Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Christmas (Noël) Belgian Strong Dark Ale at 10% ABV ($6.00 at South Trail Co-Op, 330ml, best before 09/17)
Pours hazy deep amber with two fat fingers of light tan head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, spotty lacing. (4/5) Nose is dark fruit, bready malt, Belgian yeast, spices. (8/10) Taste is moderately strong sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Medium body, lively to moderate carbonation, off-dry mildly boozy bitter finish. (4/5)
Now there’s noël in a bottle. Gushed a little on opening, but I was expecting that and caught it all in my Delirium goblet. (Finally using it for the beer it came with!) Opens up very nicely as it warms. There’s an initial urge to drink it down, but pacing yourself will yield a better result, both because the very well-integrated ABV will sneak up on you in a hurry, and because there’s some nice complexity there that deserves sipping and savouring. There’s a large malty sweetness at the front, along with boozy dark fruits, but it’s not unbalanced, and finishes nicely off-dry and bitter. Makes me wish I was back at Café Delirium in Brussels! (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
