Leroy Breweries

Commercial Brewery in Watou, West Flanders, Belgium 🇧🇪
Associated Venue: Brouwershof (Van Eecke brewery and tap) - Out of business

Established in 1624

Contact
Douvieweg 2, Watou, 8978, Belgium
Description
Leroy Het Sas : The original brewery "Het Sas", later Brouwerij Leroy, established in Boezinge in 1572; destroyed in the First World War and rebuilt in 1924. Named after a lock ('sas' in Dutch) in the nearby canal. Cooperating with Van Eecke (Leroy Breweries Watou) since 1962. Both breweries merged into Leroy Breweries in 2016.

Leroy Watou : Established as a castle brewery for the count of Watou in 1624 and also known formerly as Brouwerij De Gouden Leeuw. Has long been connected to Leroy in Boezinge through family ties, with both breweries cooperating since 1962. They merged into Leroy Breweries in 2016; the Watou branch now does all the actual brewing (while Boezinge handles conditioning and bottling).

From the website:
Leroy Breweries staat al meer dan 4 eeuwen voor traditie, vakmanschap en passie, weerspiegeld in een assortiment kwalitatief hoogstaande bieren. Zelfs de Franse Revolutie en de Eerste Wereldoorlog konden de brouwerijen niet klein krijgen en ondertussen leiden de tiende en elfde brouwersgeneratie van de familie Leroy alles in goede banen.
From the website:
Leroy Breweries staat al meer dan 4 eeuwen voor traditie, vakmanschap en passie, weerspiegeld in een assortiment kwalitatief hoogstaande bieren. Zelfs de Franse Revolutie en de Eerste Wereldoorlog konden de brouwerijen niet klein krijgen en ondertussen leiden de tiende en elfde brouwersgeneratie van de familie Leroy alles in goede banen.

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7.5/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 8
Leroy Breweries’ annual ode to the old Poperinge hop culture, each year with a different combination of hop varieties grown there; I assume this 2021 version uses hops from last year’s harvest as there are obviously no hop blossoms in this time of the year… Thick and frothy, cobweb-lacing, snow white, irregularly edged head, lightly misty ‘old gold’ robe with pale orangey tinge. Aroma of freshly cut grass, old dried orange peel and even grapefruit pith, dry bread crust, bitter honey, dry hay, apricot, dried lemonbalm, clove, minerals. Restrainedly sweet onset, fruity hints of halfripe banana, dried apricot and unripe peach, fizzily carbonated; smooth, very slightly resinous mouthfeel, cereally and bready pale malt sweetishness with a very light toasty accent, confidently hopped in an expressively ‘noble’ way, herbal (thyme, dried lemongrass), floral and a tad zesty, with a nice long peppery bitterness to it, remaining in balance with the malt sweetness and some mild spicy phenols. Seems more crisp, fresh and technically streamlined than the previous editions from what I remember, so worthy of a higher score – also the fact that this one did not gush horribly like last year’s editions shows that it has been indeed improved. Classical in style, but a lovely beer in all respects, at least to my taste.
Tried on 02 Mar 2021 at 14:03

6.6/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 6.5 Flavor 6.5 Texture 7 Overall 6.5
Bouteille 75cl de Restobières, merci Alain. BB 20/11/2021, lot# 19.11.20.
Couleur blonde virant un peu sur l'ambre, le col est épais très généreux indiquant une effervescence marquée. Le tout prend pas mal de temps à retomber.
Arôme au nez marqué par les grains, malts, impression de vieille levure, cave, mold donnant cette sensation que la bière est un peu plus vieille. Cela s'accompagne avec des notes épicées qui se retrouvent dans les classiques belges - coriandre, fruité agrumes sur écorce.

