Huyghe "Delirium Noel" Belgian Ale

Sporting an impressive 10% ABV, and coming from a brewery that has had two average beers and two excellent beers comes one that can - potentially - skew their numbers pretty high. Once again, Huyghe has used one of these strange ceramic-coated bottles, and I wonder if they are doing that at this point to justify the cost of the beer. I don't want to cast shade at Guinness, but unlike Huyghe they actively made their beer worse because they could save manufacturing costs. 

The brown beer doesn't generate a ton of head, and it audibly dissipates pretty darn quickly. It was so fast that it was gone by the time I was done fiddling with my camera and took the picture. The dollop of foam you see in this image was all that remained after about a quarter inch had fizzled completely away. The aroma is fine Belgian yeast with a sweetness that I don't recall from any of the other beers. 

First sip is more curious than good or bad. It has the Belgian yeast, but for some reason it is more muted than in their other wares. Instead, a caramel malt is allowed to swell up to fill the yeasty void. Then, a bitterness and a kind of floral funk seems to drop after the beer is completely vacated from the mouth. Like I said - not good or bad, but it is a mercurial departure from their excellent form.

Tip-in is yeast with a modicum of tartness and flowers. The middle suddenly fills the mouth with carbonation as the yeast and caramel malt take a backseat to the show and flowers disappear completely. The finish is dry with the yeast trying to look around the malt, but ultimately a slight bitter haze moves in for the trail-off. 

Bottom Line: This is a great beer that is let down by the fact that they can do better.

3.25/5