1554 Enlightened Black Ale
Another bottle courtesy of colts9016 A - Pours dark brown with hints of cola and a touch of red in the light. The off white head comes to about a one finger depth and then fades after a couple minutes. Lacing is spotty. S- Starts out with nuts and maple syrup. A somewhat dry and roasted aroma show up about midway. Some charcoal is mixed in as well. Bready on the end and reminds me of slightly charred toast. Not bad at all. T - Flavor is mild compared to the aroma. Caramel and roasted nuts really stand out at first. Alcohol is noticeable but mainly as an afterthought. Bread comes through nicely in the flavor which adds quite a bit to this one. Again with the charred toast but it works. As it warms the nuts start to fade and more of the "black" beer characteristics come forward. M - Lighter bodied with a fairly light carbonation level that keeps it smooth overall. It's a little creamy. Finish is on the sweet side and doesn't stick around for long at all. D - Drinkability is good. This is probably my favorite category on this beer. I would have no problems having this over the course of an entire session. Granted, there is nothing really outstanding here and it probably doesn't fit the style too well but I would say it's a solid brew that is put together well.