Delirium Tremens

The long awaited (at least by me) return of the Brew Review is here. I know I said in the last one that I would review easily attainable brews. But I couldn't resist this find, so I am breaking away for one post.
While on a trip to the home of Cam Newton - Auburn, Alabama - for a wedding / vacation, I was having pizza at the Mellow Mushroom with my lovely wife, on a day that was just as lovely when I saw a Delirium Tremens beer mat. It made the claim of being voted the best beer in the world. They happened to have it available, so I bought one. It is fitting that the name actually means "trembling madness", referring to the serious withdrawals that can occur after alcohol abuse, or like the shakes induced by Brew Review Withdrawal.

Delirium Tremens is a Belgian Strong Ale produced by the Brewery Huyghe in Melle, Belgium. And here's what they would like you to know about this brew:

ABV: 8.5%

Colour and Sight: pale blond, the fine and regular effervesce ensures a fine and stable head.

Scent: Slightly malty, a nice touch of alcohol, spicy

Flavour: Feels like the sound shot of alcohol is igniting the mouth. In reality the tongue and palate are warmed. The taste is characterized by its roundness. The aftertaste is strong, long-lasting and dry bitter.

The whole "Best Beer in the World" part was the award given at the World Beer Championships in Chicago, IL in 1998.

Now if you ask me, there are many beers that are better overall, but as for the style guidelines, Delirium is a great Belgian Strong. It poured with a thick, long lasting head, under which was an unfiltered, golden ale. I fully agree with them on the spicy aroma part too. There was a familiar scent that I couldn't quite place, but it was very nice.

The taste was crisp with a hint of citrus and a very effervescent mouth feel. It left very little lacing on the glass as I drank it down. It left a long alcohol warmth in the back of my throat but otherwise had a short lasting aftertaste. It was a fairly well balanced brew with the scales tipped slightly toward the hops end.

At $8.50 for an 11.2 oz bottle, I may say that it was a little overpriced. But I will still make the official Everything Brewed Rating a 4 out of 5 pints. [EDIT: that price was what I paid and was current at the time of writing this post. However, I did find it today for $3.99 for the same size. Guess that's what I get for buying it from a restaurant!]

Thanks for checking out this week’s Brew Review. Thoughts, comments, and questions are, of course, welcome. And remember to enjoy your beer, but responsibly please. Also, don’t forget to check out their website for more information on this and other brews by Delirium.

Cheers,
Jason

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Leinenkugel's Creamy Dark

Welcome back to the "weekly" Brew Review. I took last week off, not from drinking beer, but from writing about it because I was busy hanging out in Orlando, Florida. It rained for most of the time I was there if that makes you feel any better. I was disappointed, in fact, that there was not a microbrewery within cabbing distance (long rides take up my drinking $). They did have Blackwater Porter, from Orlando Brewing Company, on tap at the hotel bar for about $7 a "pint" though.

Anyway...I have done several reviews now on some unique, hard to find brews. What I have decided to do for this series is to review some easier to find, yet still delicious and crafty brews. This will be a step away from the ones that are 6 bucks each, and move to some that are about $8 for a sixer. My hope is that this will encourage readers to try something new, and if you like it, then you will have 5 more to go with it and you will not have gone broke in the process.

So this week, let's take a look at a nice "Drinkable Dark" - Leinenkugel's Creamy Dark. For me, it seems that it's still cool enough outside for a hearty beer, but not quite cold enough for a fireside Barley Wine. The Creamy Dark is a perfect middle ground. Here's what the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, the country's seventh oldest brewery, would like you to know about it: Brewed with Munich, Chocolate, Wheat and 3 pale malts; balanced with Cluster, Cascade and Mt Hood hops, this brew comes in at 4.91% ABV, and 19 IBU's. It has won Bronze, Gold and Silver at the World Beer Cup in 2004, 2002, and 2000 respectively and Gold ('06 &'05), Silver ('02 & '08), and Bronze ('04) at the Great American Beer Festival in the American Dark Lager category.

As for my thoughts, I find this to be a lighter version of the more common Amber Bock, which at times can seem a little over bearing on the Malt side of the house. It has a medium body, with a thinner, shorter lasting finish than a bock. Creamy Dark has a little more hop balance than the Porters I profiled in the last series, helping secure it's "middle of the road" position among the darker brews. And it's not just a clever name, this beer is dark in color!

This evening I did not pair this beer with a meal, but I can imagine that it would go well with hot wings, chili, or even good pizza.

So the official Everything Brewed Rating for this particular brew is 4 out of 5 pints. I hope this one is easier for you to find. I got mine at Kroger, not my normal specialty retailer, so look for it and try it today won't you??

Thanks for checking out this week’s Brew Review. Thoughts, comments, and questions are, of course, welcome. And remember to enjoy your beer, but responsibly please. Also, don’t forget to check out their website for more information on this and other brews by Leinenkugel.

Cheers,
Jason

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