Delirium Noël

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

2007 Vintage. Cork "pop" was somewhat subdued but the beer was still well carbonated. Very dark thick amber with a fair soft head. Aroma of candy sugar, caramel and alcohol with some nice spice notes that register later. Tastes just like the aroma. Sweet, light syrup, caramel and soft spice. Just a bit of alcohol burn in the finish.

bottle poured an amber in color with a thin white head and light carbonation pooling at the center. aroma of sweet dark fruit, brown sugar, light yeasty funk, plumb, and some spicing. mouth feel is medium with a heavy coating. flavor comes on with a nice malt, heavy sweetness, molasses, dark fruit, yeast, and spicing. has some alcohol heat and the spicing is high.

In short: An extra sweet and slightly spicy Belgian dark ale. Cloying but drinkable.
How: Bottle 330ml. Winter 2008/2009 batch. Consumed when about 1 year of age (2 years before expiration date)
The look: Cloudy amber body topped by a very small beige head
In long: Nose of some kind of spicy candy/desert. Taste is very sweet with a lot of candy sugar and only a little bit of caramel and molasses. Next to the overwhelming sweetness are raisins, cloves, yeast, hard candies, other spices, a little shot of Jack Daniels. The spiciness is the main attraction here, not intense but an interesting array of spices with no specific spice coming out strong except for cloves. Body is really full and heavy. A little alcohol warmth but feels less than 10%. A bit like their own Delirium Nocturnum with a lot of candy sugar added. I usually really don’t care for beer heavy on candy sugar but this one wasn’t bad. I give it an A. For Average

Pours a dark amber/ruby with a crazy amount of particulate. Intense aroma of fruits, sugar and malts. Fruity/sweet taste up front to a light hop finish., Hop finish. Booze is well muted. Damn good

2005 corked and caged. Semi hazy, particulate suspended burnt orange. Nose is fantastic deep fruity, with no traces of alcohol. Flavors of light smoke, anise, oak, vanilla, and a plethera of other flavors. Truly a great brew.

Sweet, spicy, and delicious. One of the best Christmas beers out there by a great brewery.

Aroma is of candied apricots and sugar plums, probably the best aroma I have ever smelled. I almost don’t want to drink, just keep smelling it, or mix it with wax and make a scented candle. Flavor, though, is kind of lame- meaty and yeast, rather salty, too. Probably because it was brewed before Christmas and it’s now summer. Bottle at Lucky Liquors, Miami, Fl.

Pours a fluffy beige head and a deep amber body containing particulates. Smells a little sour like toast, brown sugar, and yeast. Flavors of molasses, peanut brittle, alcohol. Finish has some alcohol and a touch of rare beef. Pungent in strength and the flavors.