Delirium Noël

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Bottle, dark reddish color, lots of head. A bit less flavor than tremens, but with more alcohol. Great to try but not as good as tremens.

Pours burgundy in color with an intense white head. Typical Belgian yeast aroma mixed with dark fruits. Flavor starts sweets with mostly fruit and yeast and ends in a semi-dry finish. Well done.

UPDATED: NOV 5, 2007 750ml bottle, aged about one year. Pours a dark, cloudy, nearly opaque chestnut body. A massive, spongy, cream colored head shows nice retention, settling to a thin film only after about 10 minutes. A minimal, spotty, sudsy lacing dots the glass. The aroma is nothing short of divine. It shows a complex blend of lightly toasted caramel, nougat, heavy cream, hazelnuts, oak, and heaps of vanilla. The nose resembles a well crafted English barleywine blended with a strong Belgian. The flavor is similar, and very solid, though a bit sweet. Caramel blends with faint hints of coffee and chocolate on the tongue. An oaky, woodsy earthiness is present throughout, with vanilla making a strong push for top billing. Hazelnuts also play a strong role. Medium-full bodied, smooth, and just a little sticky. This is a damn fine brew. Considerably better than the Nocturnum. I would bet that a year of aging has done this one well.

UPDATED: MAR 23, 2010 Pours hazy reddish dark brown with light head. Aroma has some banana and brown sugar, flavor is fruity and malty with a slightly alcoholic finish. Very enjoyable.

beer of summer @ OTH. ’00 bottle, damn tasty with so many years on it. orange-copper, tan head. aroma and flavors, lots of soy, malty, lots of dark fruits, definitely tell this one has some age on it, mostly the soy comes through a lot more than usual. Bready, typical Belgian yeast, dark fruits.

Draft. Have to give this one at least a 4. Very complex aroma ringing out subtle spices, dark fruit, and everything I expect from a Belgian strong ale. Pretty impressive.

Spicy and flavorful beer with hints of cinnamon, piney hops, and alcohol. Slight carmel flavor and has a balance of sweetness with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Great flavor that I look forward to each Christmas. Great beer!!

UPDATED: FEB 2, 2009 An unexpected, yet immensely appreciated gift from Donfardz64. Intense raisin and prune nose with a chocolate malt base. brown sugar, resiny hops. Earthy notes - wood and a bready yeast. Some alcohol in the aromas, along with cinnamon make this one quite like a fruitcake. The flavours are quite spicy. I find maple syrup, raisins, lots of toffee and caramel. Apple and cherry fruits, with raisin, prune and bready yeast. Candy sugar sweetness. Spice and alcohol penetrate every part of the nose, very nice. Quite medium bodied and the finish is mellow, long-lasting and relatively dry.