Picked this up a while back, along with a Leffe Blond, also in the 750ml bottle. While the Blond was quickly dispensed with, I forgot about the Brune until I found it at the back of a cupboard at the weekend.
I hadn't tried it before, so wasn't sure what to expect. This was served at ~5C into a wine glass (similar in shape to the chalice goblet that Leffe use).
Poured dark brown with a big creamy off-white coloured head, with good lacing and retention as it went down. Lovely aroma with a good caramel (Candi sugar?), vanilla and dark fruits (raisins).
Initially when cold the flavours come from the darker malts, as it warms up the dark fruit flavours come through. Overall there is good flavour balance, [/img] some hop bitterness balancing the sweetness, with similar yeasty flavours to the Blond. Decent mouth feel from this medium bodied beer. No great alcohol hit from the 6.5% abv, a very pleasant, enjoyable beer.
As an easy intro into Belgians, this is one I'd go back to again. The 750ml size bottle is either for sharing or even better, just for yourself, settling in for these long evenings, watching the box, beside a nice warm fire.
+1
I am just annoyed that you can get the Blond everywhere but never the Brown.
I agree its a great beer - nearly as good as Ms D's fav: La Trappe Dubbel!
A good entry level beer to Belgian beer....but far from great
Easier to get in blighty, and Leffe is nearly always on some kind of special in Tesco.
£2.35 a bottle for the Brune. And those bottles are handy for bottling day.