Delirium Noël

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

Cloudy amber with small flakes, beautiful lasting creamy off-white head. Aroma has raisins and figs, some spice and sherry. Somewhat sweet, fruity and spicy flavour. Too sweet for my taste, and not quite as complex as I would like. Disappointed my high expectations.

Head is initially large, fizzy, off-white, fair lacing, mostly diminishing. Body is murky medium amber, bottle conditioned. Aroma is moderately malty (cookie, caramel), lightly hoppy (flowers), lightly yeasty (mold/dishrag), with notes of sugar/bubblegum, peach, orange, and apricot. Flavor is heavily sweet, moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is moderately sweet, moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium to full body, creamy and syrupy texture, lively carbonation, moderately alcoholic. Less than enticing Huyghe house character, but the aroma is fairly pleasant otherwise (fruity). Sugary sweet, but with enough tart and bitter qualities to keep it drinkable. Not bad for this brewer.

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.

bottled. seemed somehow appropriate to have a go at this. reddish brown colour and pretty flat. aroma of dried apricot and apple yoghurt. a bit on the thin side. had obviouldy mellowed quite a lot. sweetish but not as offensively so as other huyghe beers

Bottle. Frothy off-white good mostly lasting head. Dark amber colour. Huge particles. Heavy malty and hoppy aroma. Moderate bitter flavor. Spicey and week fruity esters. Long moderate bitter fnish. Creamy palate

Nutty, sweet candy sugar aroma. Perfumey with tangerine, some yeast and spices. Cleaar amber-brown with thin, tan head that diminishes to ring. Caramel malt flavour with plenty of alcohol apparent. Candy sugar and spices emerge toward the end of the flavour. Mild bitterness takes the edge off the almost cloying sweetness in the finish. Small bubbled carbonation keeps the tongue interested. Strong alcohol warming. Surprisingly light body. Bottle enjoyed with beerbuzzmontreal, MartinT, Rastacouere and a gang of bierophoux.

New arrival in Iowa. The body is a medium red that is also kind liek copper. The head dies down quickly and was slightly off white with some khaki coloring. The aroa is really boozy with some toffee and a little bit of ginger. There is also a hint of hard cinnamon candy. The taste is rich with some fruity cherries and a little bit of cinnamon. There is also a hint of plums. Highly carbonated moutfeel that is almost too sharp. A nice Christmas brew.

March 2006 bottle. Vinous, ripened fruit aroma. Dark amber color with a orange-beige head that did not stay, though it laced lightly while departing. Medium in body with very smooth carbonation. The flavor is something of overripe plum accompanied by sweet malt and mild spice. Heat is noticeable on the way to the finish, and it ends a bit dryish with arguably floral hop. It’s very sippable. Might be a counterpart to an American barleywine.