Delirium Noël

December 5th, 2011 by Scott in Other Beer Reviews

The tree is finished; next on the list of Christmas decorations is the lights. Hopefully it goes better than this:

Anyway, that’s not really what you’re here for is it? On with the beer! Tonight I’m pouring myself another holiday beer.

Pink elephants: they’re not just in Dumbo anymore.

From Brouwerij Huyghe (Huyghe Brewery in Belgian) comes their holiday beer, Delirium Noël. Huygue also makes the delicious Delirium Tremens and Delirium Nocturnum. All the Delirium beers feature pink elephants; on this bottle, the elephants are getting into the holiday season. In the background pink elephants are pulling Santa’s sleigh and one is featured riding a sled.

Huyghe didn’t start brewing Delirium Tremens, the first of the Delirium beers, until 1989. The brewery had been open since 1906; I’m not sure what they were doing for all that time before they came up with Tremens. My guess is slacking (not really!).

In the glass, it’s a deep red color with a nice white head. It smells of dark fruit with a bit of spice. The taste is mostly similar; dark fruit, a little spice, and a nice warming sensation from the 10% ABV. Yes, you read that right: 10% ABV. The carbonation is very light, and despite the alcohol content, it’s a smooth drink. I’m really enjoying this beer, and thanks to the bomber bottle, I have a lot of it to enjoy.

This is an excellent Belgian ale for the Christmas season, and my favorite of the holiday beers I’ve had so far. It’s has a really good taste and it’ll get you nice and toasty. Trust me. Look for the pink elephant with a Santa hat and you too will be seeing pink elephants by the end of the bottle.