Delirium Nocturnum 11.2 oz

Belgian Brown Strong Ale

Brewed by: Huyghe Brewery
Country: Belgium
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Color: Brown

ABV: 8.5%
Ratebeer.com rating: 88
BeerAdvocate.com rating: 90

Once banned in the US because its provocative title was thought to encourage overindulgence, Delirium Nocturnum from the Huyghe Brewery is a Belgian Strong Ale that pours dark amber brown with a medium beige head.

Top fermented and bottle conditioned, the brew boasts aromas of red fruit, bread, berries and dates, with notes of chocolate, toffee, malt and spice.

Taste follows the nose and also includes notes of honey, banana, and anise with a faint and lingering tartness.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and creamy with lively carbonation, and effectively masks the 8.5% ABV. The finish is long, warm, slightly bitter and touched with fruit.

Food Pairings

Pair with a dark, bitter chocolate to draw out the sweet flavors of the brew; try with some kiwi slices or a sharp blue cheese or more earthy style cheeses like Camembert or Fontina; also pairs well with red meats or dark poultry.

Brewery Information:

Located in the city of Melle in the East Flanders region of Belgium, the Huyghe Brewery was founded in 1906 when Leon Huyghe purchased a local brewery ("Den Appel") whose history in the region went back at least several centuries, to the mid-1600s.

Under his stewardship, the brewery survived both World Wars and actually managed to thrive; but by the 1970s and into the early 1980s sales of the staple brews – then based on lager and Dortmund style beers – were in decline. The brewery found itself – like so many other small family owned breweries of the time – unable to compete successfully with Flanders' larger commercial breweries.

In 1985 the Huyghe Brewery refocused its efforts to concentrate production on high quality, high alcohol, specialty ales only. The flagship brew of this style, Delirium Tremens, was introduced to high acclaim in 1987 and the brewery's fortunes flourished once again.

Today, still helmed by the Huyghe family, the Huyghe Brewery produces and distributes award winning specialty ales to at least eight countries including the United States, Canada, Italy and Japan.