Belgian beer has a reputation internationally as being some of the best. Whether it is because of the terroir, something in the air influencing the yeast or simply because they’ve been brewing it there since the 1100’s (and have had a bit of practice, hey) it is undoubtedly one of the beer capitals of the world.
Recently, however, it was my capital that stepped up and offered the chance to be transported there for one night in an evening of beer with food tasting held by Leffe Belgian abbey beer at renowned restaurant Kettner’s in Soho. Led by food ‘futurologists’ The Robin Collective I was thrown into an immersive dining experience, punctuated with demonstrations by our hosts exploring the ‘science of taste’.
Between beers, The Robin Collective explained how the density of taste buds on our tongues– different for every person – affect how we experience food. People with especially high densities, classed as ‘super tasters’, are sensitive to all flavours and particularly bitterness so are likely to be fussy eaters and adverse to stronger ales, such as Leffe’s Brune. This heady beer is a deep sip of darkly roasted malt with full notes of coffee and pairs exceptionally with chocolate, as confirmed by its Kettner’s pairing of a Tear Drop of Chocolate and Caramel Mousse with a Dark Chocolate Crumble. As a super taster myself, its darker notes were prominent but I clung to its underlying sweetness and could appreciate the fullness and complexity of this strong, six point five percenter.
My favourite Leffe beer by far was the classic Blonde, a subtle brew blending sweetness, caramel and only a light maltyness. Its delicacy makes its 6.6% punch surprising – dangerously quaffable! This was paired simply with a fillet of beef, cooked a perfect pink, with horseradish gratin and sautéed mushrooms. I’m a girl of simple tastes and this combination just worked.
A surprising and new inclusion for me was Leffe’s Nectar. This is another blond and flavoured with rich honey, almost like honey on toast, with nectarine and a little citrus. Quite frankly, it was delicious and super indulgent. Because of its sweetness it balanced exceptionally with the salty goat’s cheese on toasted bread, served alongside hazelnuts for crunch and earthy beetroot. I’m not used to such rich and sweet ales so it was a welcome addition to Leffe’s roster.
The final beer to mention came in Leffe’s Ruby. This pours in a beautiful warm red colour, with a lovely rose head. It smells delicately of strawberry and tastes just as sweet and fresh, with under layers of deeper red berries and caramel malt. I’m not a lover of fruit beers but as they go, this was a nice one and it certainly matched its food course of cranberry, camembert arancini.It was at this point, with the pairings complete, that the Robin Collective introduced our final course: a plate of lemons and a small pink pill. An odd arrival and one that sent a flurry of nervous looks around the table. These were settled by our hosts’ explanation that these were Miracle Berry Pills; these magical pills that temporarily block sour, bitter or acidic tastes. I chewed one of these down, tentatively bit into a lemon and lo and behold it tasted sweet, almost sickly. It was this bizarre, disorientating experience that we ended the night. Thanks to Leffe and Kettner's for a most illuminating and interesting evening, filled with deliciousness and some new flavour experiences. Winning.
Leffe Blonde
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Leffe Ruby
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