Delirium - Nocturnum (2009)

Delirium Nocturnum is brewed in Belgian Family Brewery in Brouwerij Huyghe which is just outside Ghent, Belgium. The brewery is over 400 years old. It began in 1654 and is still at its original location and is still family owned. It’s known by many beer fans as the brewer of the well-reputed and amusingly named “Delirium Tremens”.

When Delirium Nocturnum (and Tremens) began being imported into the United States and Canada, it was quickly banned and taken off the shelves because of its name and the law that forbids the sale of an alcohol product that promotes "excessive drinking". It was refused to be allowed to be licensed for consumption, fearing the beers' names would encourage alcohol abuse. The dictionary defines the word 'delirium' as: ‘an acute mental disturbance characterized by confused thinking and disrupted attention usually accompanied by disordered speech and hallucinations’, and, ‘frenzied excitement’. It was also found offensive to people who have had the "DT's" which indicates a violent sickness induced by withdrawal after alcohol abuse. To avoid not being imported, Delirium was imported under the name ‘Mateen Triple’ for a while until the ban was lifted in the United States and Canada.

Because of the living yeast added for refermentation in the bottle (bottle conditioning), the taste of Delirium will change (and often improve) with age due to both metabolism by the yeast and the effects of oxidation in the bottle.

The ABV is 8.5 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Glass to use- Snifter, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 330ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a dark ruby/brown color with a tan head. Good lacing.
Aroma - Sweet (cotton candy), malty and dark fruits (cherry).
Taste - Candy sweet, dark fruit, hint of tartness like an apple. 
Mouth Feel - High carbonated and medium body.  Too fizzy.
Drinkable - A great Belgium double.  Two years of aging have done this beer well.  I like it.

This beer pair well with cheese and meats (grilled meats).

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B+
Ratebeer Rating =94

Ithaca - Excelsior! Eleven Anniversary (2008)

Anniversary ale, ELEVEN is brewed with British, German and French malts, American hops and milk sugar.  It’s aged for weeks on locally roasted Sumatra Coffee Beans.Enjoy the deep mocha color, sumptuous roasted aroma, rich flavor and smooth creamy finish.

Batch E!016

The ABV is 7.5 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Sweet Stout
Glass to use - Pint Glass, Tumbler, Mug or Steins
Delivery - 750ml Bottle

Not recommended for extended cellaring.

The Pour - Pours a black color with a thin tan head and good lacing.
Aroma - Malty, coffee and toasted grains.
Taste - Sweet, malty, coffee and chocolate.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body. 
Drinkable - I like it, heavy coffee aroma and taste.  But it's well balanced. If you are lucky enough to find a bottle, give it a try.  Three years of aging mellowed this already smooth beer to perfection.

This beer pairs well with cheese and desserts (chocolate).

This beer gets a Duper rating of B
BeerAdvocate Rating =B+
Ratebeer Rating =94

Boon - Kriek Mariage Parfait (2008)

Boon Kriek is a spontaneously fermented beer, made from old and young Lambic matured in oak barrels of Lembeek. The quality is guaranteed by the exclusive use of real cherries (25%), was originally made by a barrel Lambic of 6 months of age or older cherries to add, this creates a new fermentation in the barrels. After another six months the result is a fresh, sweet-acid, non-foaming beer and red, with the taste of cherries.

Kriek was not necessarily made in the brewery. Many inns that had Lambic barrels are manufactured their own cherry. Like cherry lambic was initially tapped the barrel of the typical stone jars. Afterwards was passed to bottling.

Original cherry-lambic was made by adding Schaerbeek cherries. As this variety has become rare, are now different breeds, especially North Cherries. Of real cherry, no added sweeteners.

The ABV is 8.0 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Old Style Cherry Lambic
Glass to use- Tulip, Snifter or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 375ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a ruby red color with some reddish head. Good lacing.
Aroma - Sour cherries and tannins.
Taste -  Sweet, sour cherries.
Mouth Feel - High carbonation and medium body. A pucker finish.
Drinkable - Very sour, light on the fruit, the sourness is overwhelming. 

