MAXED OUT: Delirious!

It's a Wednesday Thursday afternoon, so let's get to it, shall we?




Welcome back to the Thunder Dome my gaggle of guzzlers, and boy are you in for a treat, for today I return to my Top 10 favorite beers. So far I have introduced you to Hitachino’s Strong Belgian Style Brown Ale aged in sake barrels, the XH, as well as Jolly Pumpkin’s Artisan Golden Ale aged in oak barrels, the Oro de Calabaza. No barrel aging is necessary for this beauty, as Delirium Tremmens (which I have talked briefly about before) is a tried and true, perfect example of a Belgian Tripel.

So, do you all remember what the difference between a Simple, Dubbel, Tripel, and a Quadrupel? Like I always say, of course you do, you’re all so smart! It’s the amount of malts that the brewers throw into the batch. While Delirium is technically a Belgian Strong Pale Ale, I think that’s a dump truck full of horse apples. Delirium is a perfectly shining example of a Belgian-style Tripel in this lowly barkeep’s humble opinion. If you look at what makes a Tripel - color, consistency, flavor, ABV and IBUs - Delirium meets all of the requirements to a T.

I know some of you are beer-o-philes and some of you couldn’t tell me the difference between a Stout and a Lager (which I hope I have helped to remedy in some small way) but have any of you had a beer that tingles your tongue? I mean like a 9 volt battery on the tongue kinda tingle? I know that this may not sound like a particularly delightful experience but when it’s in the form of coriander, slight cinnamon, nutmeg and wonderfulness, I can tell you, it’s something else. Even the smell is rich with spice, tingling your nose hairs to the point of bliss. The color is a beautiful golden with about three to four streams of bubbles that grace the sides of your tulip shaped glass in perfect synchronicity. And at 8.5% ABV, it does the trick my lovelies… it does the trick.

Delirium is brewed by the Brouwerij Huyghe (Dutch for Huyghe Brewery) in Melle, Belgium which is located on one of the oldest brewery sites in the entire world, with the first brewery on that site coming to fruition in 1654. As some of you may know, Belgium is rich in the tradition of brewing and beer is still one of the country's primary forms of export. I have a few friends that have actually been to The Huyghe’s Brew Pub in Belgium, the Delirium Café, and with over 1,000 beers on draft and in bottle, it still holds the world record for the most beers in a single location. Yes, I will be going there in September of 2012. Be jealous.

Side note: Grab a fillet of salmon, some jasmine rice, broccoli and a small mixed green salad, a four pack of these bad boys and you have yourself a perfect night in front of the fire with a special someone. It’s a guarantee, and you’re welcome. This is a gateway beer as many that tend to drink wine will still enjoy this tasty treat. Let me repeat, you’re welcome.

Well, I am going to go have another Delirium Tremmens, so I’m off like a prom dress. Thanks for stopping by and please feel free to shoot me ideas for topics, comment or ask questions in the comment section below, on Facebook or at maxamilliondollars@gmail.com.

Until the next time my beer loving brethren, have a beer for me.