New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

Brewed by New Belgium Brewing Company
Style: Traditional Ale
Fort Collins, Colorado USA

yes yes yes una cerveza oscura sin la ceniza. me gusto. ademas despues con chocolate ecuatoriano 75% cacao impresionantemente similar. bien hecha la birria.

On tap at Goodfella’s in Chapel Hill. Pours a clear, dark brown with a liberal, tan, fluffy head. Has little retention and leaves some okay lacing. Big roasty character, earthy grain, bitter chocolate, sort of earthy dirtiness. Taste is malty, roasty, lots of hazelnuts, some chocolate and coffee. This is sort of close to a schwarzbier. A bit thin on the palate though. Not bad.

Chocolate went great with this beer. Not as full-bodied as I would have thought and a bit thin for what I was looking at.

Dark brown in color with a off white head that diminishes quickly. aroma is pretty malty with caramel, some light licorice, grain, fruit, some light earthy hops. Taste his malty, very light dry chocolate hints, some fruit, some malty sweetness with a very light hop bitterness in the finish. medium bodied.

Draft sample at Black Sheep Pizza. Near black in colour with medium carbonation. Aromas are of pale malts, caramel, underpinned by some dry black malt notes. Mild fruit upfront in the mouth, followed up by more dry chocolate and caramel notes. For all of the fruit and roast notes, the finish is quite clean and lagerlike. A strange beer as it has both schwartzbier and stout qualities, but isn’t really one or the other. Solid and easy drinking overall.

Poured from bottle into Flat Earth Pint glass. Dark brownish-red with very thin head that leaves bubbly receding lacing. Aroma of light roasted malts, dark fruit and earthy spiciness. A lot flavors going on here. Tastes almost like a cross between a Schwarzbier, an English Brown Ale and a Belgian Ale. Roasted malt character (with a hint of coffee) competes with sweet fruit and an earthy yeast character. Overall I like it, but it is a little bit of a mess. Moderate carbonation, medium body, strange finish. Slightly thin but not as bad as many other New Belgium brews. Quite nice unique beer. Very much worth trying and would have again every once in a while. Probably the best of New Belgium’s normal line-up, which, unfortunately, isn’t saying much.

A wonderful deep mahogany Ale. Has a creamy light tan head. Tastes sweet with subtle Carmel and chocolate undertones The aroma is similar to the taste. Comes in a bottle, best from tap. currently my Favorite Beer.

22oz bottle served in an oversized snifter. Pours clear brown, appears black in the glass, topped by a half inch of beige foam. Aromas of cookie, cocoa, toast, and a hint of coffee. The flavor is very similar to the smell but isn’t as "punchy" or not quite as crisp. There is a good deal of roasted character in the finish. Quite interesting and would make a nice jumping off point for a bigger beer. As it is though it comes across a little weak and watery.