Twilight Summer Ale - Deschutes Brewery

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I was pleasantly surprised to see this one stacked up in a private Vancouver store, but didn't want to waste my budget on another blond. Then even more pleasantly surprised to find this on tap at St. Augustine's. It was plasantly surprisingly hoppy, this is a pale ale, with orange citus taste. Faint hops. Nicely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 04:10:24 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.15/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Minimally gauzy bright amber with the merest suggestion of orange. The bone white head displays a finely pitting surface and is already beginning to leave scads of lace on the upper few inches of the pint glass. Ultimately, thin concentric rings indicate each mouthful.

Wow, the aroma is a more than pleasant surprise. Bright, citric hoppy goodness bursts into my brain with each sniff. Twilight smells like orange-pineapple-grapefruit juice and is one of the best APA noses that I've run across in a long time.

Thankfully, the flavor follows suit. The malt backbone is of the 'just barely enough' variety, ensuring that hops are the star of the show. The degree of hoppiness/bitterness is more than sufficient for an APA, but of course, I wish that it were greater. In fact, this hop bill would make a great IPA. The label says that 4 varieties of hops were used and I'll just bet that Amarillo and Cascade are two of them.

Just as in the nose, the tropical fruit (pineapple, grapefruit, orange) is front and center on the palate. The bittering is gentle, but insistent, and is cumulative as the glass is emptied. I'd like to see a slightly bigger body than the light-medium one that has been provided, but it does make the beer insanely drinkable.

Twilight Ale is a lip smackin' good summer brew and is superior to Deschutes's year-round APA, Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Hopilicious and supremely quaffable, this is a beer to seek out and consume in quantity. Easily my new favorite beer from a quality Oregon brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2004 21:25:44 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

ice streams of carbonation could be seen coming up towards the top and a good sixed two inch head of white foam came over the top right away. Slight settling still left behind copious amounts of sticky white lace, with a bare top.

The aroma was nice and hopped, grassy with some decent touches of light citrus and pine mixed in. A bisuit like bready middle to it that really came out once it warmed up. The flavor was more of the same, crisp and clean, with a quick hitting citric hop bite in the front that mellowed out with some light grain, and bready malts to balance nicley, all the while staying very light and towards the hoppier side of the style. Crisp and clean with a light feel and a great carbonation profile, this was defintly a very nice offering that was easily sessionable during the evening,

Overall not bad at all here This was a very good little session ale that I would have no issue at all with trying out again some day

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 00:28:27 | More by mikesgroove

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours is a moderate golden color with a slight amount of haze. White head with good retention. Nice ringy lacing on the way down. Nose is some light citrus hops and a bit of bread. Nothing terribly complicated, but it works well in the nose. At the same time, the taste seems a bit too tame. Good feel with a nice balance. Perfect level of bitterness to drink quite a few of during a sitting.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2010 22:54:52 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best By: 09/01/11

Appearance: Pours out a modestly hazy, orange-gold body with a lofty, foaming, white head. Thin flecks of lace on the way down.

Smell: Has a pleasantly juicy, citrusy nose, smelling of Valencia oranges and grapefruit accompanied by a bit of stonefruit. Faintly grainy malts certainly come secondary, as does a small bit of hopspice.

Taste: Lightly caramelized sugars overlaying crisp toasted grains. Slight honey notions here and there. A few drops of Georgia peach juice fuses with full drizzles of 'no pulp' orange juice and ruby red grapefruit juice. Spicy herbaceousness closes out the juice parade. The hop bitterness is fairly gentle, leaving this a sweetish, juicy brew. Slightly acidic. Drying, soft finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: As an ale released as a summertime seasonal, I fully expected something a bit lighter, which it was, and served me fairly well on this sweltering summer afternoon.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 19:26:38 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a clear golden color with a frothy lid that leaves some lacing

Smell: Lemony citrus along with some biscuity malt and a hint of honey; a bit grainy, however

Taste: Starts out with a sweet biscuity character that adds lemony bitterness by mid-palate; after the swallow, some grassy/grainy elements kick in

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Not what I typically look for in an APA but for a summer beer this has some real merit

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2006 01:40:10 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy light orange with a small 1/2 inch off-white head that fades to an oily film. Random tiny spots and streaks of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of citrus zest and pine hops along with some grapefruit notes. Taste is of sweet malt, grapefruit juice, and citrus zest. Very mild bitterness on the palate after each sip quickly fades. This beer has a bubbly level of carbonation with a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very refreshing and tasty summer beer and I am glad I picked one of these up.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 05:04:43 | More by UCLABrewN84

