New Belgium 1554 Enlightened Black Ale

Last night our good friend Schmidt was in town, so we went out to the local Tavern for some mugs and pool.  Steve, Schmidt and I are all Iowa State alums, so it was oddly appropriate when we were challenged to a game of doubles by a couple Iowa alums.  Our rivalry can be fierce, but not to the point of hatred, and it's easy to bridge that competitive gap when beer is involved!  They ended up beating us two games out of three....disappointing, but we got a shot of tequila out of it, so it wasn't a total loss.

Today I'll be drinking New Belgium 1554, a beer that I first tried (and enjoyed) last summer.  This is an interesting brew - according to the website, it's based on an old recipe that originated in Belgium, but was lost in a flood in Fort Collins in 1997.  To re-discover this brew style, the head brewers headed out to Belgium and studied up on ancient manuscripts and such.  It'd be interesting to travel back in time to 1500 and hit the tavern for a mug.  Beer back then was probably skunky and chunky.  Although, that may not have been the case with some of the monastery breweries.  But I digress...

The label on this bottle is quiant - it depicts a small table with a glass of beer and a paper that is likely showing the old recipe New Belgium based this brew on.  Pouring this into my snifter, it pours a blackish brown hue and lets just a tiny hint of light throw.  The head is egg-white and laces a thin layer on top of the beer.  The aroma brings roasted coffee and light toffee, along with some sugared dark fruits.  The drink brings an assault of flavors - wow!  It's hard to pick out individual flavors at first, everything swirls like a hurricane.  The one pillar that stands out is the roasted chocolate malts.  Those are complimented by a nutty texture and rich dark chocolate, and a welcome hint of sour cherry in the finish (especially as the beer warms).  The texture is smooth, and surprisingly light-bodied. 

Overall Rating:  (5.2 out of 6.0)  This is one of my favorites from New Belgium - it's a beer that can be enjoyed any time of the year.  Loaded with roasty goodness, but not lead in your stomach.  Although it's lighter than a porter, it's still not a beer you can drink quickly.  1554 is a good sipper at a great price.