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Delirium Noël

    Style:  Belgian dark ale
    Brewery: Brouwerij Huyghe
    Origin: Belgium
    Size: 75cl
    Alcohol: 10%
    Price: 70kr
    Systembolaget: 11655

    Founded in 1906 by Leon Huyghe in the city of Melle, Belgium, Delirium has grown to become a massive brand in the Belgian brewing scene. The company is known for their distinctive pink elephant mascot, which adorns all their beers. This beer was first released in 2000 and has been a seasonal edition every year since. The brewery also has an emphasis on sustainability, with projects such as solar panels on the roof of the brewery, re-using up to 70% of the discarded water and new equipment which is more fuel efficient. Personally, this beer has always been one of the classics of the Belgian brewing scene, and for some reason I don’t believe I’ve ever had their beer in one of my tastings. It seemed only right then to rectify this wrong, and I’m so glad as this was rather nice.

    There was high carbonation noted swirling in the dark amber colour of this beer. An off white head clung to the rim of the glass well. The aroma wasn’t my favourite, with a massive hit of metal being at the forefront. Luckily this was somewhat balanced by the presence of plums and dried figs, but these took second fiddle. The taste was lovely though, with massive dried fruits notes coupled with brown sugar and syrup bread. A hint of metal also crept into the taste but was not off-putting and subtle. The after-taste was long lasting, with the sweetness fading to a warming bitterness on the back of the throat.

    This is a very nice beer, but it isn’t my favourite from Delirium, with their Tremens and Nocturnum preferable over this. Costing only 70kr though, the price of this beer is very generous for this size and strength. I think this could be really nice with some strong aged cheese like cheddar to counterbalance the sweetness. Overall though, a pleasant Christmas beer.