Delirium Noël

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Pours an orange amber witha short white head. Amazing aroma of grape jelly and raisins. Very spritzy, highly carbonated mouth-feel. The flavor is semi sweet plum or grape jelly with a classic bready Belgian body. Lots of layered spices in the flavor as well. No hints of the ABV. Very smooth winter brew.

Bottle @ Poirotti, Helsinki. Deep brown color with red highlights, off-white head. Pleasant fruity aroma. Complex, bright fruity flavor: apples, herbal notes, malts and some sour berries in the finish. Full body, medium carbonation. Very nice.

Brown/amber color with large white soapy head. Aroma and flavor is of spices, brown sugar, fruits and yeast. Syrupy on the palate, with a spicy and sweet finish.

330 mL bottle- that’s right, I found the little version. Pours a clear, dark ruby with a nice tan head. Great lacing on this one and low carbonation. Aroma is of yeast, dark fruits, candy, cloves. Taste is medium to full-bodied. Starts fruity and spicy but ends with a sort of unpleasant mix of warming alcohol, spice, gingerbread, and sour apple. I guess this is what the Christmas version of Delirium should taste like. I would give it a 3.8 were it not for the pink elephant with a Santa hat on the label.

330 ml bottle. Pours a reddish amber with a little transparency. There is a lot of yeast sediment floating, but this seems to be the case with most Delirium beers. There’s a thin white head that disappears quickly, but my bottle might be a little old. This beer benefits a lot from warming up a little, as you get more sense of the aroma. Smell is mostly of dark fruits, such as plums and figs. Flavor matches the aroma nicely. Some plums, raisins, and light malts with little bitterness. Taste was initially a bit metallic but this went away after the beer was warmed. Finish is pretty nice; it masks the alcohol nicely for a 10% ABV, but there is a slight warming. This is a great holiday beer and certainly warrants a repurchase. A great combination of aroma and flavor. Great if you like plums.

Pours a mahogany brown. Sweet dark fruit with a touch of bubble gum and noticeable alcohol in the nose. Light brown head with slight cloudy staying power. Typical holiday ale spice at the forefront, but with a nice sweet malt malt and lingering alcohol finish. Easily recognizable as a Delirium output, and a solid holiday brew for 2008.

Pours clear, reddish brown, with a large beige head, good lacing. Smells of figs, apple, caramel, molasses, and alcohol. Medium body. Sour apple is the primary flavor, there’s also a metallic edge, and notes of citrus and caramel. Tart aftertaste, almost no bitterness.

330 ml bottle @ Pub Kultainen Apina.
Pours a deep red colour with a thin but lasting head. Yeast particles on the glass. Complex aroma of dried fruits, spices and caramel. Sweet flavour of fruits, wood, peaches and alcohol. Medium bodied with a warming finish that doesn’t last long. Great Christmas brew.