Welcome Back Regan - Real Ale Brewing Rio Blanco Pale Ale

Today marked the triumphant return of my oldest daughter, Regan from her first time at sleep away camp. The camp is located in Columbus, TX, about 70 miles west of Houston. Being her first time away for this long (only a week), Margaret and I were nervous about how she would do. Even though she was going with a friend from her school, I was quite apprehensive when we pulled up to the camp on drop off day last Sunday. Much to our surprise and my relief, Regan could not wait for us to leave so she could start having fun. After being there 20 minutes she even said that she wanted to stay for 2 weeks next summer. Unfortunately this camp only does one week sessions.

I mention my relief, Regan's easy transition to camp and being away from her parents was not well received by everyone. This being a sign of her not needing us and being more independent hit Margaret pretty hard. On the drive back I had a big smile and Margaret's sunglasses hid some tears.

We did enjoy seeing the daily picture updates and trying to find Regan in all the group chaos/fun. Margaret and I would study the looks on Regan's face like the dead sea scrolls in order to determine if she was having fun. Now that we have her back, we can get the real scoop about what was going on.

In order to properly welcome her back home, I prepared her favorite meal, cheeseburgers and fries. This of course meant that I would need to have some beers while doing the cooking. Since she had just spent a week in the Republic of Texas, it seemed only fitting that I try some of the TX beers that I procured last week.

The Real Ale Brewing Company is located in Blanco, TX. This region is called the hill country. I have previously tried their Brown Ale (Real Ale Brewhouse Brown Ale). This time it is the Rio Blanco Pale Ale as part of a sampler 6 pack.

Appearance: Beer poured an Amber color not unlike the color of iced tea. The thin white head dissipated quickly. The beer was highly carbonated but left only patchy lacing that also lacked retention.

Smell: As advertised, this beer smelled like a Pale Ale. Some malty aromas were noted, but not much in the way of hoppy smells present.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Like the aroma, the flavor was malty. Some bread flavors and some herbal finish was present. There was some slight citrus flavor noted as well.

Overall: Much like the previous one from this brewery, nothing remarkable, but this was highly drinkable. The flavors were mild and suitable for a summer evening. For more information about this beer, please see Real Ale Brewing.

I know Regan was only gone a week, but Margaret and I swear that she grew an inch. We can confirm that she lost a tooth while she was away. I know we are all glad that she had a good time and came back safely. This is one happy camper, already talking about next year.

Cheers!