Sunday, December 15, 2013

December 15th, 2013 - Perils Of The Deep Dark Belgian





















Some more holiday cheer for you my friends!  The Meista here with a pairing of Delirium Noël from Brouwerij Huyghe and Sirenia's "Perils of the Deep Blue"!

Delirium Noël is a delicious Belgian Strong Dark Ale; it is exceptionally smooth, robust, and complex!  It pours very cloudy, opaque, and muddy amber topped with a creamy tan head that displays excellent, complex lacing with great retention.  The nose is a blend of dark fruits (fig, raisin, plum) with sweet toffees and a hint of gingerbread.  Well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is still smooth and creamy with a lingering frothiness.  The 10% ABV gives it a nice, warming feeling, but can be a little deceptive as well.  Following the nose, the flavor is a perfect blend of dark fruits and seasonal spices.  There are notes of fig, raisin, and plum along with Tootsie Roll and sweet toffees as well as Belgian yeast.  As the beer warms, those spices really become prevalent.  Ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove with a hint of vanilla take center stage.  The sweetness of the Delirium Noël along with the spices add some "perilous" deception, hiding the higher alcohol levels.  A fantastic holiday winter warmer, the Delirium Noël is a great ale to accompany the beautiful complexities of Sirenia's "Perils of the Deep Blue" and to keep you warm on a cold winter night!

"Perils of the Deep Blue" is the 6th studio album by the Norwegian symphonic/gothic metal band Sirenia and was released on July 9th, 2013 in North America through Nuclear Blast Records.  Sirenia is now made up of only two people: Ailyn on vocals and Morten Veland, who provides grunts, guitars, bass, piano, synths, programming, theremin, mandolin, ukulele, harmonica, melodium, and flute!  Of the album's release, Veland stated the following: "This album takes Sirenia to the next level and brings many new sides of us to the table. There’s typical tried and tested Sirenia stuff but also approaches that you’ve never heard from us before. I think I’ve never felt so good about an album throughout my entire career. I mean, I love them all, but this one is something special. It’s the result of two and a half years of blood, sweat and tears. I’ve literally put my heart and soul into this record."  Songs like "Ducere Me In Lucem," "Seven Widows Weep," "Cold Caress," "Stille Kom Døden," "A Blizzard Is Storming," and "Chains" beautifully combine elements of symphonic metal, Norwegian folk metal, power metal, gothic metal, and death metal.  Sirenia's "Perils of the Deep Blue" is a bold, bombastic offering that is a wonderful companion to the depth of character and flavor from the Delirium Noël!

Skål!!  Gledelig Jul!!

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