1554
New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States 🇺🇸
Traditional Beer - Gruit Regular|
Score
7.03
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1554 Black Lager beer uses a lager yeast strain and dark chocolaty malts to redefine what dark beer can be.
A surprisingly bright taste and a dry, chocolaty finish -- one evocative of dark brews enjoyed in Belgian taverns 500 years ago. Not a porter, not a stout -- it's 1554.
Enlightened Dark Ale
1554 defies the style guidelines of modern beer. Although dark in color, 1554 is not a porter, stout, schwarzbier or bock. Rather, it is a rebirth of a lost beer style called zwert (Flemish for black), which uses gruit for bittering. The oldest reference to zwert beer comes from 1285. However, our brewing inspiration came from a book published in 1554, which was the height of popularity for zwertbeer. First released in 1998, our whimsical improvisation includes a variety of specialty dark malts, a dash of licorice root, and a European lager yeast that’s fermented at ale temperatures.
A surprisingly bright taste and a dry, chocolaty finish -- one evocative of dark brews enjoyed in Belgian taverns 500 years ago. Not a porter, not a stout -- it's 1554.
Enlightened Dark Ale
1554 defies the style guidelines of modern beer. Although dark in color, 1554 is not a porter, stout, schwarzbier or bock. Rather, it is a rebirth of a lost beer style called zwert (Flemish for black), which uses gruit for bittering. The oldest reference to zwert beer comes from 1285. However, our brewing inspiration came from a book published in 1554, which was the height of popularity for zwertbeer. First released in 1998, our whimsical improvisation includes a variety of specialty dark malts, a dash of licorice root, and a European lager yeast that’s fermented at ale temperatures.
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7.3/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Can from The Davis Beer Shoppe. Pours very dark brown with a large foamy white head. The head is a little off of white and it laced nicely. Aroma of dark European malt with a noticeable amount of spice. Malt is like tmavy. Arguably medium body. Flavor is somewhat of the aroma, but there’s a fruit almost pear aspect. Spice isn’t clove. It’s other things. Nice drink.
Tried
from Can
at
The Davis Beer Shoppe
on 24 May 2026
at 00:51
6.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Bottled. Pours darky dark. Caramel and coffee. Thin tasting so drinkable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 May 2025
at 00:46
6.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Bottle. Dark Brown in color with a medium head. Aroma is light malty sweetness but kind of weak. Taste is also a tad weak. Actually for a mega brewery beer it’s not bad.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Mar 2025
at 06:52
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Notes from 1/22/2009 Vintage notes. Best Before: 06Jun08, consumed 5-23 Anxious pour into my Ommegang anniversary glass that I just love so much. Nearly two inches of frothy French-vanilla head over a black tea saturated body. Drippy, even spaced lace. Nesquik powder, banana & melon esters, & what seems like black patent. Slight richness to the smell. A definite Belgian essence to it. Toffee, vanilla creamer, bitter melon rind, odd plastic phenols, & very little roast. Weird artificial cotton candy/confection sugar-like sweetness(& feel). Some clove bitterness at the end. Awesome burps. Flavor/texture combination is just so different. A Belgian-style schwarzbier, cool. Tasty enough that I should want another, but I felt a little mentally fatigued figuring out what was in front of me. Thanks to artisanbrew for the hookup, wherever you are. :)
Tried
from Can
on 31 Dec 2024
at 21:52
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle 0,35 ltr: Clear dark brown coloured brew with an red glow. Sweet bitter taste with hints of chocolate, dried fruits, caramel, roasted malts and some faint smokiness.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Dec 2024
at 11:13
8/10
New beet, new bar, née beads.
Tried
on 13 Dec 2024
at 16:58
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
BBT 10/2024. Dark brown color wirh beige head. Aroma of dark malt, caramel, fruity esters. Taste is dark malt, caramel, esters, candies, fruity esters.
Tried
from Can
on 30 Oct 2024
at 20:31
5.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle at BBT 10/2024. Malty aroma and taste, dark malts, light to medium bitter, light sweet. Medium body, malty caramelly bitter finish. Average.
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Oct 2024
at 20:27
7.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
33cl Fles van Beer Republic. Donkerbruine kleur, beige kraag. Moutig, licht kruidig, chocolade, medium zoet, redelijk droog, donker fruit, licht herbaal, degelijk bitter. Medium body, glad. Prima Dubbel.
Tried
on 08 Sep 2024
at 16:25
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 7.5
Bottle via Beer Republic. Ever since my visit to Belgium in mid 16th century I was looking for a beer like the one that this homely wench has brought me in a local tavern that time. Finally I found it. Ok, now seriously. Med-thin body, well attenuated and medium carbonation, with a quickly disappearing head. Medium sweetness, light bitterness. Lots of caramelly toffeeish maltiness, slightly nutty and chocolatey. Med-light dried fruits, and a bit of yeasty spiciness. Very nice balance, tasty and easy drinking. Overall a very good beer, feels dubbel-ish, albeit a bit darker maybe. Not sure why it's classified as gruit, as it has hops and no herbs.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Mar 2024
at 08:25