony]

You should try Haarlems Gruitbier as well, the recipy was lost for 900 years but someone found it. It's more of a summerbeer, tastes a bit like whities but somewhat stronger. This should get you in the mood



Love history

[Vladimir]

Wow, so much uproar over the freezer incident . I had to bring the temperature down a little after the long haul in a warm car during rush hour traffic. ( )

It's good to hear that Canada has a thriving microbrew industry. I've had some fine American micros but they tend to be overly specialized and fairly simplistic. I was really excited when board members started talking about Belgian beer. I just imagined a mingling of French winemaking tradition with German beer obsession; I’m pleased that I was right.

I’ll have to look for Leffe Brown because I prefer darker (reddish) beers, but not liquid bread like Guinness. I recommend the blonde to anyone who likes beer (or any alcoholic drinks) and it’s well worth the price.

Now...I just need to find a place that sells it on draught.

[Fragony]

Wow, so much uproar over the freezer incident

We will forgive you just this time, just remember to babystep your way into european class. If I ever hear about you putting our gorgeous products in the freezer again we might just hunt you down and shove you a coldie.

[Stig]

I wouldn't say no to a Hertog Jan, or some good Palm beer.
Tho I prefer 't Kannon by Grolsch or a real good Bockbeer

[Strike For The South]

coors light

[Peasant Phill]

Coors light? What makes a beer light and why would anybody want that? Besides anything that comes in cans is inferior to beer in a bottle.

I haven't tasted coors yet, but I imagine it is similar to budweiser. Budweiser isn't bad as a beer, but it misses character which most European beers do have. The light version, I imagine, makes it even more bland.


And my absolute favorite: Hommelbeer

[Sir_Hawkwood]

Anyone ever tried Duvel?
Another fine Belgian product!

Can be a little much at 8.5% Vol, but great to share a bottle with freinds during the summer.

[Beirut]

Can be a little much at 8.5% Vol, but great to share a bottle with freinds during the summer.

Or to keep for yourself.

We have a not so micro-brewery here that puts out many high octane beers, some are very tasty. One, La Fin du Monde (The End of the World) is 9% and after a long day, it only takes one to have you snoozing on the couch.

I’ll have to look for Leffe Brown because I prefer darker (reddish) beers, but not liquid bread like Guinness.

I think you'll find many a brother here who enjoys a Guinnesss sandwich. On tap, few beer, if any, can compare to a Guinness. There is a purity of spirit in a tap Guinness that transcends all others. A smoothity, a richosity, a deliciosity, a... a... can I start drinking at 5:30 in the morning?

[Banquo's Ghost]

I’ll have to look for Leffe Brown because I prefer darker (reddish) beers, but not liquid bread like Guinness.

Liquid bread?! My good sir, first you offend our Belgian colleagues by making popiscles out of their exports and now you start upon the humble Irish?



Seriously, I'm told they have improved it but Guinness never travelled all that well - it wasn't much to write home about when I was tasting it in the States.

What you need is a fine pint of Murphy's, or failing that, Beamish.

Hmm. Correction - what I need is a fine pint of Murphy's. Toodle-pip.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

If we are going to start a serious discussion of beer, we need the British joining in. Quite rightly, they consider that there is only one liquid that should be yellow in colour, and it ain't beer.

Vlad, if you like real ale as it appears, try to convice Wigferth to invite you over to Devon and taste Otter Ale. Yumm.

[Banquo's Ghost]

I think you'll find many a brother here who enjoys a Guinnesss sandwich. On tap, few beer, if any, can compare to a Guinness. There is a purity of spirit in a tap Guinness that transcends all others. A smoothity, a richosity, a deliciosity, a... a... can I start drinking at 5:30 in the morning?

You can here in Ireland, with the Guinness, although it's more traditional to be still drinking at 5.30 in the morning.

Cheers!

[Big_John]

i guess this is the new beer thread. my fav type of beer is belgian strong pale ales. here are my perennial choices:

la chouffe and piraat (10.5%!)


like beirut mentioned, unibroue should is a great brewery doing belgian-style beer in the new world. fin du monde, being a strong pale, is my pick from them, but unibroue's strong darks are great too. another strong pale, delirium tremens is very good too. i like all of these strong pales more than duvel. duvel lacks some character in comparison to these others, imo.

as far as belgian strong dark ales go, chimay grande réserve (blue label) and n'ice chouffe (a winter seasonal by brasserie d'achouffe) are the best i've had. unibroue makes two great strong darks called maudite and trois pistoles, the latter being my choice of the two. there's also an american belgian strong dark that's popular (and highly rated) called ommegang out of cooperstown, ny. however, none of those are as good as chimay blue or n'ice chouffe.

that said, variety is important to me, in addition to belgian ales, i often get my hands on lagers, hefes, APAs, IPAs, stouts, etc.

it's a mistake to underestimate american beer. thinking all american beer is coors or budweiser is like thinking all belgian beer is stella. many american micro-breweries were started by european immigrants (germans esp). imo, the world's best lagers, IPAs, stouts and porters are made here, in the US. some great micro-breweries for american style beers are stone, great lakes, rogue and bell's.

oh and a couple of great scottish ales should be on any beer lovers list, fraoch's heather ale and a wee heavy called skullspliter from the orkneys. get em if you can!

[KukriKhan]

I'm no beer connoisseur, so can't really contribute intelligently. But I will point out that in my 40-year beer-drinking career, I've had the most fun in my travels drinking whatever the locals drink. Kind of adds to the flavor of the place.

To this day, the smell of heavy malt immediately conjures up that bar in Taegu in the 70's; highly-hop'd brews remind me of The Monkey Bar in Honolulu; warm Budweiser recalls that surprise 6-pack that First Sergeant Bogle sent us (with the mail) in Honduras.