Abbey de Leffe Blonde
Sep 13 '00
I am a firm believer in giving people who make mistakes second chances. Sometimes this proves to be a wise decision. Sometimes they just turn around and bite you a second time. Beers can be a lot like this too. Sometimes you buy them and you get bitten with an oxidized or a skunked bottle. That happened to me many years ago with Leffe Blond. I had purchased a bottle (then as now it came in 750ml packages), overcoming a hesitancy inspired by the fact the beer came in green glass. My concerns were well founded as the beer was horribly skunked, not surprising for a delicate beer of this nature that is as well hopped as it is.
For many years, I completely avoided this beer at every turn. I was not inclined to give it a second chance by any means whatsoever. Nope. Wasn't going to happen. Obviously, you are no doubt thinking, I did give it a second chance, or you wouldn't be reading this. True, and in order that you may understand the reason why, it is necessary for me to elaborate upon my beer buying habits. Please indulge me as I do below.
Most people buy beer. They know the beer they want, they go into the store, and they buy it. End of story. I shop for beer. I peruse the aisles in search of something new, something seasonal, or perhaps an old favorite. I check the bottles carefully for freshness dating and dust. I am a picky beer shopper, and even after I've gone through all the aforementioned motions, it still takes me time to decide which beers I want to buy. There are always more than I have room for in the two beer refrigerators and full size. Ok, get on with it you say. The point is that as I was doing this yesterday, I noticed under a stack of Sierra Nevada cases a small box with the Leffe logo on it. Sealed. Protected from the light. Sensing a true Beer Moment was in the air, I tore through the stack of Sierra Nevada until I reached the Leffe box. Ripping open the cardboard flaps, I was a greeted with a bit of heaven: flashes of light gleaming off of dust-free brown bottles! And so I bought one......
Yowza! After carefully removing the wire cage from the cork, I pull it out of the bottle and my ears are greeted by a wondrous POP! Rich yeasty notes fill the air as a cloud of carbonation is discharged. This wondrous Belgian ale is actually amber-blonde in color, and produces a prodigious head of rocky white foam. The nose is spicy, yeasty, fresh and YES! not skunked. The palate is light and crisp, slightly candyish, and refreshing with a hint of licorice. There's a uniquely yeasty , noticeably bitter hop finish. Don't let the light color and smooth drinkable body fool you: this is not a light beer by any means. Alcohol by volume is 6.6%.
The complexity and spiciness lends it to pairing with rich, hearty fare. I paired it with a home-made beef stew and chunks of buttered fresh bread to great effect.
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