Delirium Noël

Brouwerij Huyghe
Delirium Noël

It seems like ever since I first went to Bruxelles (Brussels, BE) and had Delirium Cafe's signature beer, Delirium Tremens on tap, it has exploded onto the world beer scene. Almost as long I have been seeing it's Christmas-themed relative, Delirium Noël, but I have always made excuses for not buying it, but as summer time looms and I will be swamped in citrus-ey summer seasonals (my least favourite of all seasonal trends), I finally took the plunge and got a bottle.

(Specs) ABV 10%


Colour: Dark amber
Aroma: Fruity, Sweet fermented hops
Head: Creamy, very foamy

Inital Taste: Sweet hops, almost fruity
Mouthfeel: Incredibly smooth
Aftertaste: Slightly overbearing, fruit aftertaste

Long Trail Centennial Red

Long Trail Centennial Red
(unfortunately the website is in flash, so you will have to click on beers, then brewmaster reserves)

This was actually the first beer that I picked pour from draft into a 32oz growler; this is something I have never seen before but apparently has become trendy. Basically, it means that a store (in New York try Whole Foods, Brew York City, and the New Beer Distributors will have 32oz or 64oz bottles available for purchase which can be filled from a rotating selection of taps. I didn't particularly like this brew specifically (which seems to be the case with most "Brewmaster's Selections" I try, but c'est la vie, the growler concept is definitely something I will look more into.

ABV: 7.9%
Available: Nov.-Jan. (why I got it in June, I have no idea)

SERVED:

(pint glass from 32oz growler)

COLOUR: dark red, slightly translucent, orange tint when there is little beer

FOAM: small white, almost creamy

SMELL: hoppy, bouquet of herbs

TASTE: smooth slightly herby (spicy) taste

blossoms into a medium bodied beer

aftertaste; bitter herby taste

Sam Adams White Ale

INFO:

Sam Adam's White Ale is another seasonal brew from the Sam Adams Winter Classics Variety Pack. Like the Fezziwig Ale I blogged about previously, I also ended up picking this over the summer in NY, however, this beer can be purchasd by itself from Sam Adams, during November to January, if you so desired. One fun fact I learned from reading the about the beer on the Sam Adam's site was that is was first produced in the year of my birth; who knew?

Year: 2010

ABV: 5.6%

From: 12oz bottle (chilled), and poured

DRINKING NOTES:

COLOUR: light golden colour

FOAM: light of white foam (poured about 1/2 an inch) quickly dissipated

SMELL: slightly hoppy smell hint of earthy/floral notes

TASTE:

(initial) mild slightly floral taste

(body) light and smooth (but also lacks body)

(aftertaste) slightly bitter after taste

Sam Adams Old Fezziwig Ale

INFO:

Sam Adam's Old Fezziwig Ale is a seasonal brew now found only in the Sam Adams Winter Classics Variety Pack. I ended up picking up a bottle from the Winter 2010 run (I presume) over the summer while buying beer in cases to circumnavigate the high alcohol prices of New York City

Year: 2010

ABV: 5.8%

From: 12oz bottle (chilled), and poured

DRINKING NOTES:

COLOUR: deep brown colour, with a dark coppery tint

FOAM: nice thick head of foam (poured with little finesse easily an inch or two)

off white, not very lasting

SMELL: sweet yet hoppy

TASTE:

(initial) sweet slighty roasted hoppy flavour

(body) nice, smooth

(aftertaste) slightly bitter

Seasonal Ale: Snow Cap Winter Warmer (2010)

The Snow Cap Winter Warmer is another seasonal brew, this time from Pyramid Breweries of Portland, OR. As the name suggests, it is a winter beer and therefore only available from October to December, the bottle that I had was from 2010.

When poured the beer had a hoppy nose and was very dark amber in colour with a light brown, almost yellow foam. Unfortunately, though the foam didn’t rise very high and dissipated quickly. As for the taste it initially was very bitter and had the roasted feel of a stout. The actual drink maintained that roasted flavour but added notes of a high cocoa percentage chocolate and dropped in bitterness to level much smoother and more in keeping with an ale. Each sip ends with sweeter feel, but unfortunately leaves a slightly unpleasant bitter aftertaste in you mouth that lingers.

All in all, at 7% it is a decent beer and tastes as full bodied as its bottle claims, but regrettably the bitter initial and aftertastes come on so strong that they make the ale feel week by comparison. Still at 1.99 a bottle, it is hard to fault a decent non-massive-corporate beer that still manages to be drinkable.

Verdict: Don’t pass it up if people are giving it out, but try it before you invest

URL: http://www.pyramidbrew.com/our-brews/snowcap

Black Chocolate Stout (2010)

I picked up this beer at the suggestion of an acquaintance Sam, who highly recommended it. Since I am much more a fan of darker, heartier beers and this was a at least called itself a stout, I decided to give it a try.

The Black Chocolate Stout is a winter beer from the Brooklyn Brewery available from October to March, the particular limited run that I drank was the '10-'11 edition.

The beer poured an opaque black, with a dark tan foam, of less than average height. It had a very bitter, complex taste with notes of a very dark chocolate (hence the name) and coffee and at around 10% alcohol per volume, this is not a drink to trifle with. Yet even with all that said, everything was subdued enough that it was surprisingly drinkable while maintaining the flavour. The one downside though is a bit on the expensive side (expect to pay around 6 or 7 dollars a bottle online) but I would definitely say it is well worth it. Just be careful because you will definitely be wanting more but the higher alcohol percentage means that like many hearty Belgian beers, you just want to watch your drinks and make sure you don't drink too much.

Verdict: Stock Up