Leffe: Vladimir's Beer Thread

[Upxl]

Leffe is all about taste.

You either love or hate it.

If you aren’t a leffe lover you’ll sure as hell like ;




Be sure to drink it in the appropriated glass.




The beer of the gods mates

[Vladimir]

Ah hah! It's back!

I don't have my list with me but I did an all Belgian night yesterday. I started off with a Leffe (I had to ask how it was pronounced) Bruin, tried a Duvel/Duval/whatever, had something with a picture of a snail on it, then my memory gets fuzzy ...

I wasn't impressed with the Bruin. It was a pleasant drinking beer but lacked the spark and character that the Blonde had. Duvel was total rubbish, like drinking an alcoholic citrus soda *yuck*. The one with the snail, CARACOLE or something was really good. It was like the champagne of beer. Even though I had a couple before it the taste really grabbed me and it had a wonderful complexity. I can't remember what version of it but I'll buy it again..if I can remember the name...I'll edit my post tomorrow....

[ShadeHonestus]

La Fin du Monde

Is that typically only available in Quebec or do they distribute to other parts of the loft up there?


All these beers, so little time. Somebody map me an itinerary with American safe locales to go on a European drinking binge.

[Beirut]

Is that typically only available in Quebec or do they distribute to other parts of the loft up there?

I don't know if they export Fin du Monde, but I imagine they must. It's too tasty to keep to ourselves.

Two bottles of that stuff and I'm out like a light. "Mmmm...beer."

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

I had Guinness Original Stout for the first time today-as opposed to the standard Draught.

It's interesting. I would describe the taste as 'crisp'.

[Vladimir]

Caracole Troublette is the name of the beer. I'll have to look for it again.

Just out of curiosity I stopped by the local liquor shop (one of many) and found a sixer of Leffe Blonde left. Oh, the price...~$8.00, hah! Much better than 11 and I'm going to order more. I kind of overdid it with dinner yesterday, I drank three. Very nice, very hapy.

[Bijo]

Anyone here ever drank Maes beer?

[Moros]

jup, average beer (pils). I'll rather have a jupiler, stella or Primus though.

[Bijo]

I have tasted Maes yesterday and today. Yesterday I thought it a good beer, but it may had been psychologically influenced since I read that it was Belgian (automatically assuming it was decent or good). Today, however, I have found that it reminds me of plastic or some other kind of poisonous artificial matter. Fortunately I have a few bottles of Hoegaarden left.

[Peasant Phill]

Like Moros said, Maes is your average belian pils. I wouldn't look for it, there are enough better beers to drink that are just as easy to come by.

[Fragony]

I had Guinness Original Stout for the first time today-as opposed to the standard Draught.

It's interesting. I would describe the taste as 'crisp'.

Love it, been drinking nothing else lately, a lovely somewhat bitter taste with a hint of chrystalised sugar. Not that keen on draught myselve, beer needs bubbles. And foam.

Yes, foam. Whacky brits.

[Vladimir]

Chimay

Triple Blanche: It's golden color strikes a rare balance between the bitterness of the hops and fruity hints of muscat and dry grapes. Alcohol content 8% by volume.


Red: Has a taste produces a silky feeling on the tongue and a has a slight hint of bitterness that makes it a good thirst-quencher. Alcohol content 7% by volume.


Blue: Is a a strong beer with an odour of fresh yeast coupled with a slight rosaceous flowery touch. Alcohol content 9% by volume.


I personally recommend the red. Higher alcohol content and quality tend to be mutually exclusive and it holds true in this case. If you like a slightly bitter beer go for the Blanche. The red is velvety and slightly sweet and may not be for all beer drinkers; but it is my favorite.

Duvel is excellent, easy drinking beer but doesn't have the qualities I admire in the red. [muttering curses that he's not in Europe right now]

[Ice]

Chimay

Duvel is excellent, easy drinking beer but doesn't have the qualities I admire in the red. [muttering curses that he's not in Europe right now]

The people I stayed with in Belgium use to have Duvels for dinner. European Drinking Culture is nice.

