What Is The Strong Belgian Beer Delirium Like

Delirium is a Belgian Strong Beer from the Family Brewery Huyghe in Melle, Belgium. It is a blonde style beer coming in at 8.4% ABV, so it packs a punch, but what is it like?

Delirium Belgian Strong Beer is a pretty good beer, well carbonated with a smooth mouthfeel and a dry but slight bitter finish. It pours a light straw gold with a generous white head. On the nose it malt and yeast hit with a citrus lemon hints floating around. In the background their is a touch of spice. The taste is malt based with a little lemon and spice thrown in. A good level of carbonation, but also smooth in the mouth with a dry bitter finish.

A good beer, but one or two would be enough, and not just because of the strength. It could get a little resinous and sickly after a while.

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Delirium Beer Review

This beer is known as Delirium Tremens, but on the bottle I purchased the word Tremens is not on the bottle. It just says Delirium Belgian Strong Beer.

The word may have been removed because of what it represents, Delirium Tremens also known as the DT’s is caused by withdrawal from alcohol.

It’s a pretty crazy name to call a beer.

The beer sits in a 330ml ceramic style grey bottle with a blue label and a prominent pink elephant on the front as well as two green crocodiles, two purple dragons and three white birds.

The beer is normally 8.5% ABV, but on my bottle it says 8.4% ABV, either way it is a strong beer.

So lets crack it open and dive in.

Drinking Delirium Beer

On cracking open the bottle, a little spilled over before I could even pour it, so a bit lively. When poured it reveals a light straw gold body with plenty of carbonation and a generous white head.

The head does fade to one finger thick, but then stays for the duration. On the nose it has a little sweet malt, but also quite a strong yeast smell. A little lemon citrus and a hint of spice which could be cloves waft from the glass.

The taste is a similar affair with the malt up front and that yeast which gives it the feeling of a strong beer. I get a little powdery lemon which is almost like sherbet, but Lou didn’t get this.

What we both get is a hint of spice in the background and a dry but smooth mouthfeel. I also picked up a little bitterness on the finish.

Delirium is a nice beer, quite complex in flavour, with plenty of carbonation, yet quite smooth and dry in the mouth. I like it, but wouldn’t want more than two because it could get a little too sickly. Just as well because it does pack a punch and you know you are drinking a strong beer.

It gets a rate my beer score of 4.3 out of 5.0.

Lou thinks its a decent beer, saying “An unusual beer, strong and spicy, as a one off quite nice, but not for repeating.” Lou scores it a slightly lower 3.9 out of 5.0.

Family Brewery Huyghe

On the bottle it says Family Brewery Huyghe since 1654, fair enough, but I think this might be a little misleading.

Leon Huyghe actually purchased the brewery in 1906 and the name wasn’t used until the 1930’s. So although the brewery has been brewing beer since 1654, the Huyghe name didn’t come into play until 1906.

Either way it has been around a long time and has quite the history. It has seen several expansions over the years as well as acquiring several smaller Belgian breweries.

The brewery is probably best known for the Delirium range of beers and the pink elephant on the label. However it does make other beers too, including a range of fruit beers Floris with a lower ABV.

Brewery Huyghe Beers

There are plenty of beers to choose from the Brewery Huyghe and they come in quite a few ranges. These include the Floris range of beers, the Mongozo range, Campus range and the Villers range to name just a few.

But today I will feature a few from the popular Delirium beer range.

Delirium Red

Delirium Red is a strong fruit beer weighing in at a high 8.0% ABV. It stands a deep red in the glass with a head that has a hint of pink in it.

The aroma is fruity as you might expect with hints of almonds and cherries. The same goes for the taste, sweet and fruity with a touch of sourness too.

Not sure about this one, but if I see one I will definitely give it a try.

Delirium Black

Delirium Black is a barrel aged amber beer with a hefty 11.5% ABV, so this one could blow your socks off. Aged in Bourbon barrels for 9 months this is not a light beer. The nose gives hints of vanilla and spice, but also alcohol too.

It is said to have flavours of caramel, vanilla, bourbon and a hint of almond. The aftertaste is a little alcoholic and woody, but also smooth and bitter.

It sounds good, but wow it’s a strong one.

Deliria

Deliria came about in 2013 and was brewed by women, it is brewed once a year to celebrate international women’s day.

It is a pale blonde beer with fruity notes and mild spice and hop aromas. The taste is said to be fruity with hints of apple and chardonnay grapes and a mild bitterness on the finish.

Sounds like a wine beer, but interesting, so I would like to try this one. Again it holds a hefty strength at 8.5% ABV, so just the one glass.

Final Thoughts

Family Brewery Huyghe then is an interesting brewery with lots of history and produce a vast range of beers.

The brewery is probably best known for its Delirium Tremens beer, and I have to say it is a good beer. But one I think is best enjoyed occasionally, and probably just the one, or two at tops.

If you have tried it, then do share your thoughts below, let me know your experience with the popular Delirium Belgian Strong Beer.