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 Their first challenge was deciphering antiquated script and outdated units of measurement, but trial and error (and many months of in-house sampling) culminated in 1554, a highly quaffable dark beer with a moderate body and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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phishpond417 (1914), Madison, Wisconsin, USA

3.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.8	8/10	4/5	8/10	3/5	15/20

Jul 26, 2008

Pours a dark brownish black colour with a thick creamy tan head. Aroma is nutty, coffee , tofee and caramel notes. Flavors are generous of wheat, grass, dark fruits and black licorice. Nice brew, very filling- definately want to try this again soon.

kamish (92), Lake Stevens, Washington, USA

3.1	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.1	6/10	4/5	6/10	3/5	12/20

Jul 26, 2008

pretty dang delicious for an "enlighted" black ale.

lithy (1650), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	7/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	14/20

Jul 22, 2008

Dark dark brown with a small tan head that laces nicely. Aroma is malty, dark and woody. Taste is nice with a bit of roastiness, coffee, and wood. Not a beer to drink cold it is very nice at warm room temperature. Has a distinct feel of being an old recipe that it is supposed to be. Nothing is overdone or extreme, it is very nicely balanced.

KDorgan12 (163), Memphis, Tennessee, USA

3.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.5	7/10	3/5	7/10	3/5	15/20

Jul 22, 2008

22 oz Bottle - Memphis. Poured a tan head with a chestnut brown body. Nose was VERY nutty, hazelnut maybe. Palate was surprisingly dry and crisp. Bitter chocolate flavor.

scooterc (13), Houston, Texas, USA

3	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3	5/10	3/5	6/10	2/5	14/20

Jul 21, 2008

Dark color, but deceptively light palate. Slightly burnt woody flovor. Slightly sweet.

UnsofistaCat (222), Garden City, Michigan, USA

3.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.5	7/10	3/5	7/10	3/5	15/20

Jul 17, 2008

smooth, soft and roasty. little bit of carmelized funk. liked it. i also picked up some fat tire notes

RollinHard (754), Fort Worth, Texas, USA

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	7/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	14/20

Jul 16, 2008

Pours reddish brown, very dark at a glance, with a moderate tan head. Aroma of caramel, toast, dark rye bread, and a light astringency. Taste is pretty complex actually, flavors of roast, chocolate, toffee, caramel, and a grainy yeast pungency (house character?). Medium bodied, creamy, with low-ish carbonation, finishes bready and nutty. It’s basically a funkier porter. Very good!

Sparky27 (1583), Phoenix, Arizona, USA

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

Jul 16, 2008

Bottle. Pours a clear dark brown with 2 finger rocky tan head and really nice lacing. Nose is lactic with coffee and cocoa. Taste is coffee up front, roasty barley and yeast with a bitter chocolate finish. Medium, semi-creamy mouth feel. Decent beer.

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