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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7.9/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
From Jan 2006
Poured from bottle(room temp) a pitch black with a huge head of foam that dissipates slowly leaving a fine layer and some lacing.
The smell is of roasted malt and there's a bit of a bitterness there as well...I like it.
The taste is dominated by roasted malt at first, with a noticeable oatmeal flavour that brings out some sweet notes coming through midway. The finish brings back the roastiness and is teamed with a bit of bitterness that makes for an excellent overall tasting beer.
Bottom line: Here's an unusual style of beer that has a lot of good things going on....I recommend it!
Poured from bottle(room temp) a pitch black with a huge head of foam that dissipates slowly leaving a fine layer and some lacing.
The smell is of roasted malt and there's a bit of a bitterness there as well...I like it.
The taste is dominated by roasted malt at first, with a noticeable oatmeal flavour that brings out some sweet notes coming through midway. The finish brings back the roastiness and is teamed with a bit of bitterness that makes for an excellent overall tasting beer.
Bottom line: Here's an unusual style of beer that has a lot of good things going on....I recommend it!
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Jan 2014
at 14:07
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Good attempt at ...? similar to many European styles, flavorful, but not overpowering...dunkel? porter? retty good.
Tried
on 17 Aug 2013
at 13:51
7.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle, 7C. Deep brown with a beige head. Aroma of bread, chocolate, plums, mace. Medioum bodied. Taste is only a little sweet with nice chocolate, gentle toasty/ roasty malt, hints of dark fruit. Gently spiced finish. Quaffable, interesting, balanced.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Jul 2013
at 05:26
6.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 6.5
Dark brown coloured body with a very light copper glow at the bottom - a very nice gradient to the beer and a thinnish, one centimetre tall tan head - nice look. Aroma of slightly toasted malt, some raisin, prune and earthy notes and a hint of caramel and metal in the nose as well. Medium-bodied; Assertive peat and slightly smoked flavours with a bit of lactic sugar, some minor maltiness and a definite pale character. Aftertaste shows a very mild finish with the caramelised sugars standing out the most along with a hint of milk and some light smoked flavours. Overall, a decent beer for sure, but nothing amazing or spectacular. The story is neat and that is just about the best thing regarding this beer. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased and given to me by my brother-in-law from Harris Teeter in Raleigh, North Carolina sampled at home in Washington on 30-May-2013.
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 May 2013
at 23:49
10/10
Tried
on 19 May 2013
at 22:25
7/10
Tried
on 29 Apr 2013
at 07:55
6.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle 12fl.oz.Clear medium to dark red brown colour with a large, frothy to creamy, good lacing, fully lasting, off-white to beige head. Aroma is moderate malty, chocolate, light roasted. Flavour is moderate sweet with a long duration, sweet malt, caramel, light chocolate. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20130112]
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Mar 2013
at 08:37
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle @ fonefan tasting. Hazy dark amber with an off-white head. Aroma is sweet, malty, caramel and dark fruit. Flavor is quite sweet and moderate bitter. Sweet finish. 120113
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Jan 2013
at 08:42
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle @ Berliner Weisse Takeover Ulfborg, 2013. Pours ruby amber with a white head. Caramel, grain, toffee and mild spices. Smooth. Tasty.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Jan 2013
at 08:42
6.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle @ FOneFan, 5.6%. Dark brown/red with small beige head. Aroma is light roasted malts, chocolate, caramel and dark fruits. Flavour is malt, caramel, medium sweet, chocolate, little bread and nutty.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Jan 2013
at 08:41