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New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale - Traditional Ale

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 Percentile 
88
overall
Brewed by New Belgium Brewing Company
Style: Traditional Ale

Fort Collins, Colorado USA

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
10903.51/5.03.51/5.05.6%91.1Dimpled mug, English pint, Stein, Yard
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Commercial Description:
Born of a flood and centuries-old Belgian text, 1554 Enlightened Black Ale uses a light lager yeast strain and dark chocolaty malts to redefine what dark beer can be. In 1997, a Fort Collins flood destroyed the original recipe our researcher, Phil Benstein, found in the library. So Phil and brewmaster, Peter Bouckaert, traveled to Belgium to retrieve this unique style lost to the ages. Their first challenge was deciphering antiquated script and outdated units of measurement, but trial and error (and many months of in-house sampling) culminated in 1554, a highly quaffable dark beer with a moderate body and mouthfeel.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
furious (9), South Carolina, USA
does not count click to see why this rating of New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale does not count
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/55/102/513/20
Jun 29, 2009  
Had once at a restaurant. It started off as a good beer - I liked it at first. But as I kept drinking, it wasn’t as pleasant. Can’t pinpoint why. I should probably try it again sometime.


 zappafan99 (462), Ascension Island
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/56/103/515/20
Jun 25, 2009  
Taste 6/9 Bottle. Looks: Dark and clear with rings of tan foam. Aroma and Taste: Peat and smoke with burn toast and and malty sweetness. Spice, sour and fruit with the finish.


 beerledgend (919), Meadowbank Auckland, New Zealand
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/56/102/514/20
Jun 25, 2009  
dark brown in colour with lively off white head. Coffee/choclate aroma. Creamy choclate mouthfeel, hint of hop bitterness.


 WVHouseofBeer (341), Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/515/20
Jun 24, 2009  
Pours black with minimal off white head. Smells of roasted malts and chocolate, and the flavor is chocolaty with a hint of coffee and carmel. Very light body. This beer could be mistaken for a stout if it were a little thicker.


elgavilancillo (63), South Gate, California, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/510/105/510/20
Jun 23, 2009  
nice chocality taste and aroma loved it creamy frothy coffe finish would really enjoy in the winter time


 Avengedpoet (325), Mesa, Arizona, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/103/514/20
Jun 23, 2009  
Sampled before, this taste at Made in the Shade 2009. Pours near black with minimal head. Minor roast character in the aroma and taste. Very minor belgian yeast influence in the taste as well. Very refreshing considering it is dark and "belgian." I think they used caraffa and a very low phenol yeast to get around these though, so I wouldn’t necessarily label it as either.


 TheGrandMaster (1848), Auckland, New Zealand
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/513/20
Jun 22, 2009  
Bottle (in NZ). Pours a cola-brown with a light tan head. Plenty of roasted malt and bitter chocolate on the nose. Chocolate and roasted malt again in the mouth, a touch of graininess. Quite a light mouthfeel, with a short finish. Tasty enough, without much complexity.



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