Delirium - Noel

This week is the first full week Dunz and I have been reviewing craft beers and we couldn't be happier about the progress we have made on the site so far.  Incase you haven't been told, we purchased a new web address at www.theworldofbeercraft.com so we can drop the blogspot tag from our site.  We have also added a few resource pages at the top of our site for those of you that are hungry for more information.  We hope those of you who are following us regularly are enjoying the site and telling your friends!  Dunz and I are having a blast creating it and we have no intentions of slowing down anytime soon.

Today I am reviewing a beer that was recommended to me twice throughout the day yesterday.  My friends who told me about it said it was something worth trying so I went out and picked up a bottle after work.  Delirium brewery was founded in 1654 as best I can tell from their website.  Their site is clearly not developed for Americans.  Although, if you are into pink elephants you will find an over abundance of them dancing cheerfully within their site looking as though they have consumed too much Delirium.  The pink elephant must be their mascot.  The beer Delirium is known for is their Tremens which won the title of "Best beer in the world" in 1998 for this Belgian style pale ale.  However, today I am reviewing their Christmas seasonal, Noel.

The bottle is made from glass but painted in a greyish color to make it look ceramic and keep the light out.  Doing so keeps the beer from getting a skunky quality to it.  Once I removed the tin foil seal the cork tells me that this is a 2009 vintage.  The pour is very smooth with hardly any foam lingering afterwards.  Chunks of yeast float in my glass telling me that this is a traditional bottle conditioned Belgian ale.  I'm surprised the yeast didn't settle in a layer at the bottom after sitting around for over a year.  My first smell is a full bouquet of fruit.  I can smell white grapes, apricot, cherries and a few other subtle aromas I can't discern.  Hops are hardly present, if at all.  This brew almost smells like candy.  I'm a little hesitant to take my first sip with the yeast still floating around... fruit, caramel, everything I smelled is in the taste which I like.  No yeasty flavor either.  The finish is still sweet but not cloyingly so.  After a few drinks you begin to appreciate the higher level of carbonation which helps to dry out this flavorful 10% ABV Belgian strong dark ale.

Overall 4.7/6.  I really enjoyed this beer.  I had no problem drinking the entire 750 ml bottle.  The yeast sediment is what really threw me off here.  You will need to not care about the sediment floating around in order to enjoy Delirium's Noel.  Fruity, sweet, easily drinkable.  A good beer to have during a spicy meal or after dinner as a desert beer.