The Elephant in the Taproom

Not far from the beautiful city of Ghent, in the town of Melle, a fourth-generation brewery is adorned with pink elephants. Brewery Huyghe is located in a site where brewing has occurred since 1654. Huyghe’s most famous offering is Delirium Tremens, a Golden Strong ale that lives up to the pink elephants on its label. As part of our series of imported Belgian beers, we are now serving Delirium’s excellent beers in both Bruz taprooms. Their flagship Delirium Tremens is one of the best examples of a Golden Strong ale (think Duvel or Piraat) in Belgium.

The Brewery

In 1906, Leon Huyghe moved to Melle and bought the brewery . On December 26th, 1988 a new beer brewed with three different yeast strains, Delirium Tremens. It was introduced along with the pink elephant trademark. In subsequent years, a number of new beers were introduced and several other breweries were acquired. Brewery Huyghe aspires to be the greenest brewery in Belgium, and in 2012 a new sustainable brewing hall was introduced.

The Beers

  • Delirium Tremens is the flagship beer – a Golden Strong ale that is 8.5% ABV. It is malty and spicy with a pleasant shot of alcohol and a long, dry, bitter finish.

  • Delirium Nocturnum is a dark beer with notes of caramel, chocolate and roasted malt. It also comes in at 8.5%.

  • Delirium Red is a strong (8.0%) fruity beer, deep red in color with a pink head. It is nicely balanced between sweet and sour.

  • Delirium Christmas is an amber-colored seasonal offering with a nice shot of alcohol (10% ABV) and a pleasant balance of caramel, fruit and spices.

  • Delirium Argentum is another Amber ale (7% ABV) with a hint of caramel and a spicy, citrusy bitterness.

  • Delirium Delerio is an exceptional non-alcoholic beer.

  • Delirium Black is the strongest beer in the lineup, coming in at 11.8% alcohol. It is a blend of Delirium Nocturnum and Delirium Christmas that is then aged for nine months in oak bourbon barrels. Its complex flavors of vanilla, caramel, and bourbon are beautifully balanced.

While Brewery Huyghe brews a number of different brands of beer, Delerium remains its flagship brand and Delirium Tremens its star product. Stop into Bruz soon and enjoy a pink elephant! It’s one of Belgium’s great brews.

Sante!

Charlie GottenkienyComment