Sierra Nevada Sierra 30th Anniversary Imperial Helles Bock

Man am I excited...this is a one timer and I hope it's amazing.

Look/Pour/Taste - Warm orange/yellow...strong head lasting at least a minute...light smell...malty

Taste - Outstanding hops, the malt is nice but the hops take the cake...after one drink I'm hooked....the taste is deep...you could drown if you're not careful

Rating - 10

This beer body slams all other contenders.

Real Ale Brewing Company Brewhouse Brown Ale

Last one from my friends stash....Brown Ale

Look/Pour/Smell - Warm malt, very brown, not too dark....easy pour not too much head.

Taste - Warm malt...hops under the malt, the malt is cooked just right.

Rating -7
This one is a brown that everyone can enjoy.

Real Ale Rio Blanco Pale Ale

Again a Real Ale Brewing Company brew from my friend....pale ale to pair with some fish and green beans.

Smell/Look/Pour - Straw yellow/orange....smells like a lightly crisp hop, not overbearing...easy to pour

Taste - Malt is up front, but hops are much more tasty throughout...not too hoppy so a good choice for beginners.

Rating - 7
Great beginner beer, a little plain but it's ok that way.

Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest

Fresh Hop Ale...that's the gist.  I'm celebrating the International Beer Drinking Day w/ this one.  I do have another 30th Anniversary from them but I want to wait on that one.  It says on the bottle the hops are from New Zealand, picked fresh in season, then brewed here.  FTW "Zealand" was not in my Firefox's dictionary...interesting.

Look/Pour/Smell - Amber!  I like it.  Strong head, lasting awhile but the bubbles seem light.  HOPS!!!  HOLY HOPS!!!  The second one I said for my own amusement.  Everything you'd ever think about hops is all packed into this one.

Taste - I waited about 5 min for the head to settle.  Well...so I assumed and you know what that does.  I was ready for a strong punch in the face from hops, but surprised to find a hop profile that only by a few inches exceeded the malt.  The hops compliment the sweet malt.  The sweetness is fleeting at the beginning, with the strong, gentle hops stepping in quickly.  It rolls down easily.

Rating - 10
This one takes the cake mostly because it's in a class of its own.  Is it an IPA?  Well they didn't call it that (although I'd suspect it is), or is it a traditional Ale w/ extra hops?  Since it is class defiant it deserves a rating fit for a king.

Real Ale Brewing Company Devil's Backbone Belgian Style Tripel

Another from Real Ale that my best bud brought me from TX.  I'm always down to drink a tasty Belgian Trippel, or any double, or any type for that matter.

Look/Smell/Taste - Honey malt, spiced w/ coriander and maybe cinamon; smells almost like a highly spiced wheat beer.  Unfiltered, a good amount of sediment.  Light sunny yellow w/ a lasting, frothy head.

Taste - Honey malt again, with the spices even more prominent on the aftertaste.  So are the hops, who come in around the end.  It's nicely carbonated which helps to alleviate the weight of the beer.

Rating - 10!!!!

It might seem like a stretch to give a Belgian Trippel from Blanco, TX a 9, but that's exactly why I'm giving it a 9.  It's perfect, and if you blindfolded a monk from Belgium I bet he couldn't tell this was brewed in Blanco, TX.  Cheers to Real Ale, try them out for sure.