New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale
This beer surfaces a number of emotions for me. My first emotion is that of a fellow who isn’t typically partial to Black ales. I haven’t had a whole bunch of these, and the black ales I have had have typically been of the German variety. Nevertheless, I feel like this Belgian version might be in a similar vein. My second emotion stems from the fact that I bought this during an exceedingly enjoyable vacation in Montana during a brief stop in a small gas station on the outskirts of Glacier National Park. So, needless to say, the purchase of this beer was bookended by a number of enjoyable experiences. While I didn’t get a chance to drink this during said vacation, a lovely lady was kind enough to take care of the beer until I had the opportunity to get it back. And so now, after many miles of travel, this New Belgium brew finds its way back to NC for my review.
The 1554 pours a rather dark black color, as expected. It seems fairly clear, although the darkness makes it hard to be certain. There are some hints of dark brown around the edges where light is allowed to enter. The aroma of this beer is heavy with toffee and chocolate and that’s about it. It’s a rather lovely aroma, and quite pungent for a black ale. In the mouth, this beer is actually a bit simpler than I expected. The mouthfeel is mid-sized, and the flavor is a melange of dark chocolatey malts and toffee. These sweet flavors are just barely cut by a light hop bitterness that is hardly noticeable. However, these hops do also bring a light flowery sweetness that also sits in the background. So, needless to say, the sweet richness lies in the forefront of this brew, and it manages to maintain a nearly identical taste from the front of the mouth to the aftertaste – a feat that, in itself, is fairly remarkable.
Honestly, I find that the few black ales I’ve had have generally been a taste disappointment. Often, the aroma delivers largely, but the taste comes in comparatively flat. However, the 1554 actually delivers on both ends. There’s a great aroma followed by an equally delicious flavor. So, while this is a fairly simple beer, it’s certainly the best black ale that I’ve had, and I’m glad to see New Belgium doing good things. Frankly, I still haven’t had a bad beer from these guys – so when will y’all start distributing to NC, for goodness’ sake?
One Response to “New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale”
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The best thing about this beer is that it can be enjoyed by both connoisseurs and newbies. I try to stick to IPAs and hoppy reds because they make me happy, but this beer really did it for me. It is nice and dark with a medium to heavy body and has some raisin flavors and a decent roasty aroma. It isn’t over-powering for someone like my wife who generally sticks to the hefes.