Delirium Noël

Brewed by Brouwerij Huyghe
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Melle, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

(bottle, 33cl, as Delirium Christmas) Clear, dark amber colour with a tall and tanned but unstable frothy head. Sweet and slightly dusty nose with notes of cara-malt, candy, raisins and coriander spice. Sweet flavour, almost full bodied with a moderate carbonation. Malty, mildly fruity and spicy taste with notes of alcohol; sweet and slightly bitter, subtle dried fruity finish with notes of coriander and a tinge of juniper. 30.V.11

UPDATED: JAN 27, 2012 Poured a rich, dark velvet red with a medium body and had soft carbonation. The head was thick and creamy, with dense lacing. The aroma was intoxicating, pungent of raisins, fig, yeast, brown sugar and caramel - spicy too. The taste was sensual, dark fruits, cinnamon and yeast teased the taste buds, while the warmth of alcohol was satisfying in the most sexy way possible. This beer is surprisingly drinkable for its complexity, and the 10% abv is definitely worth getting lost in.

Nothing says Christmas beer like pink elephants in Santa hats. Unrepentantly sweet, Delirium Noel smashes you in the mouth with bubblegum and caramel and clove and malt biscuits, very weizenbock-ish, yet with a nice yeasty finish. The alcohol pops up now and then, minding its own business, not bothering anyone despite its size. Definitely a beer to be taken in small doses. (12/12/08)

It took me nearly 6 months to finish the Delirium Trilogy, and doesn’t it figure I drink the Christmas beer in Spring, and the other two during the Christmas season. Noel is the strongest of the three Belgian Strong Ales, and with a flavor like this it’s not hard to tell. I am really turned off by the way it smells and tastes, but that is the sacrifice I must make when drinking a 10% alc beer. Still, for $11 a bottle, I had hoped for a lot better. I’ll give credit where it’s due though, and say that it does get consistently better after every sip.

At the pour, Delirium Noël presents a dark amber color with a thin head. The foam hugs the glass. There is a sweet and malty aroma. This beer certainly maintains its Belgian characteristics. There are notes of orange and spice. The fruitiness lingers for a moment as the carbonation dissipates. This beer goes down smooth. Overall, Delirium Noël is a smooth brew with a lot of punch.

UPDATED: DEC 26, 2011 Brown with a big white head. Sour/tart and bread aromas. Sweet palate. Big beer.

At a tasting, thanks Achsan, pours orange with a nice creamy head, aroma of molasses, grapes, grape juice, apricot and watermelon, flavor of raisins, malt and nice acidity, pleasant carbonation, medium bodied.

Pours light brown with a slight orange tint throughout and a thin white head. Lacing is decent and it appears to be quite carbonated. Aroma is straight forward for a Belgian ale: cloves, grapes, plums, bananas, vanilla. The taste is kicked off with some initial sweetness but then grows spicier. Some slight alcohol throughout and a clean dry finish. Medium bodied with good carbonation.