Delirium Nocturnum
Encyclopedia
Delirium Nocturnum is the sister Belgian ale to Delirium Tremens
produced by Huyghe Brewery
in Melle
. It is a triple fermented Belgian ale with re-fermentation in the bottle that is both strong complex with lots of flavor and character.
, Belgium
. The brewery is over 350 years old. It began in 1654 and is still at its original location and is still family owned. It’s known by many beer fans as the brewer of the well-reputed and amusingly named “Delirium Tremens”.
When Delirium Nocturnum (and Tremens) began being imported into the United States
and Canada
, it was quickly banned and taken off the shelves because of its name and the law that forbids the sale of an alcohol product that promotes "excessive drinking". It was refused to be allowed to be licensed for consumption, fearing the beers' names would encourage alcohol abuse. The dictionary defines the word 'delirium' as: ‘an acute mental disturbance characterized by confused thinking and disrupted attention usually accompanied by disordered speech and hallucinations’, and, ‘frenzied excitement’. It was also found offensive to people who have had the "DT's" which indicates a violent sickness induced by withdrawal after alcohol abuse
. To circumvent the import restriction, Delirium was imported under the name ‘Mateen Triple’ for a while until the ban was lifted in the United States
and Canada
.
Because of the living yeast added for re-fermentation in the bottle (bottle conditioning), the taste of Delirium will change (and often improve) with age due to both metabolism by the yeast and the effects of oxidation in the bottle.
coated in a gray speckled color. The label includes a yellow and blue psychedelic
background with the big signature ‘Delirium’ pink elephant in the middle, and is lined at the top with golden doves
. The bottle has a blue foil
that seals the top of the bottle and provides confidence in the quality of the product. The cap is not twist off.
Delirium Nocturnum is sold in 750ml bottles that are sealed with a cork
and cage setup, (like a champagne bottle), in four packs of 11.2 fl.oz bottles, or can be bought by the keg
.
using 3 different yeast
strains and 5 different malts. Delirium Nocturnum pours a rich brown/ruby color, with a thick tan head that leaves a slight lace on the glass. It is mostly clear and has some carbonation
.
The hops
in Delirium Nocturnum become more present as the beer
warms to room temperature
while the alcohol smell becomes more present as well.
While drinking, the ‘mouth feel’ has a full, rich feel with little carbonation
, but runs fairly smoothly, with a soft, medium-bodied feel.
The taste
is complex. It has a bouquet of aromatic sweetness with apple
, berry
, and honey
maltiness and a hint of sourness (the smell can be a little similar to a brown ale
). The flavor immediately bursts with raisins, bittersweet chocolate and aniseed. Halfway through tasting, one can detect plum
and raspberry
with an underlying yeastiness. The finish is long, with a fruity, plummy aftertaste
with some spiciness.
It carries a great deep complexity, alcohol warmth that is full of flavor and character without being too intense. Many say it is a must try for any serious beer lover, and is nothing like the popular corporate lagers. It is a pleasant experience for fans of Belgian ales, and not too difficult an introduction for newcomers.
Delirium Tremens (beer)
Delirium Tremens is a brand of Belgian strong pale ale produced by Huyghe Brewery in Melle.-History:Delirium Tremens was launched on 26 December 1989. The beer uses three different yeasts and is packaged in a bottle that is painted to resemble cologne ceramics...
produced by Huyghe Brewery
Huyghe Brewery
Huyghe Brewery is a brewery founded in 1906 in Belgium by Leon Huyghe in city of Melle in East Flanders. The site of the brewery has been in operation since 1654. However, the brewery has been modernized and expanded on several occasions since the founding of Huyghe...
in Melle
Melle, Belgium
Melle is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the villages of Gontrode and Melle proper. On January 1, 2006 Melle had a total population of 10,585...
. It is a triple fermented Belgian ale with re-fermentation in the bottle that is both strong complex with lots of flavor and character.
History
Delirium Nocturnum is brewed by the Belgian Family Brewery in Brouwerij Huyghe which is just outside GhentGhent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The brewery is over 350 years old. It began in 1654 and is still at its original location and is still family owned. It’s known by many beer fans as the brewer of the well-reputed and amusingly named “Delirium Tremens”.
When Delirium Nocturnum (and Tremens) began being imported into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, it was quickly banned and taken off the shelves because of its name and the law that forbids the sale of an alcohol product that promotes "excessive drinking". It was refused to be allowed to be licensed for consumption, fearing the beers' names would encourage alcohol abuse. The dictionary defines the word 'delirium' as: ‘an acute mental disturbance characterized by confused thinking and disrupted attention usually accompanied by disordered speech and hallucinations’, and, ‘frenzied excitement’. It was also found offensive to people who have had the "DT's" which indicates a violent sickness induced by withdrawal after alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse, as described in the DSM-IV, is a psychiatric diagnosis describing the recurring use of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences. Alcohol abuse eventually progresses to alcoholism, a condition in which an individual becomes dependent on alcoholic beverages in order to avoid...
