I hate waiting. I just have no patience for it. Cellaring, thusly, has been a chore for me. But I did it. My lone bottle of Delirium Noel from 2006 made it a full year in the basement — a year full of agonizing temptation and longing.
This was one of those beers that I wanted to share with family and friends during the holiday season, but due to time constraints and other bottled priorities we never got to it. I’m a big fan of the “Delirium” beers, having enjoyed the Tremens and Nocturnum on several occasions through the years. Aside from this one cellared bottle, however, I have only had the opportunity to sample the Noel once. I uncorked this 750ml bottle the other day and was pleasantly greeting with a audible “pop” and a delightful aroma coming from the open beer.
Appearance
The year old beer looks to have lightened in color a bit. It’s lovely, clear amber with a red edge to it. The carbonations was actively moving a little yeast sediment that had escaped the bottle around the glass. The head was off-white and fluffy.
Aroma
This one smells good. My notes from my first experience with the beer are essentially non-existent, but from what I remember this one has changed a bit in terms of the nose. It’s got a nice hoppiness too it with a sweet candy sugar characteristic. There’s a fruitiness to it that I just couldn’t pinpoint or quite remember from the previous tasting. The alcohol (10% ABV at the time of cellaring) certainly hasn’t mellowed much. If anything it seems a bit more prominent.
Taste
Ah, that’s what that fruitiness was. A subtle cherry characteristic plays nicely with the sticky sweetness and hoppiness of the brew. The cherry gives the beer a slight tartness that’s quite enjoyable.
Overall
I’m definitely pleased with how the beers are aging in the basement. After sampling a variety of brews I think I’ll give myself the go ahead and start putting more away, more often. As for the Delirium Noel, I wish I had another bottle to let sit for another year. It was a tasty brew that changed a little, but still retained its original personality.
Rating: 4/5
