Years ago, I had a friend who used to accuse me of drinking weird beers. As I reflect on his comments made almost twenty years ago, I suppose I’ve tossed back some in my day that might well be classified as weird. None, perhaps, are as strange I think as Tilburg’s Dutch Brown Ale.

To begin with, it’s the only Dutch Brown ale there is, at least according to the brewer, Bavaria (a strange name for a Dutch brewer to begin with). That makes it an oddity, if not downright weird.

Tilburg Brown is brewed at the Konigshoeven brewery, where they make Holland’s sole Trappist brews, and heavenly brews they are indeed. That makes them rather incongruous with Tilburg’s Dutch Brown, I think.

Just take a look at the label of Tilburg’s Dutch Brown and you’ll see what I mean. The label depicts a particularly gruesome scene from the third segment of Bosch’s painting The Garden of Earthly Delights. That painting depicts three separate events: Adam and Eve in paradise with Christ, a descent into debauchery after the falling out, and finally the tortures of hell visited upon the sinners.

An unlucky sinner is being devoured by a ghastly creature on the label. This has attracted attention for the beer, beyond its merits on a purely aesthetic basis.

Certainly, most people think of Newcastle when they think of Brown Ales. But that is a brown in the English style, and Tilburg’s is quite a bit different. Let’s see just how different it is.

Tilburg’s Dutch Brown Ale pours to a, well, umm, brown color. No surprise there, right? A light creamy head forms on my gentle pour, and a slightly nutty sweet aroma wafts from the glass as I sniff.

There’s a wonderfully sweet maltiness to this beer, which definitely accents the malt. It has much more body and flavor than Newcastle, I think, with light hints of chocolate and toffee. I’m very much reminded of a Heath bar as I sip. A nutty-pasty flavor permeates the brew as well.

The finish is on the sweet side, but not cloyingly so. It’s very drinkable and very tasty. I recommend it, especially if you’re somewhat new to the craft beer world. You should enjoy it as much as I. Despite the weird label, that is. And I’m sure it’s no sin to enjoy a beer as nice as this one is. Trust me. Nobody in Bosch’s painting was tortured for drinking beer, after all.



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