On my way home the other day I stopped at the Sunoco station on Camino Real and SW 3rd Avenue in Boca Raton, and as I was pumping gas suddenly had the urge to pick up a cold beer. Grimacing in anticipation of the horrible selection I was sure to find within, I entered the convenience store and was, of course, greeted by rows of macro-brewed suds in cans. Suddenly, however, I spotted an interesting-looking six-pack in the corner, and after pulling it out discovered Leffe Blonde, brewed at Belgium’s Abbaye de Leffe.
After bringing home my new prize and taking a moment to look up the brewery online, I found that Leffe is owned by InBev Belgium, which is most likely the reason why it was shoulder to shoulder with cans of Bud Light. Feeling only slightly disappointed, I popped the cap up from under its decorative gold foil encasement and poured the uniquely sized 11.2 ounce beer into a snifter. What I found was a very pleasant Belgian beer, and one that I’m happy I came across at my local gas station.
Appearance: Crystal clear with no yeast sediment in the bottle, which means this beer is not bottle conditioned and may also be filtered. Nice, thick, fluffy white head dissipates somewhat quickly, but leaves a nice lacing on the glass. Color is a little darker than expected for this style, a sort of warm amber hue speckled with effervescence.
Aroma: Caramel sweetness, fruity, spicy yeast character, bread.
Flavor: Belgian phenolics dominate the palate immediately, then give way to the sweetness of Pilsner malt, and finally a touch of spicy bitterness and alcohol. The biggest surprise here is the obvious use of specialty grains, which has created a beer with very pronounced caramel notes and breadiness that make it seem more like a strong Belgian Pale Ale than a Blonde. Also, the beer is not quite as dry as it should be for this style, with a definite, lingering sweetness. Firm hop bitterness does well to balance this malty brew, but I’m still not thinking “Blonde” as I drink it.
Mouthfeel: Creamy and sparkling with nicely elevated carbonation true to Belgian style. A little heavy on the tongue for a Blonde.
Overall: A delicious and flavorful Belgian offering that is a welcome alternative to the usual gas station fare, even if the brewery is owned by the largest beer company in the world. The only change I would make would be to label this beer as a Belgian Pale Ale, as I feel its flavor fits that particular style much better than the Blonde label it has been given.
Cheers!
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