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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 Their first challenge was deciphering antiquated script and outdated units of measurement, but trial and error (and many months of in-house sampling) culminated in 1554, a highly quaffable dark beer with a moderate body and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?  
 mwelsh13 (483), Maryland, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/56/103/513/20
Sep 21, 2008  
12 oz bottle poured deep brown. Some chocolate notes in the aroma. Thin mouthfeel but has some smoke, chocolate, and coffee flavors. Nice beer.


 smith4498 (864), Miami, Florida, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/104/514/20
Sep 21, 2008  
Pours dark reddish brown with light tan head. Aroma of burnt malts and dark chocolate. Sweet roasty flavor with some chocolate and earthiness. Medium body with moderate carbonation. A decent traditional ale.


 carruthm (1121), Seattle, Washington, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/102/514/20
Sep 21, 2008  
Dark brown/black pour with a thinnish head and little cling
Aroma is strong with roasted malts and cocoa.
Charred oak/malts and chocolate on the taste
Thin body.


goldbrew (99), USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/103/512/20
Sep 19, 2008  
Went well with a caramelized onion and prosciutto flatbread. Roasty malt mixed with coffee and charbroil. Decent but not my favorite. Alcohol felt very mild. I don’t mind roasty dark ales but this wouldn’t be my favorite, especially drinking it by itself.


 gsteph (263), knoxville, Tennessee, USA
2.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/103/55/103/510/20
Sep 15, 2008  
Blackened pour with ruby tinges. Thin tan head with spotty lacing. I could tell from the pour it would be a watered down brew. Aroma is strong but boring. Blackened malts, chocolate, a little cocoa, maybe some oak. Nothing really jumps out. More chocolate in the flavor, bitter cocoa, biscuit dough and charred wood. Body is thin and watery. Slightly bitter finish. It’s not bad, definitely drinkable. Hell, I’ve got worse swill in my fridge. Nothing jumps right out and grabs you. It’s simple and average.


 esjaygee (1519), Oak Creek, Wisconsin, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/103/514/20
Sep 12, 2008  
Clear brown with a large lacy slowly fading head. Aroma of grains, chocolate and cocoa. Taste of chocolate, sweet malt, cocoa with a nutty dry finish. The best thing about this one was the garbage field goal that Florida kicked to cover by a half point against Miami of Florida!


 DKTN (110), Mc Donald, Tennessee, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/514/20
Sep 12, 2008  
Ruby with a tan head. Sweet and earthy malt aroma with a bready flavor. A really god beer.


 Butters (1637), Virginia, USA
3.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/56/103/511/20
Sep 9, 2008  
Much better than my first NB beer (fat tire) but still nothing amazing. Dark clear brown pour with burgandy highlights and miniscule light tan head. Sweet caramel aroma, flavor is malty and biscuity. Aftertaste is a bit cloying.



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