Leffe Brune / Brown
Abbaye de Leffe S.A.

I spent some time in Belgium this past summer, and was drinking Leffe Brune on tap. I haven't had it in the bottle. But I can say on tap it was fantastic. Deep brown almost black color, smelled wonderful like roasted caramel, great lacing, medium height, creamy long lasting head. Layers of flavor including sweet toasted malt, notes of toffee and brown sugar, and dark fruits like raisins. A mild chocolatey finish, with mellow spiced coffee.

I'm afarid to try the bottle version - may not live up to the excellent tap version I was lucky to have.

 

 

 

While I prefer the stronger BDSA style, grabbed a 4pk of this and the Blonde. Starts off with the caramel tastes and some cooked sugar, but a bit thin and maybe not very cohesive flavors overall. I've had these 4pks for a while now, trying to give the rest away.

L - Clear, even though I rolled the bottle hoping to mix in the yeast sediment. Head is bizarrely small for a Belgian beer and head retention is likewise pathetic. This clearly isn't bottle conditioned.
T - Cherry, strawberry, clove and malt sweetness up front, followed by strong burnt coffee flavor. Then as the beer warms, an unpleasant caramel / medicinal flavor emerges and overpowers everything else. This might be the first beer I had that became less complex over time lol.

Quite fun and different from other Belgian beers I had, but if anything it just makes me appreciate the well received examples even more.

 

 

750mL bottle from local supermarket. BBE 12/10/2026.

Look: 4.25. Clear dark reddish brown, with thick beige head like cappuccino foam, and heavy lacing.

Scent: 3.25. Dark chocolatey malt, oak, and booze.

Taste: 3.5. Sweet brown sugar and caramel, on a base of coffee roast malt notes.

Feel: 3.75. Slightly syrupy from the sweetness, with high carbonation.

Finish: 3. Short, predominantly caramel.

Overall: 3.5. An enjoyable, surprisingly sweet dark ale.

Pouring a deep chestnut brown with ruby highlights and a dense, off-white head, it immediately impresses with its appearance. The aroma is inviting, dominated by dark caramel, toffee, dried fruits (fig, raisin), and a touch of clove-like spice.

On the palate, it balances sweet maltiness with gentle roasted notes. Flavors of brown sugar, dark bread, and subtle hints of cocoa come through, layered with a mild, peppery yeast character. Medium-bodied with a smooth, slightly creamy mouthfeel, it finishes moderately sweet with a faint, earthy bitterness to keep it in check.

A bit of a single dimension, malty caramel. Very little bitterness from hops. So not a lot of depth to it but it's well executed and pleasant to drink. Sort of like a dessert. Has the matching dark brown color, not opaque though. Decent foam at pour.

Brown color with a good beige head. The aroma of roasted malt, fruits, and yeast. The taste is caramel sweet on the start with pleasant bitterness at the finish. Bittersweet aftertaste. Good ale

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fantastic beer. The only beer I call delicious.