Delirium Nocturnum

Bottled. One of my all time favorites. If you like Belgians, this is a must try. Just a notch below Delirium Tremons.

A decent Begian Stong. Floral and spicy aroma with a tan head. There is an abundance of carbonation in this beer and that helps account for the pin pricks it produces on the tongue and roof of the mouth. Some caramel. Some allspice. Some citris and some berries. This was a gift from HZ.

1 pt. 9.4 oz bottle I see that my rating for this beer is skewed from the rest being given to it. Let me start by saying that this was a nice package with a ceramic looking bottle and cork. Normally something I would even give a point or two. However it was clear that this particular did not ship well as the cork was only maybe half an inch into the bottle and it appeared as if some leakage had occurred. After opening the bottle and pouring it was also clear some type of mold or fungus had begun to grow along the rim of the bottle and I had to fish a large chunk of it out of the glass. Given all this I am not one to give up on a bottle that I paid decent money for. There was practically no head and the beer was somewhat flat further proving to me that some leakage had taken place. The only real flavor I can say came through is malt, malt, and more malt finishing with a dusty dry taste. The one saving grace for this brew was that once I was done I gotten a nice little buzz. Of course that may have been from the fungus or mold but a buzz is a buzz nonethless. Maybe some day I can give this beer another shot but I will wait for a fresh shipment and a close inspection of the bottle to see if it is worth my time. I must say that I find this beers scores odd as I read other reviews as it does not seem as many people liked it very much. Why the somewhat high rating then is a mystery to me. Peobably the beer snobs giving it a higher rating than it deserves because it comes from Belgium.

I remember an Old Looney Tunes cartoon that dealt with the pink elephant phenomenon. If I recall correctly a trio of pink elephants appears before a drunkard and lead him on all kinds of hijinx and merriment, usually ending violently. Finally at the end the souse checks in with a psychologist who doubts his hallucinatory jabbering until the elephants pull a prank on him too. I thought the message was very adult considering it was meant for a child audience: alcohol will almost kill you, repeatedly, but remember, you’re invincible as long as you’re under the influence. Also, being sober is no escape from induced elephant tricksters. They will find you in your sleep. Of course that wasn’t the message I took away as a kid, it was all in good fun. But I had neither seen nor heard reference to the charming zoological symptom until I caught a glance of the Delirium Nocturnum. With a little more wisdom under my belt (and a fair bit of girth) I can take the pink elephant for what it means. And that is innocent, outré and moderately effective drinking. I’ve had my eye on the Nocturnum for awhile now; partly attributable to its eye-catching white bottle, and partly that it’s at almost every liquor store outside the slums. It was nice, then to finally sit down with something I had been desiring for a year but had somehow avoided by other purchases. The body is lucidly clear, and red like cranberries with a bit of shine for polish. The head is very, how shall we say, technical. While I let the beer garner a bit of heat the head formed an octopus shape in a strange tribute to cephalopods. The smell is minimal, pruned down to a duet of oak and dust, with lesser bits of coffee and cream. The flavor recompenses with a batch of as of yet unnoticed tastes. The first thing I picked up on the radar was soft serve vanilla ice cream. Next was cookie dough. Next was weak bodied but odiferous cheese. Next was alcohol. And there it ends, although near room temperature some licorice peeks its head out. Each stage was a new puzzle in a trial of perception, and I think I failed each one. Here’s the rub – as lovely as all these flavors seem, they don’t really fit into each other like a lock and key. It’s more like shoving a grand piano through a dog door. The head-splitting cacophony of broken strings and snapping ivory, and a very irate dog aptly describes the Delirium Nocturnum. Each agent in this ludicrous analogy would be fine by itself. One, a melodic essential in musical history and composition, the other a trademark sound familiar to American suburbia both invoke comfort. Together it’s unbridled chaos. Also, it’s a very dry beer, and I don’t usually care for my ice cream and cookie dough with a shot of vermouth. Still, it’s a simulative experience, but one I’d not soon repeat. Credit for creativity, even if unintentional, but not something I’ll cherish for years to come. Except the pink elephant. There’s no metaphor that excuses drunkenness like pink elephants.

I don’t think I can say it much better than Kepano said below. This ale seems to be trying too hard in the flavoring, while in reality there is not much below the surface in terms of the depth of its complexity, perhaps hidden because of what seems to be over-carbonation. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy this beer and would not it turn it down, but for my money there are much better options in this catagory.

Chic aubergine in color but speckled with unattractive flakes of yeast and topped in a common cream foam. The nose is light and sweet but carries a distinct depth emphasized by hints of coffee and cream underlaying the fruity-spicy combination of grape juice, cassis and cherry with hazelnut, anise and allspice. The flavor is disappointingly shallow, showing a bland mixture of coffee, cream, licorice and pepper all tied together in a heavy wooden box. I remember fruit (particularly blackcurrant) making a more distinct appearance on the tongue in the few sips I stole from a friend long ago. The palate seems slightly off-balance with a fizzy carbonation and a hint of smoked salmon lingering after the swallow. A neat little beer, but perhaps better fresh.

This is a very good beer, top 10 in my book. Earthy & hoppy smell, although a bit faint. Large but diminshing head. Flavor is woody carmel with hints of berries. Very complex flavor with prominant yeast and hops. But, the flavor is ripped away too quickly due to the apparent added carbonation (also screws up the head). Nonetheless...YUM!

Bottled. Amber colour with a huge mostly lasting beige creamy head. Rich aroma and taste of malts, fruits, chocolate with some bitterness. Good beer, even better palate.