Delirium Tremens

Delirium Tremens. Best Beer in the World? Or, most overhyped, over-rated, over-marketed beer in the world? And, can it all be due to one person, who hasn't written a word about beer since the volume that Brouwerij Huyghe took their accolades from? Great questions, let's try to answer them.

I was very impressionable when I was new to beer, that much I can admit to. Can't tell you exactly what the first Belgian beer I ever had was, it might have been Duvel, maybe something from Sterkens, like St. Sebastiaan, which was easy to find around here. Had some lambics. Don't remember at all how I found out about them, or why I tried them out, but I'm sure I had some Belgians before I ever had a D.T. Now, the question is this: did I have one before reading Stuart A. Kallen's book, or after? My memory seems to tell me that it was introduced to the local market sometime after his book appeared in my hands. Did his choice of D.T. as #1 beer in the world influence my feelings early on?

Let's take a minute to go back and look at his book. In 1997, "The 50 Greatest Beers in the World, An expert's ranking of the Best", by Stuart A. Kallen, author of "Beer Here" appeared at the bookstore I worked at, Shinder's, downtown, published by Citadel Press. Who is this expert, besides the author of "Beer Here"? The back cover tells us this: "When (SAK) is not brewing or drinking beer, or reading or writing about it, he is either writing books for children (he has written more than seventy) or planning to open his own microbrewery. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota."

The last part has always been curious. If he lives in my hometown, why have I never seen him, met him, or heard of him locally? That mystery is dispelled by a recent google search, the first hit of which went to Scholastic.com, which tells us, "Kallen is the author of more than 150 nonfiction books for children and young adults. He has written extensively about Native Americans and American history. In addition, he has written award-winning children's videos and television scripts. In his spare time, Kallen is a singer/songwriter/guitarist." Also it informs us that his home now is San Diego, California.
So, the beer expert fled Minnesota for one of the major beer havens in America, San Diego, but has abandoned his microbrewery plans in favor of music, at least before the people who would investigate him at Scholastic.com. The first page at Amazon.com relating to his oeuvre lists books for young readers on animals, crop circles, pyramids, Renaissance art, American history, as well as "the Complete Idiot's Guide to Beer." If you continue looking through his catalog, you'll see he has written on almost every topic for young readers and the only works he's written for adults has been about beer, though nothing on this topic in 14 years. His name has never come up in all my reading of books and magazines and websites through all that time, and yet this one choice made in this one book has led this one beer to market itself as "Best Beer in the World" ever since.

One thing stands out about this, and that is that Kallen did in that book something no other writer or editor has ever done. Noone has ever declared "the best" and done a numerical ranking of the world's classics. Michael Jackson had his "Great Beer Guide", which lists 500 great beers, but they are not ranked in order of best, listed alphabetically instead, and there is no notion that these are the "greatest." Instead it's "hey, here's 500 great ones, check them out, they're good." Another volume in my beer collection is "1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die", which came out early last year. There's obvious choices, and surprising, obscure ones, but nowhere do they say "this is the best, this is third best, this is number 13," etcetera. In fact they include Budweiser, making clear that it's not "the best" or even among the 1001 possible best beers, but claiming that if you pretend to know beer, it's clear you need to know Budweiser, at least to taste it.

So, Kallen's book did something noone's done before, or since, and for good reason. The answer to "what's the best beer in the world?" is inherently subjective. It's opinion based on taste. Some only like light beers, some only rank dark, rich ones highest, some prefer high alcohol brews, some only feel hoppy ales are worthy of their consideration. Personally, I try not to answer the question, because my favorite changes so often, and my personal feelings from one minute to the next may mean nothing to the one asking me. Sour beers are great, as are hoppy ones, but there's also deep, mystical Belgian trappist lovelies, and rich, cavernous imperial stouts. Whenever I give an answer to the question, I'm just throwing darts, in order to end the inquiry. Three years ago, Star Tribune writer Tom Horgen asked for my 5 favorites, among the beers I serve at the Nile. He put me on the spot, but I threw them out quickly, and he put them in print. They were: Bell's Expedition, Surly Furious, St. Bernardus Abbot 12, Lion Stout, and Westmalle Dubbel. And then he asked me to describe them. I did my best. This led to people coming in after the article appeared asking for my favorite, or "that $7 beer I like" (???).

So Mr. Kallen makes up his mind and throws his personal dart at Deliirum, stating, in the first line: "I could have made my life easier. I didn't have to name Delirium Tremens as my number one favorite beer. If I simply mentioned a beer everyone has heard of, without the name of a drinker's disease, I would get more peace. But that's not what this is all about."

I'm not sure what little peace Kallen got, if they were any controversy at all after his book rolled off the presses, but there has certainly been argument. The title of the book leaves off the important phrase, "In My Opinion". Well, it's an expert's ranking, right. But, what makes him an expert? He's read, he's drunk, he's written. So have I , but I've never called myself an expert. I have a feeling the editors chose those phrases. You can't sell a book like this without claiming the author is an expert, otherwise who's going to care?

It is an entertaining, and informative book. Kallen knows how to make funny, the words flow, the pages turn. It's full of history, technical information, real brewing know-how. You can't read this book, without being more interested in the subject, and more informed about it. And, despite the rankings, you can't quarrel about the beers included, ...unless you forget it was written in 1997. There are many beers in these 50 that either don't exist anymore, or have been eclipsed by better ones that have come along. Here's the top ten: Murphy's Irish Stout, Lindeman's Kriek, Schneider Aventinus, Samuel Smith Old Taddy Porter, Chapeau Gueze, Caledonian Organic Pale Ale, Duvel, Rogue Shakespeare Stout, Kulmbacher Reichelbrau Eisbock, and finally Delirium Tremens. Do I agree with this list? Of course not, it's only one "expert's list", from 14 years ago, it's not definitive, it's not binding. There are beers I like on that list, but not sure if they'd be one my list, today. Which is why I dodge the question as much as I can.

