After Dark Hallucinations or Delirium Nocturnum
Jul 10 '01
The Bottom Line A very enjoyable Belgian ale, strong, complex, lots of flavor and character while not too overwhelming. Pleasant experience for fans of Belgian ales, not too difficult an introduction for newcomers.
Delirium Nocturnum, Huyghe Brewery, Belgium
I spent the weekend reviewing a couple of brews from lesser known brewing nations, but tonight my travels would take to the undisputed brewing center of the world. No I’m not talking about St. Louis, I’m talking about Belgium and a brewery named Brouwerij Huyghe, located just outside Ghent.
The brewery is over 400 years old, still existing at its original location, and family owned. It’s known by many beer fans as the brewer of the well-reputed and amusingly named “Delirium Tremens.” Tonight I was drinking a sister of this product in Delirium Nocturnum, which I read was a winter version but did not find any official confirmation of this. Most of us know the meaning of Delirium Tremens (or DT’s), and since Nocturnum relates to night, I can only interpret this as some kind of after dark craziness or nighttime delusions. On the other hand maybe it’s just a reference to the darker color of this one.
What I Discovered Before Drinking It
Delirium Nocturnum is an 8.5%ABV, dark, Belgian Strong Ale. It’s triple fermented using 3 different yeast strains and 5 different malts.
The Packaging
The bottle alone is worth picking up, and something of a nice acquisition for collectors. It’s a glass bottle, but ceramic coated. The label is also very attractive, with a pink elephant set on a psychedelic background that makes me want to listen to “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” while drinking it. There’s also a nice blue foil that seals the top of the bottle and provides some confidence in the quality of the product.
Tasting Notes
Delirium Nocturnum pours out to a dark brown with a little ruby red color. It’s fairly clear in body for a bottle-conditioned ale. A dense beige head forms leaving a slight lace on the glass.
The nose reveals a considerable complexity, with a deep raisin/prune/honey maltiness that makes this a little similar to a brown ale, but it’s more complex than that. There’s some smokiness, a little spice but not much hop, while further effort and persuasion also reveal an alcohol aroma.
There’s a little carbonation but it really runs fairly smoothly, with a nice soft, medium-bodied mouthfeel.
The flavor immediately reveals malt at the front, but I also get a little candy sugar, something that is popular in Belgian ales. Halfway through I get signs of plums, apples, an underlying yeastiness and a more instantly noticeable toasted malt. There’s a burnt coffee-like finish that is moderately dry, while there is a slight but somewhat overshadowed citric tang.
The finish is satisfyingly long, a fruity, plumy aftertaste with some spiciness, while there’s some alcohol warmth that kicks in and balances out the malt. Although not showing much hoppiness, it does all round out very well with a nice balance of flavors.
Verdict
This may not be the best Belgian ale out there but it’s certainly a good representation. It will do enough to please fans of Belgian ales, if not overwhelming them. It’s a lot easier drinking than some of the Trappist ales I’ve tried so it would make a decent drink for newcomers to Belgium, while having several similarities to a brown or Scottish ale.
It carries a great deep complexity, alcohol warmth, lots of flavor and character without being too overpowering. It’s a must try for any serious beer lover, and also something I’d recommend to anyone who likes to be a little more adventurous than the popular corporate lagers.
Serving Suggestions
It’s a strong ale, not particularly suited to food, and probably best as a nightcap. It would also work well as an after dinner drink with strong cheeses.
Official Website
The website is printed on the bottle:
www.delirium.be,
although I couldn’t get this page to display.
Availability
It’s available in 12oz and 750 ml bottles. I got the smaller bottle for $3.49 at Cost Plus World Market in California.
While I was looking for information on this beer I did come across a couple of merchants. The only one I looked at was:
http://www.belgianshop.com/en/
but it was a little expensive. The small bottle was $3.20, but if you just want to order one, the shipping charge is $28. I changed the quantity to 12, and the shipping charge was $50. I doubt that they are sending these from Belgium, and it does seem a little ridiculous when my beer club only charges $10 shipping for 12 bottles.
There probably is a much better deal somewhere online. The distributor is:
Wetten Importers, Lorton, VA.
Additional Reviews
One of my favorite reviewers, lpny216, also wrote a review on this one:
http://www.epinions.com/content_1558093956
Ratings
Appearance: 3/5 Aroma: 10/10 Palate: 4/5 Flavor: 9/10 Overall: 16/20
Score: 4.2 (5 Stars)
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andaryl
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Member: Andrew Smith
Location: The Desert, So Cal
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