Mirror Pond Pale Ale - Deschutes Brewery

PhxHorn

Arizona

4.47/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The color is a medium yellow. The aroma is stronger than you might expect of a pale ale; malt and some citrus in there, too. Taste is a nice blend of malt, citrus, and hints of some spices that are hard to put my finger on. An intriguing pale ale, one of the better ones out there, and one I could drink one after another.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2008 20:03:57 | More by PhxHorn

RBorsato

Virginia

3.05/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Tasted on-tap 06/04/07 at a sports bar near the (closed at eh time) Tugboat Brewpub in Portland, OR.

Nice golden color with a decent off-white head and some lace. A nicely balanced malt and light hop aroma and flavor. No real defining hop characteristics that stand out. Medium-light bodied and easy drinking.

A very average APA. I wonder if this bar didn't take care of their kegs very well...

Per DB website:
Hops: Cascade
ABV: 5%
IBUs: 40

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2008 18:42:54 | More by RBorsato

SurlyDuff

Oregon

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

~News~
Last week Deschutes was offering a side-by-side Mirror Pond PA tasting. They will probably be changing the recipe, the dry-hopping process in particular. Expect a really nice aroma and a fuller body in the new MPPA.

Pours a golden yellow orange with a big white, (almost beige) head.

Cascade hops in the nose, bright grapefruit and slightly piny. The yeast and malt backbone pokes through though, and makes it enjoyably balanced.

The blend of hop to malt is smooth and complimenting. The sweetness and bitterness take turns running back and forth across the palate through the taste. Begining is a sweet pop, then a bitter kick, then a sweet finish, then a bitter aftertaste.

A bit of weird breadiness keeps this one from getting bought be my every time i'm at Deschutes. I didn't taste it so much in one of the two MP taste-samplers that I had last week, so maybe the new recipe will make this my new Deschutes favorite!

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2008 00:09:35 | More by SurlyDuff

rxdrewthejew

California

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this one on tap at Snow Summit up in Big Bear as well.

The first thing I noted is that this is a bit darker than a lot of pale's. Certainly darker than Sierra Nevada, which I guess is my comparison point for pale ales. More orange than amber. Nice crisp smell with citrus hops. The taste was basically the same as the smell, with clean malt and plenty of C hops. Plenty carbonated, but easy to drink. This is probably my new favorite West Coast APA.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2008 07:13:31 | More by rxdrewthejew

DoubleJ

California

3.88/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I enjoyed this beer on New Years Eve in a big 20 ounce glass at The Arizona Room, a restaurant located inside the Grand Canyon National Park. On to the beer:

When it arrived at the table, the beer had little head on top and a hazy amber/tawny body. There are two things you need to know about this beer: caramel and piney citrus. The first half is a wave of malt, and the second half closes out on a pleasant hop note. It leaves a bready and sweet aftertaste on the palate. A little heavy for a pale ale, but it cleaned my palate of the extreme spiciness from the dinner I had.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2008 02:38:28 | More by DoubleJ

dirtylou

Washington

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap at lunch after a 10 mile beach hike at Cannon Beach, Oregon

appearance: clear amber body, moderate beige froth with sticky lacing - fairly standard for the style

smell: nice pungent hop presence on the nose, noticeably pacific northwest and an appropriate post-hike brew

taste: lightly toasted malts and grain, green resinous hops that proves to be quite refreshing - solid example of a pretty basic style

mouthfeel: light, crisp and refreshing

drinkability: good

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2007 19:43:32 | More by dirtylou

Floydster

California

3.55/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Pint from Naja's Place in Redondo Beach

Pour was a bright golden yellow with a fairly thick white head

Smell was full of yeast and barely

Tasted nice for an APA, not too light, nice smooth finish

Could drink several of these, especially in the summer time when it was tasted

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2007 05:55:26 | More by Floydster

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appears a hazy copper toned amber with a small, off-white head that quickly fades out. Plenty of small streams of CO2 quickly rise to the top. Scattered spots of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of candied oranges, flowers, light grass, sugary grapefruit, and cream.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas. Flavors of citrus and honey standing out amongst the mix.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied with lingers of floral, hoppy, & citrus. Mildly bitter, with a thin, dry finish.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2007 20:34:33 | More by weeare138

jbsteiny

Hawaii

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

Got a mug of this for $1.75 at Magoo's in Honolulu -- that's cheaper than a 12 oz. bottle of Deschutes would be in NY. Looks good -- a hazy amber with decent lacing on the glass. I find the nose a little lacking -- Jason said that it was solid Cascades, which is one of the reasons I ordered it, and they're certainly present, but I don't think they're that up-front. In fact, I think they're on par with the bready malts, which isn't a bad thing, but it's not what I'm looking for with this style. All in all, well-balanced.

