Delirium Noël

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

A well aged corked bottle that I have had around for quite some time and just now got around to drinking, served in my St Bernardus chalice, some cork leakage detected on the bottle:

Displays a deep bronze hue with a quickly disappearing fizzy head but traces of carbonation still come forth, leaves a oily film on the glassware. The aroma has notes of ripe apricot and fig, juniper berry and light coriander, caramelized and bready malts, honey and other earthy and vinous esters. The taste starts with sweet ripened fruits and heavy malting with an interesting twang on the sides of the tongue that is both spicy and even a bit salty. There is a bit of sherry like note giving a vinous quality to the finish. While the beer is warming, it is not powerful and seem to flame out at the end. The aftertaste had both lingering white pepper and honey notes. Smooth and lush but much like the taste it falls just short of a knockout. Aging may have mellowed it out too much, I don’t know. My least favorite of the three Delirium releases but still worthy of another try .

Thanks SS! Medium murky brown, decent head. Aroma of cola, perfume, and alcohol. Plums with a note of chocolate, more perfume, a touch of cola, and that Huyghe yeast. Nice. Very reminiscent of the Nocturnum. Nice mouthfeel.

On tap @ Prespa in Buffalo. Reddish amber underneath a frothy beige head. Malty, fruity: melon, orange; and spicy: coriander; also with a bit of caramel. Medium to full body, very little alcohol detected. Very good.

On draft at Half Time, Poughkeepsie, NY. Pours deep copper with great lacing. Aroma of malt, hops, big spices, cinnamon, brown sugar, and cognac. Tastes malty, with spices, hops, nutmeg, and cognac at mid palate and finish. Slight dry finish. Very nice.

Bottle from Jim’s Foodmart - Houghton, MI Pours a rusty golden, with a silky lacing head of ivory and amber. Aroma is wicking spicy fig and pear, with heavy vinous tart grape skins and light floral cognac. Flavor is an intense heavy malt, mulled with a touch of spice and blended with a biting yeasty bread crust and a touch of wheat. Complex and fulfulling with a real glowing character. Unfortunately the alcohol comes on a little hot. Back end runs with light floral fruits and light colored fruits like pears, apricots, and apples. A hint of white chocolate. Finishes with a good smack in the face from the alcohol. Deliciously warming though.

Another classic selection from delirium this is a great winter and christmas ale very warm memories of this one

750ml bottle bought 1 year ago after Christmas and cellared pour a dark copper with a creamy offwhite head that stays very well and laces the sides of the Trappist Glass. Aroma is apple, candied sugar, caramel malt and some vegetal residue. Flavor is nice and sweet brown sugar, apple, caramel malt and a touch of cinnamon. Palate is light airy and very nice in the mouth like velvet. Very trappist-like. No sign of the alcohol in the flavor but you can sure feel the warmth. Nice brew for sure.

From the 750ml bottle. 2004 on the cork. Pours a deep reddish brown with a light tan head. Smell is fruity. Spiced apples, cherries and clove. Quite festive. Taste is of those tart spiced apples again. Cloves and cinnamon. Somewhat yeasty and spicy. Sticky sweet, dare I use the dreaded "cloyingly"? A bit too sweet which cuts down quite a bit on the drinkability for me. But not a bad beer to sip on for an hour or so. Very thick and chewy. Good thing it’s a seasonal, once a year will suffice for me.