Brouwerij Huyghe - Delirium Black

Brouwerij Huyghe may be best known for their line of Delirium beers, strong Belgian ales with pink elephants adorning their labels as a wink to overindulgence. For our Special Offer, however, we chose to go beyond the pink elephants, and went straight for the gold! The gold elephant that graces the bottle of Delirium Black, that is, a bourbon barrel-aged blend of Delirium Nocturnum and Delirium Noel. This special edition beer is carefully aged for nine months in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels. Aging in bourbon barrels is something not too common in the Belgian beer industry, where many brewers will use wine, brandy, or scotch barrels to mature their beers in. Produced in small batches with limited distribution, we’re happy to be able to offer Delirium Black to our Rare Beer Club members.

Delirium Black pours a deep amber to brown with a tall, pillowy, tan head, which leaves behind a fine bit of lacing. The pronounced aromas coming from the glass are rich bourbon notes, with spice, caramel, and charred oak. Lots of dark dense fruit notes follow, complemented by clove, toffee, and coffee bean with distinct flashes of Belgian candy sugar. As the liquid slightly warms in the glass we welcome aromas of vanilla, dark bread, and toasty grains.

Our first sip of Delirium Black captivated our palates with smooth notes showing the quality of the Buffalo Trace bourbon that once filled the barrels. Deep, dark caramel, toasty sweet malt, charred vanilla, and chewy dark fruits abounded from there as we indulged in this Belgian gem. Layer after layer of dark cherry, fig, dates, and plums, with oak, molasses, spicebox, and brown sugar, even the emergence of a toasty nuttiness and hints of floral bitterness… the flavors never seemed to stop.

Delirium Black is full bodied with a silky-smooth mouthfeel and creamy mousse. Its lengthy finish is quite indulgent and luxurious, and we savored every bit of it.

Delirium Black is well built for long term aging due to the 11.5% abv and time spent in the bourbon barrels. We really enjoyed it now though and would pair it with hearty roasts and stews, grilled meats, chocolate and caramel driven desserts, or by itself as an after-dinner drink.