Chimay is also good; Duval's dark brother.

[Peasant Phill]

Duvel an easy drinking beer? Duvel total rubbish, like drinking an alcoholic citrus soda?

Are you guys sure you were drinking Duvel? Duvel is too bitter to be easy drinking. Like all heavy beers you should savour it.

[Fragony]

Duvel has too many bubbles it's like swallowing a sponge.

[Vladimir]

Duvel an easy drinking beer? Duvel total rubbish, like drinking an alcoholic citrus soda?

Are you guys sure you were drinking Duvel? Duvel is too bitter to be easy drinking. Like all heavy beers you should savour it.

Yes Frag, Duvel has a thick, hearty head but I find it easy to drink and wouldn't turn one down (maybe a touch of salt would reduce the foam). It all depends on personal preference of course. I almost spit out my first Samuel Adams because it was so bitter I thought it was poison.

[Tristuskhan]

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!

Ah, la Chouffe.... Merveille parmi les merveilles... Warning: this one is really really hard to beat.

[Vladimir]

Ah hah! It's back!

... Duvel was total rubbish, like drinking an alcoholic citrus soda *yuck*.

Chimay

...

Duvel is excellent, easy drinking beer but doesn't have the qualities I admire in the red. [muttering curses that he's not in Europe right now]

Good lord! Good thing no one fact checks this thread or I'd be in a real bind. I've noticed that Leffe blondes tend to vary somewhat but this is pretty extreme. Hit or miss I guess.

[Bijo]

Argus beer: good price/taste ratio. It is cheap yet for its price it has good taste. And what the hell anyway: it's still beer, goddammit.

[edyzmedieval]

I tried Romanian beer, all types, they all sucked completely. When I tried drinking it, every time I got a feeling of acid pouring down my throat.
I tried Duvel, NL made Heineken, Leffe and Corona.

Verdict?

Duvel is the best beer out there.

[caravel]

Agreed Edzy Duvel is a superb beer, at least someone has some taste.

[Fragony]

I tried Duvel, NL made Heineken, Leffe and Corona.

Verdict?

Duvel is the best beer out there.

All completily different types of beer......can't hold them against eachother

[Kralizec]

I tried Romanian beer, all types, they all sucked completely. When I tried drinking it, every time I got a feeling of acid pouring down my throat.
I tried Duvel, NL made Heineken, Leffe and Corona.

Verdict?

Duvel is the best beer out there.

Duvel is indeed good, Heineken mediocre and Leffe I don't know about. Corona, it's not bad and I'd rather drink it than Heineken but I don't get why it's so popular other than that it's well, popular

[Vladimir]

...and Leffe I don't know about. ..

Fragony you need to come to the assistance of a fellow countryman.

[IrishArmenian]

I'm curious to see anyone's opinion on Kotayk's products: either their Lager, Bitter or Tshani.
Personally, Kotayk is one of my favorites and was always the available beverage, along with Erebuni, but I prefer Kotayk. It is fantastic!
Also, BKS, you'd never tried the original? It's delicious!

[Fragony]

Fragony you need to come to the assistance of a fellow countryman.

Buy him a beer? After all he did to me?

[Moros]

Last week it was Leffe week at my favourite pub.

Leffe 9° remains the best one. ~

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

As the nights are closing in, I've been drinking some darker beers recently. One of my autumn staples is Wychwood Hobgoblin, a wonderful, smoulderingly fruity strong dark ale. If you like some of the darker Belgians, you'll love this. Great advertising too-



Another beer I sampled which I've been meaning to get hold of for a long time is Thomas Hardy Ale. At 11.7% ABV it's an interesting proposition-it tastes almost port-like, but has a very heavy mouthfeel at the same time.

[naut]

On the topic of ales, I've been drinking this recently:

[Fragony]

If you are feeling adventurous;



It's a lambic, beer riped in oak, which sour aroma tastes weird enough on it's own, but add some sour cheries and it becomes a Kriek. Personally I think it's delicious, great with dinner, summer or winter always great.