New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

	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
1098	3.51/5.0	3.51/5.0	5.6%	91.6	Dimpled mug, English pint, Stein, Yard

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 Their first challenge was deciphering antiquated script and outdated units of measurement, but trial and error (and many months of in-house sampling) culminated in 1554, a highly quaffable dark beer with a moderate body and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.

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shawnm213 (913), South Bend, Indiana, USA

3.2	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.2	6/10	4/5	6/10	3/5	13/20

Jun 11, 2009

pours dark brown with a nice foamy head. notes of hay, corn. looks better than it tastes. very smooth. could be worse.

GardenGabe (125), Denver, Colorado, USA

3.4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.4	6/10	4/5	6/10	4/5	14/20

Jun 11, 2009

Pours a clear dark reddish brown with a creamy tan head. Head settles quickly. Feel is light and creamy without being watery. Nose is mild, dominated primarily by roasted nuts. Slight sour sweet smells as well. Taste of lightly roasted coffee, and some cocoa. Chalky taste on the finish.

Hopeye (39), Oregon, USA

3.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.5	5/10	4/5	7/10	3/5	16/20

Jun 8, 2009

A bit out of season for the summertime, but I made do. Sweet, malty goodness. Drinks well with food (what beer doesn’t, right?). I like a beer with a good story behind it, but even more, I like a dark beer that tastes good. I’ll have another, please.

bierkoning (6017), La Tropica, Netherlands

3.4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.4	7/10	3/5	7/10	4/5	13/20

Jun 8, 2009

Bottle from Corby, thanks! Malty roasty aroma. Malty sweetish, roasty flavor with pear and dark chocolate. Pleasant session beer without any sharp edges. Maybe a bit thin.

TheSponge (276), Lynnwood, Washington, USA

3.6	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.6	7/10	4/5	8/10	3/5	14/20

Jun 8, 2009

22 oz. bottle purchased at Central Market in Mill Creek, WA. Pours a very dark brown/Tootsie Roll color. Flavor: Sweet, with hints of dried fruit and chocolate.

zizzybalubba (357), Elizabeth City, North Carolina, USA

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	7/10	4/5	7/10	4/5	15/20

Jun 5, 2009

On tap at Coasters. Brown pour with a thin white head. Light, sweet candi sugar aroma. Slightly sweet flavor. A very decent beer and better than the mass-distributed beers I have tasted recently from New Belgium.

smprochak (23), Washington, USA

4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4	8/10	5/5	7/10	4/5	16/20

Jun 5, 2009

This is a great beer for when you want to try something a little different. Great winter beer.

kassner (440), Wexford, Pennsylvania, USA

3.2	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.2	6/10	3/5	6/10	3/5	14/20

Jun 5, 2009

Had this beer on tap at Eb and Flows on Bald Head Island. Not much head but some nice lacing. Licorice and roasted malts, nutty. Finishes quite noice.

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