Beer – #307 – Brouwerij Huyghe – Delirium Tremens
The night clearly is drawing in – next up is from the Brouwerij Huyghe – Delirium Tremens.
Brewed by Brouwerij Huyghe this is the Belgian Strong Ale and they make this in Melle, Belgium
Selfie
The allusion to pink elephants and the choice of names is not due to chance. With a particular character, the unique taste of results from the use of three different kinds of yeast. The result is a finish of peppery bitterness without aggression. The gray bottle hides a mystery awaiting discovery by the none faint of heart.
Launched on December 26th 1989 @ 9% abv. Abv reduced from 9% to 8.5% in 2003.
The particular character and the unique taste of “Delirium Tremens” result from the use of three different kinds of yeast. Its very original packing, which resembles cologne ceramics, and the colourful label contribute to its success.
In 1997, Stuart A. Kallen nominated Delirium Tremens as “best beer in the world”. A gold medal during the “world beer championships” in Chicago (1998) confirmed that worldwide recognition.
Clearly not the best beer in the world.
The small 330ml bottle, contains only 8.55% ABV of a beer that is 255 calories a serve. making this 2.21 standard drinks.
Similarly presented in the painted bottle, to look like pottery, and with the blue foil. It looks great. Pink elephant in attendance.
Sweet sour aroma on opening, lively carbonation as this gets all excited in the bottle. It has been sitting warming for a while, it should be ok though.
Wildly fluffy head on the pour, and it surprised me with how pale it was, but all that subsides to a more normal light fluff, and leaves some decent lacing.
Aroma is more settled and remains towards the sour, but not without a sweet undertone.
Its lovely and sweet to drink, with a bitterness that carried with a lovely mouthfeel of fluffiness, all of which sounded like poetic nonsense.
I’d finished writing about this before I’d finished the beer. It really is a very full beer. I like the word full, it gives you the idea that when you sip you get a cheeks full of action. This is a very robust beer, and the flavours are not diminished by time or warmth.
The pdubyah-o-meter, which I may have overlooked in previous published versions, mostly due to beer, for this, then, is an 8. How would I be able to rate this higher and 8 is as low as I think I’d go based on the units of beer consumed on empty tummy.
In a scenario where you’re a quaffing away on things, and then this is plied before you, and then you stop to thin about it, and frankly this is a bit of a finisher. Despite is nice balance and delivery of the flavours and profile this really is a beer that made me feel ‘full” both of tummy and in the buzz.
Not a bad way to be, but to much to soon. said MrsPdubyah scornfully.
BELGIAN STRONG ALE
Belgian Strong Ales can vary from pale to dark brown in color, darker ales may be colored with dark candy sugar. Hop flavor can range from low to high, while hop aroma is low. The beers are medium to full-bodied and have a high alcoholic character. Types of beers included here include tripels, dubbels and ultra-strong abbey ales.
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A life just as ordinary 
Great to read some Belgian beer reviews, tried Rodenbach last year out there, try it if you find it, a great red ale.
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Have to say. Ended the evening a bit squiffy 🙂
It is interesting to compare the original with the newcomers. Il make a note on my beer to look for list.
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My better half went to Belgium for a conference a few years ago, brought me back a bottle of Corsendonk, another cracker.
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