Archive for the 'Delirium' category
Delirium Tremens
This is the flagship beer of Delirium, and probably their best. This beer originates in Belgium, as it should, and I would consider it a true representation of what a Belgian tripel should be. The pour is golden with a bleached white head, and the aroma is very fruity and crisp, with a bit of spice. Also notable in the look of the beer is a level of debris, which isn’t unexpected due to the unfiltered nature and the bottle fermentation. From experience, I would say that the Delirium beers have an unusually large amount of debris in the bottle. But, this doesn’t bother me – it makes the beer, so it should stay in the beer. The taste is also delectable – entering the mouth, the sweetness is evident, followed by a bit of coriander and finishing with maybe just a hint of clove. Very good. It’s a crisp beer and very drinkable. Combine all this with the sleepy elephant and the great white bottle, and you have a beer that is excellent in every respect of the experience.
Delirium Noel Christmas Ale
This is a superb Christmas Ale – Slightly spicy with a touch of nutmeg and maybe ginger? The hue is a dark brown with a hint of purple, and the head is a caramel yellow. The flavor has a base reminiscent of a Newcastle Brown Ale, but it blossoms with a sweet spiciness, a touch of chocolate, and some spice flavors, as I intimated above. The aroma is excellent, but I can’t quite place it – nevertheless, I keep raising the glass to my nose and I enjoy it every time. All in all, a rather complicated Christmas beer, but a very fresh one. Definitely a favorite of the genre.
Delirium Nocturnum
This Belgian beer comes in the signature Delirium white bottle with the “sleepy elephant” which, in my opinion, makes it worth a try. It has a decent bouquet, heavy with anise and spice, and a dark purple appearance. The head dicipates fairly quickly and is a uniform light brown in color. It tastes like a typical dark Belgian abbey – hints of fig and anise – heavier on these particular flavors than many competitors. I am not a huge fan of the anise flavor in a beer, but I find that it is trademark in most good Abbey ales – So, while it isn’t my favorite, I certainly appreciate and respect the style – and, I drink it often. My impression is that this is a fabulous representation of the Abbey style, and so I have to give it a recommendation, even if it doesn’t suit my palate perfectly. Good beer.
