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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 Their first challenge was deciphering antiquated script and outdated units of measurement, but trial and error (and many months of in-house sampling) culminated in 1554, a highly quaffable dark beer with a moderate body and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?  
mwsmith (12), , Alabama, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/56/104/514/20
Jul 14, 2008  
Pretty bitter, but in a good way. I’m a fan of super dark beers, and I will purchase this beer again.


 Hophead22 (1087), Redlands, by way of Wisconsin,, California, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/105/56/104/515/20
Jul 13, 2008  
12oz bottle. Beautiful dark ruby red color. Darkish head that clings. Big coffee smell. Coffee flavor as well, with a malty backround. Pretty tasty beer.


 JustinFromAL (114), Birmingham, Alabama, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/513/20
Jul 13, 2008  
Bottle. Pours a deep brown with a minimal tan head that stays for a while. Odor is of smokey coffee. Taste of caramely malt. This is my first rating in this beer style and I really enjoyed it.


 Driftwood6 (214), USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/103/515/20
Jul 13, 2008  
Bottle. Decent body, but felt the flavor was a little weak. Maybe because I was comparing to something like a Schwarzbier or Hirter Morchl. The 1554 flavor was just a touch weaker than those--- plus I almost swear I tasted the nutty yeast flavor of their Fat Tire. Not sure if I liked that or not.


 TikiE (360), Sylva, North Carolina, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/57/103/513/20
Jul 13, 2008  
Bottled: Pours a brown color with tan head. Has smells of caramel, and taste of caramel and some roasted malts. A good drinkable beer!


 unclemike (834), Ft. Riley, Kansas, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/56/104/516/20
Jul 10, 2008  
nice clear brown with thick tan head. Aroma is hints of caramel and malts. Flavor is of caramel, roasted malts and undertones of chocolate. Body is medium light. I really enjoyed this beer. I think this is one of my favorites from them thus far.


 Cybercat (784), Georgia, USA
4.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/59/105/518/20
Jul 9, 2008  
It comes out of the bottle a deep, semi-transparent brown with a thick, fluffy, persistent beige head. Aroma is strong and mainly smoky, with hints of chocolate and coffee. Flavor is like liquid smoke, with touches of malt, coffee, chocolate and caramel. Texture is smooth, and the smoky aftertaste has just a whisper of sweetness. Well worth transporting all the way from Denver to Atlanta!


 maltdog (514), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/105/516/20
Jul 8, 2008  
22oz bottle with attractive label (not the same as screen left) and a good three inches of headspace. Sinister red-black color, sporting a short but dense putty froth with impressive stamina and lace. Mild yet rich aromas of smoky chocolate, coffee, plum and banana, stewed fruits, and anise. The flavor features sweetish malt, oatmeal, and mild cherry-raisin. A bittersweet caress, refreshing tartness, and understated impressions of dates and milk chocolate in the finish flow into a cool brewers’ licorice aftertaste. Just maybe a suggestion of rubbery funk? Light and supercreamy palate, with nitro-widget smoothness... carbonation is gentle and extremely fine. A pleasant brew with elements of schwarzbier and dubbel.



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