1554 Black Ale -- New Belgium (Fort Collins, CO)

As much as I respect regional breweries and distribution, there are times when it kinda sucks. New Belgium Brewery is one casualty of regionalism -- with better distro, folks all over the U.S. could thrill to the tastes of their Fat Tire Amber (not to be confused with Flying Dog Tire Biter) or the tremendous 1554. Taking the label at its word, the basic recipe for this brew came from a crumbling Belgian library book -- a literary treasure indeed.

Characteristics: Rich brown color, light body, hoppy (but otherwise nondescript) start mellows to dryness with a smoky, almost burnt, bittersweet chocolate finish.

Minor Gripes: Sometimes the burnt / toasted flavors are out of synch, leading to elements fighting for attention in an unpleasant way.

Bottom Line: One of the very few things I miss about Kansas City is the broad availability of this beer. The bitter smoky finish takes it out of the everyday beer category, but it's always worth having a couple bottles on hand as a change of pace.

Rating: 7 / 10