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

light orange/peachy color, big, creamy white head.
Aroma is soft and lightly fruity, gets sweeter and hoppier as it goes,oily, resiney. yeah, the hops are shy up front, but bloom a bit with time.
Neat little bitterness up front, turning fruity and very tasty. Light in body, with minimal mouthfeel, just enough, actually, if they're going for a smooth, flavorful session brew. Perfect summertime quaffer.
To please me, they could go hoppier, but, eh, there's more than me out there, ain't there. This is just right for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2004 09:16:35 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.05/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a hazy gold color with a thick frothy white head along with floaties. The aroma is good. It has a wonderful malt complexity that balances well with the floral hop aroma. The taste is good. It has a very smooth malt palate that is slightly sweet and boasts of pale, carapils, and light crystal malts. The hop bitterness is mild. It balances near perfect. It goes down easy and finishes a bit fruity in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is outstanding. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a damn good American pale ale. It has excellent flavor and aroma; a good drinker.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2004 01:07:48 | More by WesWes

Mora2000

Texas

3.28/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to mar for sharing mar for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a clear yellow-orange color with a white head. The aroma is oranges and malt. The flavor is earthy hops and bready malt and is not very appealing. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. The smell and taste of this beer are not very good. I expect better from Deschutes.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2010 02:29:50 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, orange color with a one-finger, khaki colored head of foam. It left thin rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of citrus notes with touches of pine.

T - It tasted very citrusy and bright - mostly orange peel. A light piney bitterness with some grains and sweet caramel.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - This is a very tasty and easy drinking summer ale. Nice in the 100 degree temps.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 03:08:03 | More by zeff80

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.05/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Best by date September 2006, Sampled June 2006
Pours with a lightly hazy, copper tinged gold color and is topped by a frothy, initially three-finger thick, pale tan colored head. The aroma is initially a mix of sweet honey-like malt notes and grassy / herbal hop notes. As I nose around some more in the aroma I get notes of soft citrus (almost like a sweet lemon), thin beery notes that I associate with pale lagers, and a sort of flower nectar type thing that has a bit of sharpness to it.

Quite light on the palate, and pretty dry as well. This has a lightly spicy, yet herbal hoppiness to it that is the dominant flavor. The malt character is quite thin, and actually does not do a very good job of balancing the hop notes. Finishes with a biting bitterness. Overall this just seems out of whack; the hop notes are jarring, astringent and too much for the malt notes to handle. Definitely the worst beer from this brewery that I have had, but it is still drinkable and has no real flaws (other than being out of balance).

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2006 19:51:47 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.15/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Acquired via trade from Wasatch so a big “Thank You” goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep gold color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains fruity citrus, caramelized malts and a lot of hops for the style.

T: The taste starts out with some mildly sweet flavors of citrus and caramel. Then a strong hops presence comes in; it’s not IPA-strong but still strong for the style. The malt character is hearty but not too heavy and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly hoppy.

M: Smooth and very crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

O: Very tasty, goes down quite easily, not too filling, mild kick, very good representation of style, this is a very nice lighter beer with substance and a lot flavor making it worth drinking for a very long time.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 23:29:08 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

bbd sep 29 06

Pours honey colored with a 3 fingers+ white head. No head retention & a little lacing

Smell: Big citrusy/ floral (cascade??) hoppyness with slight fruittyness

Taste: Big citrussy hops followed by biscuitty malt flavors,

MF: Medium with average carbonation & pretty good balance

Drinks too easy. A pretty solid APA, nothing too memorable. Not bad at all though

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2006 04:17:53 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

2.63/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

12 oz. bottle, bought at Hollingshead's in Orange, CA,

A: Pours a golden yellow, a shade darker than a pilsner, average white head.

S: Pretty weak, actually, I found some faint grain notes, a bit of piney hops but that was all.

T: I'm really conflicted about the flavour of this beer, cold it's not a bad pale, but as it warms up, some off-grain flavours come out that are unappealing, I tried it last year and got the same experience, so I guess it's not a retailer's problem.

M: Not bad, pretty light for a pale, but nice and snappy.

D: Won't buy again, wasn't completely put off, but not one of Deschutes better brews.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2007 19:34:40 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: poured a clear yellowish color with a thick 3"+ head. Nice lacing coats the pint glass. Loads of carbonation bubbles.

Smell: grassy and fruity. Little bitterness detected.

Taste: light bread tones, grass, and sweet fruitiness with some soft citrus tones to balance it out. Very mild bitterness. Very refreshing.

Mouthfeel: light-medium in body. Crisp thoughout. Pretty clean aftertaste.

Drinkability: excellent refreshing summer beer. Worth trying this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2006 23:36:15 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to bitterbill for this one:

Best by 09/19/08:

Pours straw golden with a foamy white head that stays, leaving thin rings of lacing.

The smell is of soft citrus, a hint of pine and grainy notes.

The taste is of light citrus, a touch of pine and bready and grainy notes. Finishes refreshingly dry.

Light-bodied, with a bit of water in the middle.

A mild APA that is an easy thirst quencher on a warm day with enough to it to be satisfying (though not much more than that).

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2008 02:45:01 | More by jwc215

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at the pub in Bend, after some nice waterfall-tourin' in the area...

