La Guillotine | Brouwerij Huyghe
Brewed by:
Brouwerij Huyghe
Belgium
delirium.be
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 8.50%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by BeerAdvocate on 06-02-2002
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers
Ratings: 388 | Reviews: 120
3.91/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.14/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.13/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Brouwerij Huyghe "La Guillotine"
750 ml painted bottle, corked "2.012" & caged
$10.99 @ Cherry Hill Wine, Liquor & Beer, Cherry Hill, NJ
Notes via stream of consciousness: Belgian strong golden ale. The label reads "golden blonde" but what I've got before me is actually darker, and more of an amber in color - I'm guessing that has to do with age, this is almost 6 years old and I don't remember it being so dark before. It's also quite hazy but that's probably just because I didn't let it sit in the fridge for long enough. The head is a creamy off white that drops readily but then maintains a solid surface covering, at least so far. The aroma displays bready, grainy malt and yeasty fruitiness with notes of cherry, raisin, orange, and apple. Some very light spicy and leafy hops can be found in the background if you nose around a bit. I'm assuming that some of the breadiness of the malt is also due to age and oxidation. The flavor is nice, with a beautiful balance of sugary, bready and grainy malt and yeasty fruitiness, but also spiciness. It's sweet upfront with the fruitiness stepping in quickly, and then spicy with just a touch of alcohol before it dries in the finish with a rising bitterness that lingers. I remember this beer as having had a clear note of alcohol, and it's there, but I wonder if it's toned down with age (probably) or if they've changed it slightly. Well I'm glad I've tried it again because I like it a lot more than I'd thought I would. Of course I do have an aged bottle, so maybe I should seek out a fresh one to test against my memories. And of course it IS a different beer, it's currently made with Amarillo hops which weren't even available all those years ago when I'd first sampled it. Back to the beer itself, the head has now waned but it did hold well for some time, and there's some limited but nice lacing left behind. I'd suggest that maybe it's a little limited because of the high alcohol but in actuality it's just 8.5%. Hmmm, with that in mind, it really drinks like a stronger beer, so maybe this is the beer I remember. In the mouth it's medium-full in body with a dextrinous side, and delicately tingling with a fine-bubbled effervescent carbonation. Overall it's a strong beer so don't expect that you can plow through it, but neither is it meant for that. I'm enjoying it, and I'll judge it on it's own, but at the same time I'm thinking that there are better, well not necessarily "better", but more refined beers out there. Still, I like it. It has it's own charm.
2,531 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Brouwerij Huyghe "La Guillotine"
750 ml painted bottle, corked "2.012" & caged
$10.99 @ Cherry Hill Wine, Liquor & Beer, Cherry Hill, NJ
Notes via stream of consciousness: Belgian strong golden ale. The label reads "golden blonde" but what I've got before me is actually darker, and more of an amber in color - I'm guessing that has to do with age, this is almost 6 years old and I don't remember it being so dark before. It's also quite hazy but that's probably just because I didn't let it sit in the fridge for long enough. The head is a creamy off white that drops readily but then maintains a solid surface covering, at least so far. The aroma displays bready, grainy malt and yeasty fruitiness with notes of cherry, raisin, orange, and apple. Some very light spicy and leafy hops can be found in the background if you nose around a bit. I'm assuming that some of the breadiness of the malt is also due to age and oxidation. The flavor is nice, with a beautiful balance of sugary, bready and grainy malt and yeasty fruitiness, but also spiciness. It's sweet upfront with the fruitiness stepping in quickly, and then spicy with just a touch of alcohol before it dries in the finish with a rising bitterness that lingers. I remember this beer as having had a clear note of alcohol, and it's there, but I wonder if it's toned down with age (probably) or if they've changed it slightly. Well I'm glad I've tried it again because I like it a lot more than I'd thought I would. Of course I do have an aged bottle, so maybe I should seek out a fresh one to test against my memories. And of course it IS a different beer, it's currently made with Amarillo hops which weren't even available all those years ago when I'd first sampled it. Back to the beer itself, the head has now waned but it did hold well for some time, and there's some limited but nice lacing left behind. I'd suggest that maybe it's a little limited because of the high alcohol but in actuality it's just 8.5%. Hmmm, with that in mind, it really drinks like a stronger beer, so maybe this is the beer I remember. In the mouth it's medium-full in body with a dextrinous side, and delicately tingling with a fine-bubbled effervescent carbonation. Overall it's a strong beer so don't expect that you can plow through it, but neither is it meant for that. I'm enjoying it, and I'll judge it on it's own, but at the same time I'm thinking that there are better, well not necessarily "better", but more refined beers out there. Still, I like it. It has it's own charm.
