Take A Trip Back To 1554
January 13th, 2008
Looking for a good beer to keep you warm in these final through’s of winter? Well, I have a tip for ya: New Belgium’s 1554 Brussels Style Black Ale.
I had tried this beer once or twice before, but I hadn’t really spent any quality time with it until I encountered it on-tap at P.F. Chang’s. Ever since that moment I have been hooked and on the lookout for this beer whenever I am in the beer isle.
As the name suggests, 1554 is a very dark beer (in color), but the finish is very crisp and clean. This puts it somewhere in between a scotch and a porter in terms of overall presence. It’s definitely got a lot going on in it in the taste department, and I am especially keen on the slight hint of coffee, but don’t let that scare you into thinking this is a heavy beer, it’s definitely not.
Although it’s considerably less common than Fat Tire, I think it’s definitely worth seeking out this hidden gem of a beer.
Check out some more info on 1554 on the brewery’s website and on Beer Advocate. Let me know what you think!
January 14th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I’ve had this a couple times before both in the bottle and off tap. I last had it on tap at the Red Door in Fremont. After reading this, I promptly stopped by QFC, much to my satisfaction, they have it on sale for 5.99/6 pack. Sweetness! Time for lunch!
Good brew, too dry for me after having 2, I don’t remember that effect when I had it off tap, but will need to try find it on tap and keep a bottle at home to try right after the tap experience for comparison. My favorite from this holiday season–excluding my traditional favorite Double Bastard from Stone–is the Rogue Chocolate Stout. I thought other beers were chocolately but that stout is like sinking your teeth into a chocolate truffle. Good tip, definitely putting in rotation as long as it is being shelved. Actually, I like it better than Fat Tire.
January 15th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Ironically I just joined the beer advocate right before reading this post. I just found some delerium at the corner market. This 1554 sounds dope.
January 16th, 2008 at 9:06 am
Yeah, highly recommend it. The beer advocate is a good publication. I also recommend attending beer festivals.
We have the Cask Festival coming up in March here: http://www.washingtonbeer.com/cbf.htm
If you don’t know about cask beer, read up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cask_beer