Leffe Royale

As far as bog standard Leffe Blonde goes I can pretty much take it or leave it. It graces many a British pub chain bar these days and it could be a go to beer if all else fails, but as far as buying bottles goes, for me it’s very much a rarity purely and simply because there is so much better out there.
I do like some of the range especially the Radieuse but sadly it rarely graces the beer lists here.

We found the Royale in a Bruges supermarket, it stood out for three reasons, the classy black and gold label, the shiny new guilted glassware, those things and the enormous “NEW LEFFE ROYALE” sign that preceded it. One way or another, the subliminal messaging worked and we popped a couple in the basket…

So what’s it like?

Well it smells like Leffe Blonde, it looks like Leffe Blonde too. The taste though is where it steps up a notch, a good friend of mine described it as “like Leffe, but amplified” and that makes perfect sense, it’s the same but taken up a level.

It’s stronger at 7.5% (standard is 6.6%) but that’s not the whole story. The mouthfeel is softer, more rounded, almost creamy, there’s a sweetness to it too which is more pronounced.

Do I like it enough to change my mind and put it on my regular purchase list, probably not but it’s a step in the right direction.

As I said earlier this was being announced as new in Bruges mid July, how new I don’t know and it may not even be available outside of Belgium, if you see it though give it a shot, even if only out of curiosity.

Cheers

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Introducing, Project “Time Capsule”

I’ve been wanting to do this for a while but have never managed to get round to it, start to age some beers that is. It’s taken so long for two reasons really, time and lack of it, plus the fact that I’ve never had enough beers that fit the bill around long enough to start..

So to start the ball well and truly rolling, this month I placed an order which included a few extras so that I could taste specific beers fresh, then set another aside for the ageing process. These have joined others that I have amassed and set aside over the last 6 months. Finally though, I am able to introduce you to, project “Time Capsule”

It’s nothing to look at I know, just an old beer delivery box, but once filled, sealed and placed in a coolish dark place, I’m confident that it should provide a decent enough environment which is about as close as I can get to a real beer cellar.

For those who have not ever tried this before, I am reliably informed that basically you just need somewhere with a pretty constantly cool temperature without too much fluctuation. It also needs to be dark or at least certainly not in sunlight to prevent the beers getting light-struck.

Beer choices are partly trial and error and some through research. Some beers suit ageing better than others, high alcohol Belgian Trappist beers for example, but avoid anything light and hoppy as they really need to be drunk fresh. I’ve thrown a few in here that may not really fit the bill but as it’s a first time attempt then I’ll learn as I go.

So what’s in the box so far?

6 x Westvleteren 12

2 x Orval, Rochefort 10, Chimay Blue, Hoegaarden Grand Cru.

Large bottles of Achel Bruin Extra, St Bernadus 12 and St Bernadus Christmas, De Glazen Toren Canaster Winterscotch, Leffe Christmas  and Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van Der Kieser.

Then single small bottles of Goose Island Pepe Nero, Samuel Smiths Imperial Stout, Kapitel Prior, De Halve Maan Straffe Hendrick Quadruppel, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Thornbridge St Petersburg, St Bernadus 12, Robinsons Chocolate Tom and finally a Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (the last two are not pictured).

The list is by no means a closed book, I intend to add to it as I go on and obviously drink some in time as this becomes a living beast. Each bottle that goes in is labelled with the date it was bought or roughly at least, so that in a few years time I can keep track of how long each beer has been kept. Willpower depending…. 🙂

I’d definitely be interested in comments and suggestions from beer enthusiasts, brewers, publicans etc, in fact anyone really with knowledge or experience to share as to how you think this will work out, have I made any glaring errors for example.

Are there any MUST HAVE beers that just have to go into the box (there are a few already in mind)?

Are there any beers already in there that you just know already are not going to improve and I may as well just enjoy now?

How long, is too long (or not long enough)?

I am learning here, so any input will be gratefully received..

Wish me luck…

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