But Kallen didn't, and Brouwerij Huyghe went with it. The coasters, and the cases both are adorned with his description of the brew. All of the signage that promotes the beer have the phrase "Elected as Best Beer in the World" The Belgians don't understand the nuances of the English language, perhaps, and don't understand that "elected" and "selected" are not the same. One man's opinion is not an election. One person voting does not make you the world's greatest. And yet, who can blame them for promoting themselves after such an honor. I visited a Rogue Alehouse in Portland, Oregon, in 2002, and saw a poster proclaimed that Shakespeare Stout was considered "#1 Stout in the World", due to it's ranking in Kallen's book. They didn't win a juried competition, it was just one guy, who dabbled in beer over a decade ago, and appears to have given it up. (Sorry, but Mr. Kallen's name does not come up anywhere else regarding beer, after those volumes were published.)

I had the beer sometime after reading his opinion, and was swayed. I had bottle after bottle, and when time came for me to pick my first beer list, I chose D.T., as well as Duvel and De Troch banana lambic (give me a break, it's an African restaurant, here) among the first Belgian beers I stocked. Once I knew kegs were available, D.T., along with Maredsous, was one of the first Belgians I ever put on tap. In January, 2003, I posted the following review on BeerAdvocate.com:
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I've written about this from a bottle and now I've had the privilige to enjoy this beautiful brew on draft. Let me say that the sensation only multiplies!

Color is pure spun gold, head is huge, full, blooming and white.

An utterly unearthly aroma greets you, fresh, sea-foamy, citrus, spice, straw, sugar, a mellifluous melange of fruit and spice!

The true thrill is in the taste, that spark on the tongue! Alcohol comes in soon, warming you up for the next sensation, a hurricane of fruitiness: peaches, apricots, pears, melon, and more. The most apt summation I've ever conceived for this fine brew is "a pale ale crossed with champagne." To test that theory, I blended draft DT with champagne on New Year's Eve, and let me tell you I'm still coming down off that high!

Head remains, as well as sweet, honeyish notes, and pure liquid sunshine, with the alcoholic strength finally giving a full kick at the end. Watch out with this lovely charmer, or you'll start to see those little pink elephants that dance around the bottles and glasses.

Remarkable, and utterly unique. Five stars I stand proudly behind!
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So, for more than eight years, that 5-star review has stood, and I've let it stand as part of my warts and all policy, but I've changed my mind. If it's not really a perfect beer, just a very good one with persuasive marketing (people love that name, love the cute pink elephants, and really love to steal the glasses!). why should I be on record calling it "the best." The marketing leads people reading the signs to ask me over and over again, "is it really the best?" And the only answer to that "try it, what do you think?"
It's all opinion. It's all up to you.
And besides, I'm afraid, internet hype or no internet hype, I'm leaning on Westveletern 12 as best, But I don't think Mr. Kallen had one in 1997, and maybe his life would have been made harder by declaring as #1 a beer from a monastery that wants no publicity and will only sell to people who submit their license plate numbers in advance, before meeting an appointment at a drive-in window. (I have a bottle I've been hanging on to, so a Westveleteren entry is coming soon.)

So, 8 1/2 years after that gusher, here's my current tasting notes of Delirium Tremens, which I will post on BA, replacing the old one...probably bringing it down from all-5's:
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Crystal-clear, golden-hued, majestic head, large, loud, and proud. Stunning.

Aroma: soft fruit, soft spices, light, airy, slightly sweet, and slightly dry, at once. Some orange, lemon, even pear, with a minor, spicy hop attack, but overall, all is mellow.

Now, to taste: Clean, soft, sumptuous, with bitter hops slowly sliding in, nice gritty texture on the palate. It's not altogether harmless and denuded. Not entirely. A tidy fruit blend, a neat blast of hops, with an exquisite pale malt base standing firmly underneath. Add to that a bouyous effervescence that thrills the palate. Tingly, tangly, tongue-ly, it's a terrific ride in the mouth, all before the alcohol becomes evident.

Despite the 9% ABV rushing to the fore, it's incredibly consumable, and urges another swallow, after the last. An ale, though very pilsner-like, but every bit Belgian, candy sugar is involved, and copious hops, and plenty of flavor.
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It should be noted that the other Belgians in Kallen's volume are: Kwak (50), Witkap Pater Single (38) (have I had that?), Lindemans Gueze Cuvee Rene Lambic (36) Rodenbach (30), Liefmans Frambozenbier (22), Saison Dupont (18), Orval (16), Corsendonk Pale Ale (13), Chimay Cinq Cents (11), Lindemans Kriek (9), Chapeau Gueuze Lambic (6), Duvel (4) and D.T. (1).

The Belgian beer geek goes apoplectic from this list. What, no Fantome? No Cantilllon? No St. Bernardus, no Kasteel, no De Dolle, no De Proef., etc., etc. not to mention the many great brews that have come into prominence since then, but that's beside the point. There's not a single dubbel, tripel, or quad. He likes fruit lambics and sours, but come on, where's the range?
Anyway, it doesn't matter, it's all down to opinion, and why is one man's more important than anyone else's ?