Style: Belgian Golden Strong Ale
ABV: 8.7%
Presentation: Single 330 ml white enamel bottle, blue foil around the cap
Brewery: Brouwerij Huyghe
Country: Melle, Belgium

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

What’s more intense than a lone beer that is not only named after a morbid medical condition that it can induce through excessive consumption, but also has an official public fellowship?  Throw in some pink elephants to seal the deal and what you have is a force to be reckoned with.  A delicious force to reckon with, no doubt, but a bit of caution would be wisely in order.

Released upon the world on December 26^th, 1989 Delirium Tremens needed less than a decade to be nominated for “best beer in the world” in 1997, and lived up to that recognition the following year in Chicago by earning a gold medal at the World Beer Championships.  Perhaps some of this was drawn about with the assistance of the “Confrerie van de Roze Olifant” that was formed in 1992, in English known as The Brotherhood of the Pink Elephant.  Far from having sinister intentions, this group has taken up the charge of promoting Delirium Tremens and other local beers of Melle, Belgium, along with more altruistic pursuits within the community.  It is said that to become an honourary member of this order you have to swig back your first glass of Delirium Tremens in one shot.

Now as you know by now I’m not a doctor, but like to play one on television, and as a result would have to advise you to do such a thing at your own discretion.  This Belgian ale is a formidable 8.7% in alcohol content after all.

Speaking of overindulgence, delirium tremens is the Latin term for “trembling madness”.  This affliction of the mind and body is what may take hold of an individual who’s been overindulging with alcohol for a period and then suddenly stops, a sort of severe shock from withdrawal.  It may constitute uncontrollable shakes and seizures, and may even lead to fatality.  Based on that sort of prognosis consider yourself lucky if you merely get away with hallucinations of pink dancing elephants.

With all that out of the way we can get back to the beer.  Even without all the aforementioned brouhaha this fine golden ale speaks for itself and stands on its own.  Triple fermented with the aid of three separate yeast strains, it unravels itself as complex yet refined.  Ideally it is served in a tulip or burgundy glass, although a trusty large brandy snifter is just as good.  Trust me, it just won’t be the same in a pint glass or something similar.  Plus in order to release some of the complexity allow Delirium Tremens to warm up at least 15 minutes before opening and pouring.

Once in the glass you’ll discover a dense white meringue-like head resting upon a hazed yet bright golden body in appearance.  The nose will pick up grainy and light bready malt, with floral notes and a mild orange citrus.  A few sips will reveal a mellow crispness of malt up front, spicy pepper notes which immediately follow, with a graceful zip of citrus hops on the finish, which dries out very quickly within the aftertaste.  This is all accompanied by a dry, lightly carbonated mouthfeel.

If you are planning on becoming an honourary member of The Brotherhood of the Pink Elephant it would be a good idea to have a bite to eat with it at some point along the line.  It’ll accentuate a serving of steamed mussels if you’re looking for some light fare.  Either seared or grilled salmon and Ahi tuna are some other good seafood selections.  Baked poultry or braised beef are more heartier options.  For a more authentic pairing some Belgian cuisine highlighted by some sort of game meat and thickly sliced frites will offer a well-rounded experience.  However when you find yourself surrounded by dancing pink elephants, it’s a pretty good indication to call it a night already, especially to avoid the tremens.

The next step in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Floris Kriek
Floris Ninkeberry
Fruli

In-Style:
Duvel
Piraat
Pranqster - North Coast
Affligem Blond

Lateral Steps:
Konig Ludwig Weiss
Augustijn
Gouden Carolus Tripel

For The Adventurous:
Lindemans Gueuze Cuvée René
Le Merle - North Coast
Petrus Oud Bruin

Tags: Ale, Belgium

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 8th, 2010 at 6:40 am and is filed under KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.