Huyghe Deliria Blonde Belgian Ale

So far, the beers from Huyghe have been either outstanding or spectacular. This is a special brew that was only brewed by women. Now, I have no idea how many men were involved in the previous beers, and I genuinely don't care - the beers were very good. Presumably, the women involved in the brewing of this beer have been involved in the other two, so I have no reason to doubt the impending awesomeness.

What a blonde with its hazy, straw yellow color and stark white head. The head dissipates completely with time, and there are streams of bubbles coming from unseen points of nucleation somewhere in the middle of the bottom of the glass. The aroma is strangely a kind of grape and honey wine, with mandarin oranges spicing things up.

First sip is heavy citrus - and I mean heavy. I am not referring to intensity, but the perceived weight of the fruits involved. We're not talking about fruit juice, but rather we're looking at the meat of the fruit with all the fibers and pits and seeds and even the peels that are entailed. The solid fruit is backed up with some grains, but jeebus, this is a fruity beer.

Tip-in is fresh baked rolls with an orange glaze across the top. The middle is almost sour with all the fruit just battling each other for dominance while the wheat and yeast are having nothing to do with it. Instead, they just sit in the corner, industriously building what THEY think this beer should be like, and the combination is... disharmonious. The finish is a harsh bit of bitterness and spite with all the rinds and pits and seeds all chopped up and tossed at the back of the throat.

Bottom Line: Unbalanced and ill-conceived, this is by far the worst Huyghe beer I've had. It's still drinkable.

2.0/5