This beer appears a clear glassy golden hue, with one finger of thin foamy ecru head, which leaves some ebbing painted lace around the glass as it recedes. It smells mildly of grassy, fresh floral, and citrus hops, stalked by a soft sweet pale maltiness. The taste is bready, grainy malt, and somewhat bitter leafy, floral hops. The carbonation is average, the body on the light side, with a pleasant zing to it, that precludes absolute smoothness, but encourages immediate replenishment. It finishes more towards the bitter, of the soft earthy type.

Summer vacation, long day outdoors - so, a light ale with a decent, but not decadent bitterness, sure goes down like 'twas nothing at all, in a good way.

Serving type: on-tap

07-17-2011 06:45:32 | More by biboergosum

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Props to this beer for having a strong aroma. I got hit in the face from a few feet away as I was pouring. I haven't been struck by a beer like this in a while - I'm impressed. It smells like a tangy citrus and cream dreamsicle and tastes about the same with a decent but mild bitterness. I like that this is just a nice pale ale with a little personality and that it doesn't try to go overboard. It's nicely balanced and quite tasty. Worth a try if you're into gentler pale ales.

UPDATE 4/25/10: Enjoyed a pint on cask at the PDX brewpub and the beer was fantastic. Far richer in flavor that the bottles I've tried. Really a good session beer on cask.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2007 03:48:43 | More by tempest

barleywinefiend

Washington

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a golden yellow color, slight citrus in the taste. The smell is pretty faint, maybe honey and some lemon. This beer is very drinkable and again confirms to me that I can’t go wrong with a new Deschutes beer. Very smooth and GOOD!! Really GOOD!!

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2008 06:42:31 | More by barleywinefiend

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Clear pour of straw to gold color; muted head with a touch of lace. I like the aroma which features excellent malt-hop balance. The malt portion is light while the hops smell fresh.

The taste is more hoppy than expected (given the smell). The flavor is quite dry, but successfully balances the bitterness. Slightly undercarbonated, this beer is full bodied.

The aroma is the peak experience. Still I recommend seeking this beer out as it is rare to have such fine balance with excellent complexity.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2005 01:26:01 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

3.38/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy golden color, nice carbonation, not much of a head, nice little islands and sticky lacing throughout the drink. Scents of hops, slight malts, and citrus. Taste of hops, not much bitterness, ends with a dry finish. Medium body. Drinkable, not a bad APA, but it could have more hops and bitterness to give it a little bit more punch, would recommend though.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2006 03:10:07 | More by Wasatch

Jason

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz brown bottle with a "Best By" freshness date on the label.

LOOK: Sudsy foam leaves behind some white lacing on the glass, shiny golden color shows off its clarity

SMELL: Oily hops, citrus, white tea leaves, blond tobacco, a little fruity, biscuity

TASTE: Decent smoothness, moderate body, toasted grain, citrusy hop, mild malt sweetness, drying bitterness, earthy tobacco, finishes semi-dry

A downright well balanced APA, light enough to quaff in the dead of summer and flavorful enough to keep your taste buds in check.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 00:41:08 | More by Jason

mdfb79

New York

3.18/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

From 07/11/11 notes. Thanks to my girlfriend for bringing me back some random Oregon beers I haven't had before to try. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into my Bruery tulip.

a - Pours a hazy golden yellow color with two inches if white head and high carbonation evident. No lacing or real retention.

s - Smells of citrus hops, bready malts, grain, and light fruity malts. Very light hops which is nice, but would have liked a little more in the nose.

t - Tastes of light fruity malts, light citrus hops, bready malts, and wheat. Very light on all fronts, definitely seems like a watered down light beer.

m - Light to medium body and moderate carbonation.

o - Overall a pretty average beer, but a good alternative to a BMC light beer. Definitely some citrus hops in the nose, but just not enough from the taste to be anything special. Would order this if I saw it at a bar in Oregon and it was offered with some other light beers, but wouldn't seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 15:19:39 | More by mdfb79

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Lukahn (Reddit) for this guy. Best by 8/16/12.

Pours a nice fluffy 1.5 finger head that fades semi slowly with sticky lacing, over semi clear honey orange color.

Nose has some light resinous hops, hints of citrus and tangerine, also with a light floral hop character, and the slightest hint of malty base. A nice light summer beer so far with a nice fresh hop touch.

Taste starts similarly as the nose, with a light musty resinous hop flavor, hints again of citrus and tangerine like fruits, the hops get a bit fruity and much more tangerine like. Those fade to a bit of a light bready malt base, juicy and lighter. The bitterness is light at first but builds a bit. As it finishes it dries even more, with the musty resinous hop bitterness kicking up a notch, and just a touch of a sticky malt feel.

Mouth is med to lighter bodied, decent carb.

Overall nice, nothing special but then again you usually don't want summer beers to be too strong in any direction. This had some nice light malts and gave it a nice kick with the resinous hops, and nice hop flavors, but still quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 21:27:36 | More by jlindros