1554
New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States 🇺🇸
Traditional Beer - Gruit Regular|
Score
7.03
|
|
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.
Sign up to add a tick or review
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
4oz draft from a flight at Hangar 9. Pours a dark black with a bunch of thick tan head. Aroma of coffee and black licorice. Taste is lightly sweet and lightly bitter. Starts sweet with milk chocolate and ends bitter with coffee. Medium bodied with a thick creamy texture. Lively carbonation and a long bitter finish. Overall, very awesome. Absolutely something to drink again.
Tried
from Draft
on 15 Sep 2011
at 00:55
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle looks simple but good. Beer in the glass dark, almost black, nice head. Hoppy-dry aroma. Starts malty and dry, scratchy, notes of liquorice. Finish a bit woody, but well balanced. Quite drinkable. Good beer!
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Sep 2011
at 03:50
7.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 10
Overall 7.5
12 oz. bottle. Pours black with amber hints and a thin tan head. The aroma is smooth chocolate, cinnamon, peat and earth, a little roasted malts, and dates. The flavor is sweet and pleasantly spicy throughout, with a slightly bitter aftertaste. The palate is light to medium, crisp and lively, and very clean. Overall, this beer is easy to drink yet pretty complex.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Jul 2011
at 16:15
4.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 4
Every once and a while you find a complete disconnect with what you experience with a beer and what, apparently, everyone else gets. Such is the case with my third, yes, third attempt at enjoying a pint of 1554. How can being Enlightened cause such befuddlement? Dark and red-brown but not quite black, 1554 produces a lovely off-white head that is indeed sexy. The nose, not so much, weak and hinting and roasted malt and some coffee. The texture is surprisingly thin, which kills any lasting chance for the flavor to make an impression. Classic dark beer notes flit about in the brew, but fail to hook up with any yeasty Belgian spice. Pretty disappointing pint. What am I missing? (1/18/09)
Tried
from Can
on 16 May 2011
at 18:00
6.2/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6
Tap @ New Belgium hub, DIA. Pours black, but tranperent, with a white head. Aroma of caramel, chocolate, light citrusslike hops. Taste is caramel, nuts, raisins, malt, nuts and lightly bitter hops. Medium body, soft carbonation. 140411
Tried
from Draft
on 15 May 2011
at 06:14
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Received in a trade with sfromdawes, thanks for the opportunity. Pours a dark brown, with ruby highlights. Two finger off white head dissipates quickly, but laces all the way down. Aroma hits with chocolate, coffee, some dried fruit and a little barnyard funk in the background. Taste is creamy chocolate, some fruit and some caramel. Full body, creamy mouthfeel, just enough carbonation the tease the tongue. Great tasting brew, not sure I’d call it a Belgian Dark, but tasty just the same.
Tried
on 29 Jan 2011
at 18:31
6.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Pours opaque black with tan beige head. Aroma is roasty, with chocolate tones. Flavor is initially more roast nut flavor which turns to more chocolate tones on the finish. Palate is very nice, smooth and creamy, slightly silky. Overall quite nice, although nothing extraordinary. I would drink again on tap if I had the chance.
Tried
from Draft
on 10 Nov 2010
at 15:15