Delirium Tremens is also the name of a Belgian blonde ale that's available in several parts of Canada. I had the pleasure of tring this beer back last fall thanks to the folks at Luxalune Gastropub in Winnipeg. Being a Belgian beer aficionado, it was due time that I finally reviewed this beer for this site!
Before I ever tried it, I loved the beer just because of the nice ceramic bottle. Also, I knew it was going to be a great tasting beer either way.
Appearance: Aside from the nice ceramic bottle, the beer pours a very pale blonde, darker than straw hay, hazy. Appearance wise, it is very similar to Unibroue's La Fin du Monde, another pale Belgian ale. The head is INCREDIBLY thick and barely moving. It's a rich off-white creaminess and just doesn't want to budge at all. When I started to pour the beer, I did hear a bit of crackling sound from the carbonation.
Aroma: A bit of a sweet aroma, almost like a hint of champagne, a bit of pear and banana, a bit of yeasty bitterness. Honestly, it really does smell like a La Fin du Monde to me.
Taste: Tastes like a La Fin du Monde as well. It's nice and sweet, but there's not as much of an up front bitterness that hits your tongue. So, it is a bit smoother than a La Fin du monde. Sweet, you can taste that there's a decent amount of alcohol in it (8.5% ABV) but not overwhelming at all. Bit of a banana sweetness, akin to a Hefeweizen. Overall, this really reminds me of a Unibroue beer, but not as bitter, seriously.
Overall Thoughts: This is a great strong Belgian Pale ale. It has nice sweetness to it, a bit of banana, a zestiness from the yeast and a great example of what makes Belgian beers great. If you are familiar with Unibroue's beers, especially La Fin du Monde, then you likely can already guess what this will taste like. This will be too much to the occasional beer drinker, but will be just right for the beer geek who loves to drink something different. This has an ABV of 8.5% and costs around $4 in Manitoba before tax, pricey but pretty tasty!
I've heard that this beer is banned in Ontario, that's a shame. Ontario's LCBO likes to think that kids are going to spend $4 or more on a Belgian ale with a name related to alcohol withdrawal to keep kids away from this? They're wrong. The second a 15 year old gets ahold of this, they aren't going to enjoy the flavour because.. well, most 15 year olds palates just wouldn't be able to handle this. Same thing with Dan Aykroyd's expensive vodka in a skull bottle or Flying Monkey's Smashbomb. Wow.
1 comment:
You can still get Delirium Tremens on tap (in proper glassware) at several bars in Toronto (and likely elsewhere in Ontario).
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