Delirium Noël

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Appearance- Reddish brown with a quickly dissipating white head. Transparent dark copper color when the light hit it a certain way. Quite a bit of carbonation. Leaves substantial lacing. Not the most attractive beer I’ve seen but appealing enough. Aroma- Banana is prominent from the start with a strong whiff of alcohol. As it warmed I picked up a caramel note and even a bit of a toasted character(coffee/chocolate) further on. Later still I picked up something akin to a cherry cough drop. The alcohol also seemed to get stronger as I sipped the beer giving off an aroma of rubbing alcohol. This last aspect wasn’t the most appetizing of aromas but it didn’t hurt the beer in my opinion. Taste- For the most part I couldn’t pick out any specific flavors, The best thing I could come up with was that it simply tasted like beer with a little bit of sweetness, spice, and bitterness. Though I do not see this as a negative as it tasted like a very good beer. It was just that there were no flavor associations to make. This was pretty much the case all the way through but as I sipped it I did pick up a little banana and maybe some cherry. One thing that was definite in regards to the flavor is that the alcohol was just as apparent in the flavor as it was on the nose. This all said it was a very tasty beer regardless. Mouth feel- Sticky, medium/full body. Drinkability- It is boozy but if you like big beers this should go down smoothly.

Probably my favorite Christmas beer so far, alongside St. Bernardus Christmas.

Pours with a dark golden brown hue with a light head. Spices give this beer a nice view. The aroma of apple s and cinnamon. Beer has a nice apple taste with a smooth malt finish. Good beer for the season.

A very dark amber beer with a third finger head. 330 in a Chimay glass - this glassware is etched with carbon dioxide release in mind, but this beer is simply volcanic. Belgian yeast dance in the nose with brown sugar, dates, and spices. Marked best by 3/11, and still excellent. Wallop of candy sweetness, some alcohol and subtle bitterness. Creamy body engulfs the palate and makes itself at home. The elephant dances...and very well at that. Curiously, peeling the red wrapper back reveals an old ’Lucifer’ cap - a recently resurrected beer not related to Huyghe in an way. One of the world’s best, in my humble opinion.

UPDATED: JAN 17, 2012 Dark red pour, delightful belgian yeast and spice aroma. Clean belgian flavor with notes of nutmeg and clove. I have a weak spot for Belgian, and this is in my top list. Alcohol flavor is masked, overall, it is delicious!

Medium head on pours but goes thin quickly. Very bubbly. Yeasty malt aroma and caramel coloring. Spice is at front with caramel malt in back of it mixing with a cheese yeast in a lovely balance. Very unassuming 10% alcohol is very well hidden. Slight warmth at finish.

Medium amber with offwhite head. Nose of apple cider, fruity and cakey, with some faint yeast and spice in the background. Flavor is again apple cider with other fruit, apple cake, and mild spice. Perfectly tart, with nice carbonation and a pleasantly sweet aftertaste. Quite enjoyable.

2005, corked bottle. Pours a cloudy dark amber with a nice tan head. It has alcohol, caramel, and spices in the aroma. Tastes sweet with a hint of orange with a slight alcohol aftertaste.