It tastes good -- the citrus-pine northwest hops match that pale bready malt -- but not the West Coast hophead bonanaza I was expecting. Decent body with a crisp finish makes it go down easy, and I could see having another one on a thirsty afternoon. And then another one. As it is, I've tried nine beers today and I'm ready for bed.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2007 07:00:23 | More by jbsteiny

supercolter

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A good beer, definately better than expected. For the style the appearance was a bit weak. It looked more like fizzy pop (a pet peeve of mine) than beer. But all in all, pretty solid, could have used a bit more hops, and the mouthfeel was a bit too watery.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2007 05:35:34 | More by supercolter

ccrida

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Shared a pitcher of this, severed in mason jars...poured a burnt golden with a tall white head.
The aroma was bright cascade hops and a bit of sweet malt.
The taste was nice, a clean, refreshing pale ale, mainly floral cascade, a bit fruity and bready malt, with a crisp, clean finish.
The mouthfeel was average, medium light body, some carbonation.
This is a highly drinkable pale ale. It had a fairly robust taste of cascade hops and just sweet enough to taste the way I prefer my pale ales, it was refreshing and easy drinking.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2007 18:09:45 | More by ccrida

Mebuzzard

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Always meant to try this one, and saw it on tap last night.
Good pour, amber-hazy body, good clumping head. Some lacing and stickiness.
Smell had some malt notes, but mostly citrus (tangerine?) and hops
This brew seems to be on the border of IPA and PA. Hops, good balance with the malt. Some citrus and caramel flavors as well.
Nice bite to it. Crisp and refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2006 20:29:00 | More by Mebuzzard

bodybyadam

Washington

3.65/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Took me a while to finally drink one but I'm glad I did. Served in pint, this was enjoyable.

A: A golden unfiltered color with a 1/2" head that rested atop for a bit.
S: An almost nutty malt aroma, which through me off for a Pale ale.
T: At first taste a sweet cold flavor of mild malt, then comes a hoppy blend that tingles the palette with a growing hop flavor.

M: Smooth mouthfeel with a hoppy finish.

D: This is a good "relaxing beer". Yes, buy this in your local market beer case.

Elbows Up,
Adam

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2006 05:49:52 | More by bodybyadam

MiScusi

California

4.28/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pint served up on tap at the Yardhouse in Pasadena.

Appearance was a translucent light burnt orange-blonde, with just the slightest bit of red wanting to come through. Thin white one finger head capped the top and remained for a little bit. Swirling was able to regenerate a temporary replacement. Very nice lacing was left towards the top, but not so much down the last 3/4 of the glass.

Initial aroma was of strong citrusy hops, which, interestingly went away very much as I started working through the pint. Towards the very end as it warmed up caramel creeped through.

The taste was a nice blend of biscuity malt and citrus hops. Not too complex, at least not on my palate. Bitterness wasn't overpowering, maybe middle of the road for a pale ale, and hop flavor was also medium as well. Carbonation was moderately high and added a zing to the tongue.

The drinkability of this is quite good. It's a pretty good pale ale, so you will be satisfied, although you may get bored of this one later on, and want something a little more interesting.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2006 05:12:05 | More by MiScusi

eballard

Washington

3.83/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer poured an amber copper color with a light head that settled into a medium lacing. The beer had a sweet malted hops smell that was not too over powering. The taste was a nice blend of malts and hops with a fairly clean finish. The beer feels smooth and crisp with a light carbonation. Over all a nicely drinkable beer. It has a summery quality that makes it a great beer for a warm afternoon bar-b-que.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2006 04:44:56 | More by eballard

Gavage

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: orange copper color with a 1" head that lingers a bit before falling. Mild lacing develops. Plenty of carbonation bubbles slowly rising to the surface.

Smell: light caramel sweetness and a bit of floral hops.

Taste: straightfoward pale ale here. Caramel, orange slices, and floral hop bitterness is satisfying for the tastebuds. Some mild fruitiness comes through at the end.

Mouthfeel: crisp at the start but leaning towards a smoother finish. Medium bodied. Very short aftertaste here.

Drinkability: This was a staple on-tap selection at most restaurants we frequented and I can see why. Pleasant and enjoyable in a simple way. Nice and worth having several of.

