RateBeer

New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

Percentile
88
overall

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
Find this beer

Add Distribution Data
send corrections | shelftag |
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 Their first challenge was deciphering antiquated script and outdated units of measurement, but trial and error (and many months of in-house sampling) culminated in 1554, a highly quaffable dark beer with a moderate body and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?  
 Taverner (837), San Ramon, California, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/104/515/20
Dec 12, 2008    Updated: Jan 13, 2009
On tap at Cheeky Monk. I liked this one. Poured cola black with tan head. Flavor was a nice mix of cocoa, roastiness and cola. Very smooth and creamy. ON SECOND ANALYSIS: Altitude sickness was too harsh for me to really get a handle on this beer. Lots of chocolate roasty notes - a good beer.


 ROGUE (641), Newark, Delaware, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/514/20
Dec 11, 2008  
12oz bottle. Pours very dark reddish brown with a creamy tan head. Aroma of bitter chocolate and coffee. Tastes of the aroma with bread and a slight fruitiness. A medium body that is smooth and creamy. A good beer with the flavors of a porter or stout without the heaviness.


 Pawola22 (709), Kansas City, Missouri, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/513/20
Dec 7, 2008  
12 oz bottle. Pours a brown body with a small, creamy tan head. Dissipates quickly and leaves minimal lacing. Aroma is roasted malts, caramel, toffee, chocolate, and nutty. Hints of berry fruit backing and herbal spices. Taste is similar and actually better than I was expecting, but still a little dull. Roasty, sweet caramel maltiness, and toffee up front with a slightly berry chocolate finish. Medium to full bodied with a nice balance. Overall, I think this beer is pretty good. Not loaded with taste or complexity, but very drinkable and enjoyable.


Velcroshoes (1), Azle, Texas, USA
does not count click to see why this rating of New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale does not count
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/59/104/517/20
Dec 4, 2008  
great flavor out of all ive tried. goes down smooth for a dark ale. overall very good beer.


SoberCajun (50), Nashville, Tennessee, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/103/57/103/515/20
Nov 29, 2008  
Pours dark brown with slight tan head. Nice smoky malt characters in the aroma, very drinkable, but a little bit too thin for my taste. For a darker beer of this kind I would like a bit more substance. Good balance though, worth a try. A kind of Porter-Lite flavor in my opinion.


 scooterbub (332), Lander, Wyoming, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/515/20
Nov 29, 2008  
Bottle. Pours a nice, dark red-brown and has a decent tan head that slowly fades. Taste is of roasted malt, caramel, chocolate, fruit, smoke and is slightly sweet. Aroma is much the same. Has a nice aftertaste, but feels kind of watery. Overall, a very enjoyable brew that is satisfying and worth purchasing again.


 punkeedo (465), San Antonio, Texas, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/103/516/20
Nov 28, 2008  
2008 Bottle. A nice American version of the more potent, more complex Belgian ale. Dark, sweet aroma, accompanied with a sweet nutty flavor. Seemed watery--probably just because of the lower alcohol content than its Belgian cousins. Not a bad brew.


 Theis (3652), Denmark
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/516/20
Nov 21, 2008  
Draught at New Belgium Brewery. Dark dark brown - offwhite head. Roasted, ryebread, licorice, berries, dark fruits, dark berries, light sweetness, chocolate, dryness. Nice.



CONSIDER FREE RATEBEER MEMBERSHIP



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

SIGN UP NOW »

View Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110


About RateBeer | Add A Beer | Log In | Edit Personal Info | 100 Beer Club | FAQ | Feedback?
Copyright © 2000-2009, RateBeer LLC