Delirium Noël

2005 Bottle. Slightly hazy garnet/amber pour with ruby highlites under a tall but quickly dimishing tan head. Nice lacing. Sweet and mildly spicy aroma of over-ripe summer fruits, a touch of nutmeg, coriander, pepper and malt. Very well balanced and strongly malty flavor with less sweetness than expected but with a nice warming combination of toasted biscuit, anise, cocoa and yeast. Just a mild kick of alcohol rounded out the flavors. Full and creamy mouthfeel with a pleasant prickle of carbonation and a medium to long and sweet finish. This is a classic Belgian Winter/Holiday ale which will always be welcome on the Holiday shelf in my fridge!

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.

On Tap, Sharp Edge, Creekhouse, Pgh, PA

Beautiful dark amber with a 1/2 thick creamy white head. Aroma was sweet like candy. First sip is full of flavors, licorice, malts, spices, and sugar. Medium body, nice mouthfeel, no real aftertaste to me, but the flavor did smooth out after the beer warmed a bit. I couldn’t taste the alcohol at all, which is nice for a 10%.

750 mL brown corked bottle purchased from Whole Foods, Deerfield, IL. ABV 10%. Hazy dark orange amber ale having an average-sized diminishing creamy off-white head with fair lacing. Aroma bouquet of toffee, fruity esters (prune?) and alcohol. Soft carbonation. Full bodied that starts with sharpness and mouth exploding flavors of slight sweet malt, fruit, and toffee. Finishes dry with lingering bitterness. A very delicious Belgium ale. 12/12/05 update insert. On tap at Firkin’s, Libertyville, IL. Clear amber hued ale having a long-lasting large white head with good lacing. Nice aromas of fruity esters, banana, and spice. Medium bodied that starts with slight sweet malt, dried fruits, toffee, and spice flavors. Finishes dry with malt aftertaste. Notable alcoholic warmth. An excellent spicy Belgium ale for the winter holidays. Enjoyed on my birthday. Rating stays the same but I thought that the tap version was more aromatic and flavorful than bottled version.

Draft Poured amber-brown nice off white head not much lacing. Aroma’s of malt, christmas spices and alcohol.Flavor was sweet, spicy with some cherry and flum flavors. Nicley balanced beer medium bodied but really packed a punch 2 glasses and I was feeling pretty good. Have had in bottle before I feel that draft had a more balanced feel to it.

Poured from bottle into shaker glass because I don’t have the proper glassware. Oh well, I still wouldn’t have like this one if it I had drank it out of a bejewled tulip. It was an appropriately hazy amber color with a fine fizzy tan head. The tase was fairly smooth and then WHAM!!!! You get smacked in the face with a harsh, medicinal finish and a horrible aftertaste. My buddy and I split the bottle, but couldn’t finish our glasses.

Draught at Cole’s, Buffalo NY. Pours a flat clear amber with a small off-white head. Nice aroma of sweet malt, sugar, yeast, Christmas spices, caramel and alcohol. Flavour pretty much follows the aroma but with more alcohol and a slightly metallic aftertaste that I really don’t like. Dissapointing.

Bottle. Ruby colour with a big tan head. Sweet spicy, fruity aroma and a sweet spicy, fruity, brown sugar, light alcoholic taste. Medium body with a sweet alcoholic finish.