This beer pairs well with chocolate and salad.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B-
BeerAdvocate Rating =A-
Ratebeer Rating =99

Sly Fox - Christmas Ale 2009

A malty, full-bodied red ale made with traditional mulling spices: Ginger, Clove, All Spice, Cinnamon & Nutmeg. If this one doesn't get you into the Christmas spirit, you truly are a Scrooge. Released each year on Thanksgiving Eve.

The ABV is 6.5 and the IBU rating is 16
Style - Winter Warmer
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Tumbler, Tulip or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 750ml bottle.

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a ruby color with a big tan head.  Good lacing.
Aroma - Spicy (ginger, cloves, cinnamon) and bready.
Taste - Bland at first then the flavors kicked in after it warmed up - spices like clove and ginger.
Mouth Feel - High carbonation, medium body. Too much fizz.
Drinkable - Not bad, maybe better when its fresh.  This bottle was two years old.  A nice smooth beer for the cooler months.

This beer pairs with meat and desserts.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B
BeerAdvocate Rating =B
Ratebeer Rating = 84

Houblon La Chouffe - Dobbelen IPA Tripel

The Houblon Chouffe was brewed for the first time in 2006. It is an ‘Indian Pale Ale’ type of beer, with a harmonious balance between a marked bitterness (three types of hops are used to make it) and a pleasant fruitiness. The Houblon Chouffe is unfiltered, and re-fermented in the bottle as well as in the keg.

The ABV is 9.0 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Belgium IPA
Glass to use- Tulip, Goblet, Chalice or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 750ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a straw color with a big white head. Good lacing.
Aroma - Spicy, hops, citrus fruit and bready.
Taste - Sweet and spice, some breadiness and hints of banana.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and light body. Slight bitter after taste.
Drinkable - A very nice Belgium.  It's not a West-coast IPA so hop head stay away.  For the rest of us, enjoy!

This beer pairs well with cheese and salads.

This beer gets a Duper rating of A-.
BeerAdvocate Rating =A-
Ratebeer Rating =99

Iron Hill - Old Ale (2008)

Traditional English-style brown ale with a distinct malty sweetness and fruity aromas that deepen with age.

The ABV is 7.2 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - Old Ale
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Snifter, Tumbler, Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery - 750ml Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a brown color with a tan head and good lacing.
Aroma - Malty, musty (peat), spices and some dark fruit.
Taste - Malty, earthy and dark fruit.
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and body. Smooth.
Drinkable - A little past it's prime.  In my experience Iron Hill corked bottles do not age well after a year or two.  Given that, it's still a good beer.

This beer pairs well with cheese.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B-.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B+
Ratebeer Rating =96

Mendocino - Imperial Barley Wine Style Ale

This Imperial Barley Wine Style Ale has a rich amber color with a full, robust body. This Barley Wine Style Ale has a traditional warming malt flavor with a delightful hop finish, While exceptionally drinkable now, it will continue to improve with age - taking on subtle flavors of dark fruit, sherry and anise. Hop flavors and aromas will become more rounded and luscious caramel malt notes will become more intense. Brewed with an astonishing original gravity of 24 Plato and finishing at 11.0% alcohol by volume, this Imperial Barley Wine Ale is not for the faint of heart, though it will reward the adventurous drinker with an unparalleled taste experience.
Had this in Buffalo.

The ABV is 11.0 and the IBU rating is ??
Style - American Barley Wine
Glass to use- Pint Glass, Becker, Tumbler, Snifter or Oversized Wine Glass
Delivery 12oz Bottle

Can be cellared for long periods, under the proper conditions.

The Pour - Pours a dark amber color with a small tan head. Good lacing.
Aroma - Malty, molasses (maybe rum) and spicy.
Taste - Toffee, brown sugar, some chocolate, hops but not as hoppy as a typical ABW
Mouth Feel - Medium carbonation and full body. Slight hop after taste.
Drinkable - Not bad at all, a mix between an American Barley Wine and an English style Barley Wine. A new style - Imperial Barley Wine!

This beer pairs well with cheese and desserts.

This beer gets a Duper rating of B+.
BeerAdvocate Rating =B
Ratebeer Rating =78