The Challenge! (My first beer review in ages as well)

In an effort to prove to myself that this blog was a good idea, and that I will in fact post in it regularly, I have challenged myself to a blog post a day for a week! In order to keep my spirits up, I need everyone to post comments, suggestions and questions. That way I will feel like someone is actually reading what I am saying and I won't feel like I'm talking to an empty room!

Anywho, for my first post of the week I figured I would get things started with a beer review. When I posted these on Facebook, people seemed to read them and like them, I hope that works here too!
I was totally in the mood to sit down with a delicious homemade beer this evening, but unfortunately The Nerd Brew ales are currently in the bottle conditioning process. Drat. Well when the homebrew can't be found, it is always a great idea to settle down with one of my all-time favorites. New Belgium's 1554 Enlightened Black Ale. Besides, I am a little too biased to write a review of my own beer anyways.

So here goes.


One of my fondest memories of the trip to Colorado for my cousin Brian's wedding was a visit with my whole family to a certain restaurant. I don't remember what the name of the restaurant was, but it was the type of restaurant where you buy steaks ala carte and grill them yourself. I remember the food was great, and we had a fantastic time. My family sat around at the restaurant that night laughing, enjoying themselves, and drinking New Belgium's Fat Tire. Needless to say, when I was finally old enough to enjoy adult beverages, one of the first breweries I wanted to sample from was New Belgium. Once I found out about New Belgium's major steps towards sustainability, my dedication to their company my love for their products grew even larger.

Arguably my favorite New Belgium beer is their 1554 Enlightened Black Ale.


One thing I love about the brewing industry is that behind every beer, there is a story, and this one has a pretty interesting one. If you want to read a cool story about a flood, a researcher, and lots of delicious beer tasting, check out the New Belgium website where I harvested these images from and some of the information on this beer.

1554 Enlightened Black Ale

ABV 5.6%
IBU 21
Hops - Target
Malts - Pale, Carapils, Black, Munich, Chocolate

My Rating (1-5): 4.75

I understand that deliciousness is in the buds on the tongue, but I highly suggest that anyone out there try this beer and I strongly believe you will feel the same way.

I poured this beer into one of my frosted Guinness pint glasses pulled straight from the freezer. When poured, this beer appears to be a surprisingly sharp yet opaque black color accented by a striking creamy white head. The head settles slowly and creates nice white lacing to contrast with the black ale.

1554 does not have a strong or complex aroma, but it is pleasant none the less. It is deliciously malty and chocolatey scented.

For me, the flavor and mouthfeel of this beer makes me totally rethink my preconceived notions of what a dark ale should be. The most noticeable flavor that stands out for me is the delicious bitter chocolate malt goodness. Smokey and toffee flavors come on equally moderately and make for some nice background notes. The beer is sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, and very well balanced. There is basically no real hop flavor or aroma, but there is a nice contained spicy flavor throughout. One of my favorite things about this beer is the body, which is moderate but clean and crisp at the same time. This beer proves, in my mind, that a dark ale can bring all of the delicious flavors involved without being so thick that it has to be chewed.

What a great beer, and a great way to get in to my one week challenge.

What are you drinking? Let me know because I do take suggestions (and donations!) Also, if there are any talented artists out there who are willing to trade logo designs and beer labels for homebrew, let me know!

Happy quaffing everyone! Cheers!