There really is something wonderful about Belgian ale. There are subtle nuances, sweet flavours, spicy flavours, basically a whole lot more interesting flavours than that found in your generic draught beers. They can almost be like Candy, with a bit of a syrupy flavour. They can be fruity, even to the extent of having cherries or strawberries (or some other fruit) dissolved into the beer. They can be thick and malty. They can be potent. They are so often delicious.

Ok, enough waffle. It’s plain to see that I have a soft spot for Belgian ale, and little wonder, given that it was the first style of beer that I truly enjoyed. The humble abbey beer that is Leffe launched me on a journey of discovery that has been vastly enjoyable, as well as incredibly interesting (at least to me). I started on one of their weaker beers available, the Brune, but today I review the Radieuse, which weighs in a little above 8% alcohol.

A quick side note, the linguist in me is amused that when a beer is named after a colour in a foreign language it sounds so much fancier. The direct naming equivalent to the Leffe Radieuse in New Zealand would be Lion Red. However, the quality difference between the two is so vast that the Leffe certainly warrants the extra prestige the foreign language seems to bring.

So, to the beer. First impressions are given from a lovely sweet cherry aroma and a beautiful copper hue that justifies the name well. The aroma continues to a cherry flavour, a little surprising in that unlike some other Belgian beers this does not have any cherries in the mix. There was a light peppery note to the flavour, spicy without providing any heat. It was definitely sweet and syrupy as higher alcohol beers so often are. However, aside from the syrupy nature, you could hardly notice the extra alcohol.

Drinking such beer, it’s not hard to see why Belgian beer has a good reputation. And the thing is, there are other Belgian beers that I would rate as being even nicer. I’d certainly recommend trying some of the interesting bottled Belgian beers that you can find in New Zealand. The Belgian beer cafes such as the Occidental or De Post are a good place to start looking.

– Stephen
_{21 MARCH 2011}