Delirium Nocturnum

Tonight's Beer:
Delirium Nocturnum
8.5% ABV

Not that long ago, girlfriend & I were at a local establishment, where I had ordered this beer's sister beer, the Delerium Tremens. As I was sipping my delicious, delicious beer, I was contemplating the bottle and asked 'who puts not just a pink elephant, but also a dancing alligator . . . ?' Before I even finished the question, she answered 'someone on acid.'

Brouwerij Huyghe's Delirium beers are delicious. But one too many can easily lead to pink elephants and dancing alligators. Consider yourself warned.

The Nocturnum has all the trademarks of a Belgian Dubbel -- dark brown, sweet, caramelly. This is a very tasty beer, but neither for the faint of heart nor for a casual situation.

I should also note that this is my first Belgian beer of the 2016 Advent season. I love Belgian beers, so it's easy for me to go to them as a default. But I've found, over time, that it's wise to make sure I can give a Belgian beer the time and attention it deserves before committing to it. The Nocturnum is, without a doubt, worthy of such a commitment.

Broad Categories:
Great
Belgian

Seriously Bad Elf

Tonight's Beer:
Seriously Bad Elf
9% ABV

Tonight I'm drinking the Seriously Bad Elf. It's a bit sweet, but certainly a tasty beer with notes of caramel. It almost tastes like the U.K. tried to make a Belgian Tripel. That said, it's a good beer, and I would drink it again.

I would write more this evening, but there's a very bitey puppy trying to share the couch with my girlfriend & I. Said puppy keeps trying to take a bite out of my computer. Until tomorrow . . .

Broad Categories
Good
U.K.

Traquair Jacobite Ale

Tonight's Beer:
Traquair Jacobite Ale
8% ABV

Tonight I'm drinking the Traquiar Jacobite Ale. Fun fact: when describing a session beer, I frequently say 'this is a beer you could drink while watching football.' The Jacobite Ale is not a session beer by any means, but I am drinking it while watching the 4th quarter of the Packers game.

The Jacobite Ale pours jet black, with a relatively thin head. The bottle states that it's brewed with coriander and fermented in oak barrels. I can definitely taste the bourbon barrel aging, but coriander? Either my palate is not subtle enough to pick it up or the bourbon barrel aging overpowers it (or a bit of both).

I like the flavor of the Jacobite -- it fills the mouth with each sip. However, it's neither complex nor multi-dimension, which I find a bit surprising. I find myself uncertain if bourbon barrel aging overpowers the other flavors or if I've had so many bourbon barrel aged beers that it's hard for one to distinguish itself.

That said, I would certainly drink this beer again. I suspect it would pair nicely with a good steak.

Broad Categories
Good
Bourbon Barrel Aged

Advent(ures) in Beer 2016! And the Samuel Smith Pure Brewed Organic Lager

Advent 2016 is upon us, and my personal advent calendar, chronicled here, is back! For those of you who didn't follow along last year, this is how it works: I count down the days to Christmas with a beer every day. And then I blog about it!

I've attempted to diversify my slate of beers this year. I was a bit heavy on Belgians last year, and as much as I love a good Belgian beer, by the end of Advent 2015 they started to blend together.

I'll also be refraining from stack ranking the beers this year, which begins to lose its meaning after about 10 beers. Instead, I'll throw the beers into broad categories, which I'm sure will evolve over the next month.

Tonight's beer:
Samuel Smith Pure Brewed Organic Lager
5% ABV

The bottle touts the organic ingredients and gives a brief history of lager beer. The beer pours with virtually no head. It's a clear, golden liquid that hits the middle of the tongue with a heavy dose of pilsner malts. This is a clean refreshing beer with little aftertaste. It's not demanding. You could easily drink it as a companion to a nice meal. But you could also drink it when you want to drink a beer without giving it your attention.

I'm not a person who drinks a lot of lagers. However, I would definitely drink this beer again.

Broad Categories:
Good
Light & Refreshing