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 Their first challenge was deciphering antiquated script and outdated units of measurement, but trial and error (and many months of in-house sampling) culminated in 1554, a highly quaffable dark beer with a moderate body and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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douglas88 (1576), Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

3.3	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.3	6/10	4/5	6/10	3/5	14/20

Oct 20, 2008

Bomber bought in Evanston, Wyoming. Pours a ruby color with a medium tan head. The aroma is full of sweet malts and some fruitiness. The taste is very smooth; smooth and rich malts, some chocolate, light fruit and a bit of yeast. Some roasted or smoked character also. Pretty nice.

wildbillvms (36), , Illinois, USA

2.4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
2.4	3/10	3/5	5/10	3/5	10/20

Oct 20, 2008

I usually hate ales... But this one is different, it tastes like a Bock or double bock brew... I bought this in a Folly pack... Don’t think I’d buy it on it’s own....

Beardface (984), Eugene, Oregon, USA

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

Oct 19, 2008 Updated: Mar 31, 2009

Black and red pour, extremely malty beer that definitely tastes more like a lager than an ale. As a matter of fact, this beer tastes almost identical to Sam Adams Black Lager. Regardless though, this is the first NB offering I’ve enjoyed since my tastes grew more refined.

caesar (3021), Bunnik/Utrecht, Netherlands

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

Oct 17, 2008

Bottled. Clear copper color, thick off-white head. Aroma of chocolat, oatmeal, malt. Bit sweet and malty taste. Hint of blackcurrant and coffee. Slight thin, but very tasty.

tturner (105), , Washington, USA

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	7/10	5/5	7/10	4/5	14/20

Oct 15, 2008

Deep black, maybe a tin of red. nice lingering head. smells malty. For me, a very Dry flavor with little sweatness. Its basically an easy drinking ’porter’, unassuming. I like this beer, feels like a good solid friend.

cgarvieuk (4171), Edinburgh, Scotland

3.4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.4	7/10	3/5	7/10	3/5	14/20

Oct 15, 2008

bottlle at home ... Big thanks to Doppelganger for this ... Deep brown ... light chocolate and deep dark fruits little bread in nose ... again nide deep soft dark fruits ... little fig little plum and some candy sugers...light carbonation ... medium body

FlyingSwine (169), Littleton, Colorado, USA

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	8/10	4/5	7/10	3/5	17/20

Oct 8, 2008

12 oz bottle. Pours a dark reddish/black with a decent off-white head. Some lacing. Aroma is fruity, dark cherries, espresso and chocolate. Flavor is earthy and full of raisins and dark chocolate. Palate is light-medium bodied, fizzy on the front, with a dryish finish. Becomes progressivly smoother as the beer warms. Overall this is a HIGHLY drinkable, tasty ale. One of the better low(er)-ABV beers available.

radagast83 (1289), Fairfax, Virginia, USA

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	7/10	4/5	8/10	3/5	15/20

Oct 2, 2008

Bottle thanks to a friend bringing them back to me from Colorado. Pours a black color with a small head. Flavor is caramel, very woody, and malty. Not very hoppy, and not a lot of hop bitterness. Overall this beer is very drinkable and quite tasty!

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