Two days ago I visited the local grocery store and was thrilled to find a seasonal favorite of mine back in stock. Those of you who enjoy good beer and the occasional port wine owe it to yourselves to get on over to your nearest Whole Foods and pick up a bottle of Delirium Noel Belgian ale. This stuff is terrific; comes in 750 ml bottles, usually. If you can find it on draught (unlikely), you're in for a treat.

Now, if you read any reviews of this, you'll be surprised to find that it doesn't really get a lot of respect. Most folks tend to prefer Brouwerij Huyghe's regular offerings Delirium Tremens or Delirium Nocturne, and consider this a bit on the odd side. To me, though, Tremens often feels a tad too sweet; Noel, though, makes me want to sit back and savor, in much the same way that you would a fine tawny port.