2,531 characters
3.9/5 rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured to a Duvel glass.
A: The body is yellow and very crystalline. The head is two fingers thick, white and with great retention.
S: The aroma is very close to a Duvel, having a bright malty side, a touch of hoppiness held together with a belgian flavourful yeast.
T: Taste is exactly the same as the aroma, a strong malty touch, powered by a belgian yeast culminating in a hoppy and dry end.
M: Body is medium with a high carbonation. Good but alcohol is too noticeable. It's a bit strong on that end, I've had >7% BSPAs that hadn't this kind of prominence on the alcohol.
O: Good but nothing fancy.
603 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured to a Duvel glass.
A: The body is yellow and very crystalline. The head is two fingers thick, white and with great retention.
S: The aroma is very close to a Duvel, having a bright malty side, a touch of hoppiness held together with a belgian flavourful yeast.
T: Taste is exactly the same as the aroma, a strong malty touch, powered by a belgian yeast culminating in a hoppy and dry end.
M: Body is medium with a high carbonation. Good but alcohol is too noticeable. It's a bit strong on that end, I've had >7% BSPAs that hadn't this kind of prominence on the alcohol.
O: Good but nothing fancy.
603 characters
3.26/5 rDev -17.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.75/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.88/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
This is a Belgian Strong Pale Ale from the same brewery as the notorious Delirium.
The 33cl bottle pours a two inches head fading quickly, the texture is very bubbly, champagne like.
It's not my favorite in the style, Duvel easily surpass this, but worthy of a try anyway.
275 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
This is a Belgian Strong Pale Ale from the same brewery as the notorious Delirium.
The 33cl bottle pours a two inches head fading quickly, the texture is very bubbly, champagne like.
It's not my favorite in the style, Duvel easily surpass this, but worthy of a try anyway.
275 characters
3.72/5 rDev -5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.1/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from fridge temp. Pours a golden yellow - light and transparent. Good carbonation. Nose is almost pale ale like. A little hoppy, wheat, orange. Taste is really nice. A tiny bitterness immediately, but then a really nice earthy citrus peel taste. Bitterness quickly disappears. Classic Belgian golden ale. Lovely.
319 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from fridge temp. Pours a golden yellow - light and transparent. Good carbonation. Nose is almost pale ale like. A little hoppy, wheat, orange. Taste is really nice. A tiny bitterness immediately, but then a really nice earthy citrus peel taste. Bitterness quickly disappears. Classic Belgian golden ale. Lovely.
319 characters
3.83/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A bottle from a Supermarket in Brussels.
40 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A bottle from a Supermarket in Brussels.
40 characters
4.12/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is an incredibly interesting beer on the account that it sips like a high ABV amber with a belgian back bone. Really thought this was a great find for something out of the ordinary. Not an every night beer but one for good food and good conversation.
257 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is an incredibly interesting beer on the account that it sips like a high ABV amber with a belgian back bone. Really thought this was a great find for something out of the ordinary. Not an every night beer but one for good food and good conversation.
257 characters
4.5/5 rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
3.68/5 rDev -6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
This pours a bubbly golden color, somewhat murky. The head was minimal, 1 finger, white, and dissipated quickly. The nose is is fruty. I also get some sour notes to it. The taste I get like a sour apple flavor. I'm not a big fan of that flavor palate. The feel has a nice bubbly feel to it. Technically, it's a strong beer, but it isn't for my palate.
351 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
This pours a bubbly golden color, somewhat murky. The head was minimal, 1 finger, white, and dissipated quickly. The nose is is fruty. I also get some sour notes to it. The taste I get like a sour apple flavor. I'm not a big fan of that flavor palate. The feel has a nice bubbly feel to it. Technically, it's a strong beer, but it isn't for my palate.
351 characters
4.69/5 rDev +19%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
3.5/5 rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
4.75/5 rDev +20.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
La Guillotine from Brouwerij Huyghe
Beer rating:
3.94 out of
5 with
388 ratings
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