Aug 28, 2015

Delirium Argentum

Delirium Tremens was one of, if not the first, Belgian ale that I crossed paths with so many years ago. I remember distinctly sipping on it and wondering how this could be beer — and instantly falling in love. So when I got wind of Delirium Argentum, the 25th anniversary celebration of the Delirium brand, I made sure to find a bottle.

Knowing that the brewery’s Noel and Nocturnum have been solid offerings throughout the years, the imagination ran wild thinking of how they would honor such a stellar line of beers.

And do you know what they decided to do?

Brew a fucking IPA — that’s what. Don’t get me wrong, I love IPAs. They are a constant presence in Barley Blog HQ, but to honor a beer brand that has likely been responsible for turning more folks onto Belgian ales than any other with an IPA is, well, lame.

My rant aside, Argentum isn’t a bad beer. It’s a pretty straightforward Belgian-style IPA that hits all the marks on what has become expected of this type of brew. It just doesn’t do the brand any justice.

Appearance

The corked exploded from the bottle with a loud pop before the beer poured a clear, rusty iced-tea color with a fairly unstable cap of beige foam.

Delirium Argentum photo

Aroma

Yeast, spice notes, caramel, soft dark fruits and herbal hop notes waft gently from the surface.

Taste

Though this beer has a vaguely similar effervescent mouthfeel to the Tremens, that’s about the only thing that echoes this line of beers. A light, malty sweetness is joined by fig, spices, herbal notes and a decent amount of hop bitterness. Everything fades slowly to a lingering, heady finish.

Overall

Twenty five years is a long time to be around even for a brewery that’s been making beer in one form or another since 1654. It just doesn’t make sense to celebrate such an iconic brand of beers with a beer like Argentum. Matching the uniqueness and defining nature of Tremens or even the Noel isn’t possible, but at least be a little more creative — perhaps traditional — when celebrating such a milestone. Ah well, at least I’ve got several bottles of the Noel aging away in the cellar.

Rating: 3.5/5

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