REVIEW 4: DELIRIUM TREMENS

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  Belgium

BREWERY:  Brouwerij Huyghe

STYLE:  Strong Pale Ale

ABV:  8.5%

PURCHASE:  25.4-oz. bottle, $13.99

SERVING:  Said bottle, poured into Chimay branded chalice. With a slow, steady pour, produced a retentive, fluffy head of two full inches--again, in a chalice. A somewhat faster dispensation yielded a third inch. 

APPEARANCE:  Pale, golden-blond hue that is opaque, hazy, yet effervescent. Bright white head, like a finely aged old woman.

BOUQUET:  Extremely well balanced nose of soft citrus and grain. Underlying hints of coriander, orange zest, and perhaps clove. Somewhat doughy. Very pleasant.

PALATE:  Carbonation is present but soft--even velvety. High drinkability factor given the ABV. As with the bouquet, various nuances are keenly balanced. Prominent, but not overpowering, citrus, primarily in the form of orange and lemon peel, pervades most of the medium body. A tease of banana seems to sneak in mid-palate. Toward the back, spiciness kicks in, mainly in the form of the aforementioned coriander and orange zest. However, this seems to morph into subtle pepper notes in the finish. The aftertaste sees a gradual "bowing out" of said peppery notes; a meshing of citrus, yeast,  and pressed grain serves as the through-line, undergoing a graceful diminuendo that lasts for minutes. Exceptionally rounded overall mouthfeel.

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  Confession time: I first had this a few years ago in a local bar, and was not particularly impressed. I did not have it again until tonight. After tonight's session, I am convinced I must have been a victim of a compromised tap line that first time. (I want my money back, assholes.) Or, check this out: Maybe they served me the wrong beer. What else could account for my originally thinking this was "disappointingly average?" (Those are my own words, from my original review, from 2010, on a private message board.) Whatever the case, I now totally disregard that now obvious fluke of a maiden trial with Delirium Tremens. (FYI: Delirium Tremens is a term describing the condition alcoholics often experience when undergoing withdrawal. It's on Wikipedia. Look it up. You know what else? Alcoholics are said to see pink elephants when they hallucinate. Guess what you will find pictured on a bottle of Delirium Tremens?)  This is often regarded as one of the finest beers in the world; now I understand. Although, I'm not sure it's in my "elite" category just yet. Maybe a notch below.





GRADE:  A