Beer – #1013 – Brouwerij Huyghe – Delirium Noël / Christmas

I’m a notorious impulse buyer, and although Christmas passed I couldn’t help myself. So I reached out and got me a Brouwerij Huyghe – Delirium Noël / Christmas.

appearance is a superb warm copper to red color

Delirium Noël, presented in a painted grey glass bottle of 330ml, a beer that is 10% ABV which has 20 IBU things. Brewed in the style that is of a Belgian Strong Ale and is brewed by Brouwerij Huyghe who are in Melle, Belgium. This would be about 300 calories a serve size and is 2.6 standard drink units in NZ

Ho Ho Ho

Brewed only for the Christmas and New Year, Noël complete the “Delirium” trilogy.

Its appearance is a superb warm copper to red color, recalling “Nocturnum” except in its taste.

It hides its subtlety by multiple levels of flavor and should be approached with confidence, with a tinge typical Christmas, sauced with a sweet touch, then bitterness.

So, What could possibly go wrong?

Aroma on opening is a mixed bag of muted things, possibly more to wards the sweet that happy or sour.

A lively pour or a copper read beer that worked out a 505/50 in the glass, although it’s better than that, the shape of the glass and all that. I guess the brewer can’t have a flat beer for the festival season.

In the glass it’s familiar Belgium yeast notes are obvious on the stronger malt body.

It’s very rich, not cloying thick syrup rich, but full and sweet rich, a lovely thing on the tongue.

It’s all of the 20 IBU things, which is to say that it’s not at all bitter (Bud/Millers/Coors et al are around 10) The carbonation does quite a lot of the heavy lifting in this, which is somewhat the opposite of what it usually does, this seems to need the bubbles to carry that alcohol warmth to the back where it pleasingly sits.

Altogether though this is good for the style but not really a stand alone offering, aside that it comes with similar beers from the brew house, perhaps I should do some side by side thing. Perhaps next time.

This is a nice beer to drink, clearly not a session beer, or in hindsight one you should start with, unless you’re on a particularly interesting night in or out.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 of its things from the thing. A big 8, for all it’s good points this does seem a bit lacing in fullness and body, All the right bits are there they just don’t quite all swing in line together to deliver something wonderful. It’s a bit like opening a surprise christmas present where you’ve guess what it is, still nice but didn’t knock your socks off.

The double dip review

Where did I get it? Liquorland in Forrest Hill had some, well one less now, down to the 2 left I think
Am I enjoying it? Yes I am.
Would I have another? I’d have this as finish of a beer night when the cheese had gone softer and things were somewhat more mellow.
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Not really, it’s rather a standard beer of it’s style to be honest, unless your friend liked a beer with some nice end of evening cheese and long pointless unmemorable stories.

Music for this: In Memory Of Loss (Deluxe Edition) by Nathaniel Rateliff This is somewhat a magnificent album that really does grown on you and becomes somewhat a favourite listen on hight rotation.

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.