Just finished an assignment for school, and realized I hadn’t had a Delirium Nocturnum for quite some time, so I decided to give it a shot. This is the second-most widely available beer from Brouwerij Huyghe in Belgium, cousin of their popular Delirium Tremens.
60 second review – GO!
First thing you’ll notice is the richness of this beer as you pour it into a tulip glass. Don’t be shy about drinking it out of a pint glass, either, but you’ll get the full effect from a tulip glass (shown in picture). Do NOT drink this one out of the bottle – you’ll be sorely disappointed.
This one is boozy at 8.5% ABV, but the alcohol quickly dissipates to reveal some pleasant dark fruit and black currant – almost drinking more like a wine, except for the rich maltiness bolstering the fruit from underneath. You’re going to get a bit of a sour finish, which is a great precursor to the sour ale genre – one I’m still trying to appreciate.
The head dissipates pretty quickly, and the rest of the beer mellows out into a well-balanced, rich Belgian that is great on an early fall day such as this one (in beautiful Lawrence, KS, anyway).
And now for the breakdown:
- Originality within style (19): This one is pretty unique – almost a cross between a gentle Quad and a Sour.
- Nose (14): Slightly unpleasant to me at first (boozy), mellowing out as the beer oxidizes a bit. A bit simple for my tastes.
- Mouthfeel (19): I’m diggin’ the balance between the various elements in this beer – the sour on the end is just enough, but not so much as to scare off newbies to the genre.
- Character (17): This one has few peers within the style. Granted, I’m not overly educated on sours, but this isn’t a true sour. A horse of many colors.
- Overall Quality (20): The brewers at Brouwerij Huyghe in Belgium go out of their way to present an attractive, well done, mass-market Belgian beer that will pull people into the style. Can’t beat that.
- Total (89): Fall and Winter are phenomenal for this heavier, deliciously rich dark ale.
Beer: Delirium Nocturnum
ABV: 8.5%
Brewer: Brouwerij Huyghe, Belgium
Availability: Year-round, most markets
Reviewed by: Jameson Huckaba (twitter: @jamesonhuckaba)
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