Beer of the Weekend #122: 1554 Enlightened Black Ale
The beer this weekend is 1554 Enlightened Black Ale, brewed by the New Belgium Brewing Company of Fort Collins, Colorado.
Yeah, yeah, yeah — I know I made a huge stink last week about accidentally buying a beer I already sampled, yet here I am sampling a beer I’ve already written about. But that’s the major difference: I only wrote about trying 1554 that night in San Simeon; I didn’t officially review it. 1554 was a great brew, and I’ve often thought about giving it a proper review. Here it is.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles. The “best by” date on the label, which is much appreciated, is 30JUL10.
Appearance: Poured a deep black, though not opaque, into my Allagash logo tulip. Two fingers of tan head developed and dissipated to a spotted lacing and a ring around the edge.
Smell: A little dusty (maybe it’s the glass), but it’s mostly chocolaty. Major cocoa presence. Smells a lot like hot cocoa powder.
Taste: Creamy chocolately malts, but there is also a nuttiness and caramel factor that balances the sweetness. No hop bite.
Drinkability: Smooth brew, though not as flavorful as I would like.
Fun facts about 1554:
-Style: Belgian Dark Ale:
-Price: $7.49/sixer at the BevMo! on Beach.
-Serving temperature: 45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5.6 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends earthy cheeses (Camembert and Fontina) and “Apéritif,” whatever that means. New Belgium’s 1554 webpage features four specialists who offer their pairing suggestions: http://www.newbelgium.com/beer/1554.
-1554 started on a Monday.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
Yeah, yeah, yeah — I know I made a huge stink last week about accidentally buying a beer I already sampled, yet here I am sampling a beer I’ve already written about. But that’s the major difference: I only wrote about trying 1554 that night in San Simeon; I didn’t officially review it. 1554 was a great brew, and I’ve often thought about giving it a proper review. Here it is.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles. The “best by” date on the label, which is much appreciated, is 30JUL10.
Appearance: Poured a deep black, though not opaque, into my Allagash logo tulip. Two fingers of tan head developed and dissipated to a spotted lacing and a ring around the edge.
Smell: A little dusty (maybe it’s the glass), but it’s mostly chocolaty. Major cocoa presence. Smells a lot like hot cocoa powder.
Taste: Creamy chocolately malts, but there is also a nuttiness and caramel factor that balances the sweetness. No hop bite.
Drinkability: Smooth brew, though not as flavorful as I would like.
Fun facts about 1554:
-Style: Belgian Dark Ale:
Belgian Darks offer a massive range of characters. Colors play within the amber to light brown to deep garnet hues, with thick, rocky heads of great retention. Aromas can be anywhere from traces of yeast, spiced, malty, floral and even slightly intoxicating. Flavors from dry and spiced, to sweet and malty. Most have a low level of bitterness.
-Price: $7.49/sixer at the BevMo! on Beach.
-Serving temperature: 45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5.6 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends earthy cheeses (Camembert and Fontina) and “Apéritif,” whatever that means. New Belgium’s 1554 webpage features four specialists who offer their pairing suggestions: http://www.newbelgium.com/beer/1554.
-1554 started on a Monday.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
Comments
Post a Comment