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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 Their first challenge was deciphering antiquated script and outdated units of measurement, but trial and error (and many months of in-house sampling) culminated in 1554, a highly quaffable dark beer with a moderate body and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?  
 vulcanmeister (102), La Grande, Oregon, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/104/515/20
May 11, 2008  
Pours dark brown with medium beige head. Aroma of coffee, yeast, and chocolate. Pleasant mouth feel, creamy, but very light carbonation. Taste is sweet, caramel and chocolaty, seems to end too abruptly but is followed by a very nice long finish, of roast malt, nuts, and burnt coffee with a slight bitter tang. Definitely calls for another.


 JHunter (244), British Columbia, Canada
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/104/57/104/513/20
May 7, 2008  
a very dark red colour with a nice head strong aroma of coffee and chocolate which also shows in the flavour very enjoyable


 Trev (858), Lakeville, Minnesota, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/103/517/20
May 5, 2008  
Bomber from Lakeville Liqour: Pours a dark ruby brown with a nice tan head. Aroma was dusty yeast and dark chocolate. Flavour carried through with the chocolate tones, and a light bitterness.


 alraicercsu (166), Ft.Collins, Colorado, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/512/20
May 3, 2008  
Tap at the Brewery. Dark brown with beige head. Smells a bit of chocolate with slight hop flavor.


 SamGamgee (1420), Santa Cruz (La Selva), California, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/56/103/512/20
Apr 30, 2008  
12oz bottle. This one has been intriguing for awhile: seemed like an interesting idea with the story of the super old recipe and all that... Well, dark brown body with a medium beige head and good lacing. As soon as I open the bottle, there is a nice aroma of spicy and grassy hops that dissipates too quickly. Followed by doughy, yeastiness and some cocoa. The flavor is pretty sweet with a mild roast, some chocolate, cold coffee ground scent perceived as flavor, and some subtle hops. Could use some more bitterness or more roast. Reminds me of a dunkel, which I guess it is, but fermented at a higher temp? The sweetness gets to me by the end, but no shame in putting one of these down and I would go for it again.


 ironchefscott (342), portland, Oregon, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/104/511/20
Apr 26, 2008  
Ok stuff ok roasted malt flavor a bit thin and watery in the mouth feel......almost seems like it was trying to be a swarczbeer...but not really I think this is semi refreshing for a hot day....but I would much rather drink something else....


 blutt59 (2092), Dallas, Texas, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/56/103/514/20
Apr 25, 2008  
12 0z. bottle, very dark color, chocolate and roast flavors and nose, a little light on the finish but a good beer overall


 mtdshn (174), Moline, Illinois, USA
2.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/102/56/103/512/20
Apr 22, 2008  
Bomber. Poured an almost black with some brown highlights. Just a ring of a head that dissipated quickly. Not much in way of aroma besides some roasted malt. Flavors of predominately black tea and coffee, molasses and toffee. Fairly malty. Quite good.



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