. To circumvent the import restriction, Delirium was imported under the name ‘Mateen Triple’ for a while until the ban was lifted in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Because of the living yeast added for re-fermentation in the bottle (bottle conditioning), the taste of Delirium will change (and often improve) with age due to both metabolism by the yeast and the effects of oxidation in the bottle.
Bottle and packaging
The bottle is very well liked among collectors. It is a normal brown glass bottle, but ceramicCeramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
coated in a gray speckled color. The label includes a yellow and blue psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
background with the big signature ‘Delirium’ pink elephant in the middle, and is lined at the top with golden doves
Doves
Doves are an English alternative indie rock band, originating from Wilmslow, Cheshire. The band comprises brothers Jez Williams and Andy Williams , and Jimi Goodwin . The members started working seriously together after meeting at The Haçienda in Manchester. Doves' unofficial fourth member is...
. The bottle has a blue foil
Metal leaf
Metal leaf, also called composition leaf or schlagmetal, is a thin foil used for decoration. Metal leaf can come in many different shades. Some metal leaf may look like gold leaf but not contain any real gold...
that seals the top of the bottle and provides confidence in the quality of the product. The cap is not twist off.
Delirium Nocturnum is sold in 750ml bottles that are sealed with a cork
Stopper (plug)
A bung is truncated cylindrical or conical closure to seal a container, such as a bottle, tube or barrel. Unlike a lid which encloses a container from the outside without displacing the inner volume, a bung is partially inserted inside the container to act as a seal...
and cage setup, (like a champagne bottle), in four packs of 11.2 fl.oz bottles, or can be bought by the keg
Keg
A keg is a small barrel.Traditionally, a wooden keg is made by a cooper used to transport items such as nails, gunpowder., and a variety of liquids....
.
Taste
Delirium Nocturnum is an 8.5% ABV, dark Belgian Strong Ale. It is a triple-fermented dark aleAle
Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
using 3 different yeast
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
strains and 5 different malts. Delirium Nocturnum pours a rich brown/ruby color, with a thick tan head that leaves a slight lace on the glass. It is mostly clear and has some carbonation
Carbonation
Carbonation is the process of dissolving carbon dioxide in water. The process usually involves carbon dioxide under high pressure. When the pressure is reduced, the carbon dioxide is released from the solution as small bubbles, which cause the solution to "fizz." This effect is seen in carbonated...
.
The hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
in Delirium Nocturnum become more present as the beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
warms to room temperature
Room temperature
-Comfort levels:The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers has listings for suggested temperatures and air flow rates in different types of buildings and different environmental circumstances. For example, a single office in a building has an occupancy ratio per...
while the alcohol smell becomes more present as well.
While drinking, the ‘mouth feel’ has a full, rich feel with little carbonation
Carbonation
Carbonation is the process of dissolving carbon dioxide in water. The process usually involves carbon dioxide under high pressure. When the pressure is reduced, the carbon dioxide is released from the solution as small bubbles, which cause the solution to "fizz." This effect is seen in carbonated...
, but runs fairly smoothly, with a soft, medium-bodied feel.
The taste
Taste
Taste is one of the traditional five senses. It refers to the ability to detect the flavor of substances such as food, certain minerals, and poisons, etc....
is complex. It has a bouquet of aromatic sweetness with apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
, berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
, and honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
maltiness and a hint of sourness (the smell can be a little similar to a brown ale
Brown ale
Brown ale is a style of beer with a dark amber or brown colour. The term was first used by London brewers in the late 17th century to describe their products, such as mild ale, though the term had a rather different meaning than it does today...
). The flavor immediately bursts with raisins, bittersweet chocolate and aniseed. Halfway through tasting, one can detect plum
Plum
A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds , the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one...
and raspberry
Raspberry
The raspberry or hindberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves...
with an underlying yeastiness. The finish is long, with a fruity, plummy aftertaste
Aftertaste
Aftertaste is the taste intensity of a food or beverage that is perceived immediately after that food or beverage is removed from the mouth. The aftertastes of different foods and beverages can vary by intensity and over time, but the unifying feature of aftertaste is that it is perceived after a...
with some spiciness.
Comparison
Delirium Nocturnum is a Belgian Strong Dark Ale.It carries a great deep complexity, alcohol warmth that is full of flavor and character without being too intense. Many say it is a must try for any serious beer lover, and is nothing like the popular corporate lagers. It is a pleasant experience for fans of Belgian ales, and not too difficult an introduction for newcomers.