Delirium Noël

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

2004 vintage, 750ml bottle. Huge, sweet, fruity, spicy aroma, plenty of brown sugar and toasty malt with lighter notes of cinnamon, allspice, apple, berry, raisin, doughy yeast and wafts of peppery alcohol. Deep garnet in color, some hazy particles drifting about with a lasting, creamy, ivory head and patchwork lacing. Flavor profile is substantially malty and sweet, plenty of brown sugar throughout. Finish is long and lightly acidic with a burst of yeast esters and spice. Mouthfeel is lightly syrupy and thick, some creamy effervescence, body is undoubtedly quite full. Nice. Better than the Tremens or Nocturnum, and for some reason just really made for a pleasant experience tonight. Satisfying, as it were.

On tap at Hopleaf, Chicago, December 2003. I didn't take great notes on this one, alas -- too drunk by then, or just reeling from the nectar that was Girardin? Never mind, this was an excellent spicy brownish strong concoction, with nice raisins and brown sugar along with hints of allspice and cinnamon. Not the most complex thing out there, but very drinkable and balanced.

2004 Bottle: This beer is a hazy brown color with a foamy thick beige head with decent retention. Nice lacing. Aroma of yeast, apples and malt. Medium-bodied and spicy, with fruit, yeast and hops flavors as well as a light malt balance. The alcohol is not overly noticeable but I was definitely feeling it after this large bottle. The finish is tart and lasting. Very enjoyable overall.

Spicey and very christmas like. Strong alcohol presence and traces of fruit and a lot of other things. Not to be gulped-drinky slowly and enjoy.

UPDATED: DEC 29, 2003 Christmas morning 2001,what a gift to myself.7/5/8/4/17 Rerated 12/27/03 light amber in color with amedium white head.Yeast,spicy aroma.Malty/bready/yeasty flavor with a touch of spice.Warming alcohol mouthfeel.

Dark cloudy amber color with a moderate lasting head that laced the glass beautifully. Aroma was spicy and sweet with earthy fruits. Flavor was earthy with a sweet toffy base and a plethora of earthy fruit such as plum and rasin finishing with a spicy kick. Medium/full bodied with a plesant mouth feel. Very warming in the belly but the alcohol was well hidden in the overall taste.

Poured a clouded orange-brown with a rocky tan head. Poured this into a Delirium Noel tulip glass. Nose is sweetened spice. Candy sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, some fruit and alcohol all vie for the attention of your olfactory senses. The spice is much more evident in the taste. Cinnamon, nutmeg, perhaps apple and banana, along with alcohol melding into a strongly carbonated body. There's a spiced spritz on the tongue during the finish. The flavor remains on the palate long after the gulp has been swallowed. Nice stuff! An improvement over the standard DT beer!

Had from bottle, 2008 vintage, from storage. Pours golden brown with flecks of yeast throughout. Good head, white in color, retains well. Lacing minimal, but adequate. Aroma of sweetness - fruits, sugars - malts, and yeast. Tastes sweet, a great example of a belgian-style ale, this winter ale warms well and is a perfect balance of malts and sugars. The alcohol hides well underneath the sweetness and the yeasty undertones complement the creamy texture well. Finishes very nicely with lingering sugars and the ever-so-slight hint of alcohol. Wonderful beer. Even better when aged.