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New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

Percentile
88
overall

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreABVStyle PctlServe in
10983.51/5.03.51/5.05.6%91.6Dimpled 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 Their first challenge was deciphering antiquated script and outdated units of measurement, but trial and error (and many months of in-house sampling) culminated in 1554, a highly quaffable dark beer with a moderate body and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.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
aaronhaywood (74), Kansas City, Missouri, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/59/104/513/20
Apr 9, 2009  
Pours a dark amber color. Tastes like chocolate and coffee. Generally robust. My favorite New Belgium for sure.


 SFLpunk (132), South Burlington, Vermont, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/59/104/518/20
Apr 8, 2009  
22oz brown glass pry-top. BB 24JUL09. Thanks to Val for this one! Appearance: A thick (1.5 inch) creamy tan head atop a deep mahogany , clear body. Nose: Dry toasty dark malt, but there’s something light and airy about it, like forest breeze on a dry autumn day. Palate: Medium-bodied and somewhat bright. High notes from a moderate hop bitterness balance a slightly creamy texture. Nice "edges" from the bitterness. Flavors of bitter chocolate, roasted malt, black malt, and something a little like burnt wood. Notes: A really drinkable dark ale. Reminds me of the better Schwarzbiers. Lighter in body, but huge on taste. Incredible for the price!


 l1br4r14n (275), Washington, Washington DC, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/102/513/20
Apr 8, 2009  
Pours dark brown, close to black with a minimal head. Tastes of coffee and a little chocolate. Very light mouthfeel, suprisingly so given the color and flavor. Weak finish.


 JMerritt (1315), Macomb, Illinois, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/104/514/20
Apr 4, 2009  
Chestnut colored, redder at the bottom, with a small, whispy head that is mostly diminishing. Nose is grainy - husky wheat - with bittersweet cocoa, earth, and mild roast. Moderately sweet flavor up front - brown sugar and rye - turning somewhat grainier though some molasses and berry (almost like a sugared cranberry) pops in and out through the flavor profile. In further sips, the earthy, dirty hops are more noticeable. Chewey grain, slightly sour finish. Interesting.


favneighbor (8), North Carolina, USA
does not count click to see why this rating of New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale does not count
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/102/513/20
Apr 4, 2009  
This was a fairly thick tasting beer in comparison to other darker beers. Consisted of a gamey, charred, chocolate flavor. I found the chocolate aroma to be the most impressive part to the beer. Otherwise this was a standard representation of a Back Ale.


 brokephibroke (140), Mead, Colorado, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/57/104/515/20
Apr 3, 2009  
Probably my "go to" NB brew. Offered frequently at local fests and music events. Dark brown pour with an off white head. Very malty and smooth.


 MeisterBrew (138), Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/103/515/20
Mar 28, 2009  
Draught beer served in a mug. Dark brown with no head to speak of. Aroma of roasted malts and a slight hint of coffee and spice. Flavor was sweet with little bitterness. Real light coffee, chocolate, malt and fruity flavor. I didn’t dislike nor really love this beer. It seemed average, at best. The flavor wasn’t bad, it just seemed a little ’light’.


 Bradrcr (779), Renton, Washington, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/56/104/513/20
Mar 28, 2009  
2/7/09 On draft at the Boiler Room, Sun Valley, Id. Aroma is all roast, with no real hop flora or yeast influence. Appearance is brown with solid lacing. Flavor is simple sour malt forward with munich breadiness, slightly acidic, and low bittering. Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied with a moderate carb texture. Overall, simpler than I remember, but fairly quaffable for a dark ale.



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