Palais est dans une approche belge très classique - assurément ce que Alain recherchait, le tout sur une base pils, cara pâle et autres grains concassés et céréales. Cela s'accompagne par des notes fines épicées entre coriandre et écorce d'orange. Une bonne dose de froment apporte aussi une longueur et rondeur en fin de bouche. Le tout pourrait presque passer pour une blanche impériale avec une dose de froment en plus.
Tried from Bottle at Restobières on 21 Feb 2021 at 17:35

4.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 5 Flavor 4 Texture 4 Overall 5
33cl bottle from Spar Oostende. F: medium, egg-white, average retention. C: deep gold, almost clear. A: malty, grainy, bit hoppy, spicy. T: medium malty base, caramel, bit fruity, spicy, bready, decent bitterness, medium carbonation, ok for GF beer yet nothing very tasty for normal consumer.
Tried from Bottle on 11 Feb 2021 at 15:46

5.1/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 5 Flavor 5 Texture 4 Overall 5.5
Glass, 25 cl, cask, drunk at Restobières, after the 4th International Conference on Administrative Data Research, savoured on December 13, 2019; eye: golden, limpid, no effervescence, ring of beige head, slight lacing; nose: corn, malt, slight hops; mouth: corn, malt, slight hops, light caramel, finale in corn with slight presence of caramel, light-medium body, average carbonation, slightly bitter, lightly sweet, slick texture; in summary: correct

FRANÇAIS
Verre, 25 cl, en fût, bue chez Restobières, après la 4th International Conference on Administrative Data Research, savourée le 13 décembre 2019; œil : dorée, limpide, pas d'effervescence, anneau de mousse beige, très légère dentelle; nez : maïs, malt, très léger houblon; bouche : maïs, malt, très léger houblon, léger caramel, finale en maïs avec très légère présence de caramel, corps léger-moyen, carbonatation moyenne, très légèrement amère, légèrement sucrée, texture coulante; en résumé : correct
Tried from Cask on 09 Feb 2021 at 16:10

7/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 6 Flavor 7.5 Texture 7 Overall 7
Huge, very dense & fine, stable light-yellowish head over clear pale copper beer. Yeast, white candi sugar, toasted malts, bit "hot" aroma. Smells very young. Bitter, bittering hops, bit caramel and toasted malts in the background. Light bitter leaves, dito fresh vegetables (as very young raw green peas). Hint @ liquorice, if not sweet. "Hot" from the nose confirmed. Medium bodied, slick, feeling much better carbonated than visible. Not bad, just a bit "been there, done that". It smells and appears very young, almost green beer, but ripening would certainly dull the hopbitterness.
Tried from Bottle from ALBO Drinks on 31 Jan 2021 at 17:35

5.9/10 Appearance 4 Aroma 7 Flavor 6 Texture 4 Overall 6.5
@ Home a Capodanno - da GrandCru Firenze
Tried on 31 Dec 2020 at 20:28

6/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 6
Fles 33cl thuis. Maltig, fruitig, yeasty, licht scherp, orange peel, grassig. (30-12-2020).
Tried on 30 Dec 2020 at 21:25

7.1/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 7.5
75cl bottle (BBF: 2022) from Prik & Tik Dranken Marlou. F: huge, white, very long lasting. C: gold, hazy. A: nice green hoppy, floral, bit spicy, bit olives, bready touch. T: medium malty base, bready with prominent hoppy long lasting bitterness, banana, spicy, dry on the palate, medium to high carbonation, nice hoppy Belgian ale, very enjoyable for me.
Tried from Bottle on 23 Dec 2020 at 19:42

6.5/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 7
Bottle. Pours hazy copper brown with big, airy but stable light beige head. Clear aroma of berries, with touches of yeast and caramel. Bitter and dry flavour of yeast and berries, with fruity touches and notes of hops and malt. Lingering vinous aftertaste with estery notes and touches of caramel malt. Decent but rather different from my idea of a Dubbel.
Tried from Bottle on 05 Dec 2020 at 19:57

7.2/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 9
Bottle, 7.8%. Good dusty and nicely vinous aroma. Dark brown colour, seems clear. Very big rocky light brown head. The flavour starts off nicely citric. Totally unexpected of the style, but good nevertheless. Good citric note, very clean, but also with a distinct note of sour cherries. Good and refreshing, actually.
Tried from Bottle on 05 Dec 2020 at 19:57