And the Valley Drinks: Real Ale Brewing Co.'s Devil's Backbone

Texas Brew number two is the Devil’s Backbone Belgium Style Tripel from Real Ale Brewing Company in Blanco, Texas.

I’m not too familiar with Belgium Tripels, so I had to educate myself a little before I drank this beer.  Apparently, they have three times the malts of a normal Belgium beer, hence the name Tripel.  Also, they have candy sugar in them.   And they have a high alcohol content.  WOOOHOOO!

Devil's Backbone

Named for the scenic ridge that runs between Blanco and Wimberley, Devil's Backbone is a Belgian-style tripel. Czech Saaz hops and Belgian yeast give this ale its distinctive flavor and aroma. Candy sugar made in-house at the brewery adds strength without increasing heaviness. The result is a deceptively strong, pale golden ale.

ABV: 8.10%    IBU: 35.00    OG (plato): 18.00

On to the tasting!

Review

The beer has a nice, sweet aroma of honey and banana. It is slightly bitter on the front end, but gets really sweet and smooth once you get a good hit of the malts.  I predominately get honey, lemon, and banana notes from the taste.  For a beer of this color, you wouldn’t expect it to feel so heavy and creamy, but I guess that’s a function of the extra malts. It’s unusual, but not unpleasant. Also, there is no hint of alcohol AT ALL.  At 8.1% ABV, this is a dangerously tasty beer in the wrong hands. A solid, 4 stars out of 5.