Well it's my first post

I think I will post on here each time I try a new beer for two reasons. One, to hone my skills in assessing qualities such as flavor, aftertaste, maltiness, hoppiness, carbonation, characteristics of the head formed, aroma, etc. The other, less important, reason I have created this blog has two reasons in itself: a) to help you, the reader, learn more about beer and its finer qualities, and b) to possibly help put an end to the shitty American beer industry in favor of a much more diverse industry.

I feel that rather than simply enjoying the fine beers I drink, I should instead try to determine *why* I enjoy them.

Tonight I had a bottle of Tilburg's Dutch Brown Ale poured into a standard pint glass. The color was, you guessed it, dark brown and slightly tinted with red if viewed in front of a light source. The head was not spectacular, perhaps a quarter inch in depth but it did consist of the smaller bubbles associated with a quality beer, with only a few very small bubbles of carbon dioxide forming on and rising from the inside of the glass. When cold, the full flavor is subdued, suffice it to say very malty without a lot of the bitter hops flavor. A slight acidity can be detected in the mouth and after swallowed it leaves a slight, but pleasant, coating inside the mouth that lasts for several minutes. When warm the malty flavor is still apparent, but contains a hint of cinnamon flavor in the aftertaste with the same hops characteristics. I think this beer would pair well with a red meat due to its heavier weight and maltier flavor.

I would recommend this beer for anyone who has already come to appreciate the pale lagers and ales, but is looking for something new to whet the palate. Overall it is not the boldest beer I have tried, but definitely of fine quality.



UPDATE:
I had some scalloped potatoes with beef today and decided to try the Tilburg's with it and it did, indeed, pair well. So next time you fire up the grill for a steak and a baked potato, give the Dutch Brown Ale a try!