This is a Enlightened Black Ale according to the bottle. According to the web site this is supposed to be what beer tasted like in 1554. I am skeptical that beer was this good in 1554, I would think there would be more off flavors from poor sterilization techniques. but I can't be sure.
This beer has a strong coffee aroma, with a hint of hops. I think this beer smells a lot like the Sam Adams Black Lager, which isn't surprising since the are both black beers. The color is black for sure, with almost no head. Only a few bubbles are at the top of the glass, but no head to really speak of.
The coffee aroma is present in the taste, but there are other flavors. There is a sweet dark malt taste, and some caramel to go with the coffee. This beer has a hint of hops to go with the heavy malt tastes. There is a nice foamy feel to the beer that normally is accompanied with a large head of foam. Other than the carbonation the mouthfeel is a little thin for such a dark beer. Only a little bitterness in the finish of the beer makes it easy to drink and enjoy.
I really like this beer. As the weather gets colder this is the kind of beer I am looking to drink. The mouthfeel could use to be heavier but the taste is still enjoyable. I really like this beer and will happily buy some more
3 comments:
Why 1554?
I have been researching the history of Belgium for the past 2 minutes, and I haven't seen anything specifically happening on this date. Belgium was still under the reign of the Spanish Hapsburgs, and there was a troublesome schism between the Protestant north and Catholic south.
Maybe Belgium is the wrong place to look for 1554 history
In 1554 Lady Jane Gray was executed. Perhaps a beer like this was consumed to celebrate the marriage of Queen Mary It's More likely that the Bloody Mary should be labeled 1554
I personally like how beer tasted in 1554, assuming that it's authentic. It has a nice balance of hops and malt sweetness. I would totally buy this beer again.
Here's what their website says on the name:
"Phil Benstein, our resident rumpled professor, stumbled onto Zwartbier in an 1888 tome creatively named “Popular Beverages of Various Countries.” He had trouble convincing brewmaster Peter Bouckaert that such a beer existed back in 16th - century Belgium, so the pair made two trips to Belgium to research this obscure style in the archives of Belgium’s specialty brewers. The oldest reference to these black beers that our dynamic duo uncovered was in the year 1554."
Ah, one of my favorites...
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