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2006 23:30:00 | More by Gavage

jsimon816

Maryland

4.28/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed Mirror Pond Pale at Brick Oven Pizza in Crested Butte, CO. After a long day of hiking we found this establishment while walking down the main street in town. On a hot summer day this pale ale had all the attributes I needed to wash down the thin crust pizza I was eating. The beer has an outstanding pleasant aroma with a crisp not overwhelming taste. Its slight dry mouthfeel was complimented with a suttle hop flavor. The Deschutes Brewery puts out some great products, I only wish the Pale Ale draught was available in more locations in Colorado.

Serving type: on-tap

07-17-2006 16:30:26 | More by jsimon816

msubulldog25

Oregon

3.85/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap pour (1/2 pint glass) at the Mountain Room of Deschutes Brewery in Bend, OR. (free samples given prior to the brewery tour!)

A: Clear, light amber, lingering white head with lacing with some carbonation bubbles.

S: I didn't smell as much of the hops as I'd expected. Slight floral and piney hop aroma, some malt.

T: Good balance. Initial citrusy hop flavor with some bready malt present. Slightly sweet finish.

M: Carbonation was moderate. Seemed a little bit thin. Light body. Lingering hop bitterness.

D: A crisp, enjoyable beer; quite drinkable - especially on a hot summer day.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2006 19:07:18 | More by msubulldog25

3.58/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Dark amber with 1/2 inch head. Little detectable aroma. Taste was well balanced with malt & hops. Mouthfeel was very smooth, felt like it could have used a little more carbonation. A very easy drinking and enjoyable beer which was better than the sum of it's parts.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2006 14:04:13 | More by

tonistruth

Nevada

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

on tap @ pizza port carlsbad

A- slightly hazy, dark straw in color, with a white 1" head, lace also.

S- citrus, sweet grainy scent, faint alcohol scent as well

T- mild sour grainy flavor throughout with light touches of citrus here and there

M- smooth yet dry at the same time

D- this feels like a good anytime beer. no doubt a good pale ale, i'll be enjoying this again in the future

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2006 17:38:56 | More by tonistruth

GClarkage

California

3.88/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

06/13/05- On tap at the Bistro Clubhouse in the Crown Plaza Hotel in Foster City, CA

Presentation- From the tap into a standard pint glass.

Appearance- Amber colored pour with a small 1/4 inch head and average lacing.

Smell- Mostly a hard malt scent, but some hop bitterness as well.

Taste- A bit watery, but that was probably from the frozen glass they served it to me in. Otherwise, nice mixture of hops and malt. Maybe even a tad nutty.

Mouthfeel- Average carbonation.

Drinkability- I'll have to try a bottled version of this and re-rate in the future. May get a better rating. From what I tasted, I enjoyed though.

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2005 18:44:21 | More by GClarkage

charlatan

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Generally my attitude towards pale ales is one of bewilderment. Why drink a pale ale when you can take on an IPA? Remarkably I found myself in a bar in Portland which was bereft of IPA, but, realising that one can rarely go wrong with a Deschutes beer, I ordered a Mirror Pond.

It was somewhere between amber and bronze with a slightly acidic smell which I wouldn't like to expand on since my venue was bigger on smoke than beer. The head was rather limited.

This was rather hoppy for a pale ale (immediately I was glad there was no IPA!) and boasted the usual creamy, raisin flavoured Deschutes backing. They certainly weren't being stingy with the malt here. This was a well coordinated and very drinkable beer with a reasonable feel (lots of small bubbles). Perhaps I should drink more pale ale rather than IPA, but more likely I should drink more Deschutes beer. I find Deschutes to be the most dependable brewery (never a bad beer). Good stuff!

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2005 09:16:45 | More by charlatan

misterscooter

California

3.35/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Unfortunately, the bartender poured this with no head to speak of so I wasn't able to get much smell out of it at all. Just a light beer smell. It was a cloudy copper color and looked good despite the lack of head.

It was a dry beer, with a lemony flavor to it. This beer didn't do it for me. I've liked other offerings from Deschutes but not this one. It could be the pour or something because I seem to recall liking it from the bottle. I must try this one again to make sure I'm giving it a fair shake.

I did notice the higher alcohol content in this one, though, as it kicked in on me soon into my second beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2005 03:23:24 | More by misterscooter

mjbrewboy

China

3.45/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tried on tap in downtown Portland at a very busy pub. For a pale ale it looked darker than I thought it would, looked almost amber. A very nice citrus aroma but the malt backbone of this beer seems to be too much as the beer had some sweetness that I wouldn't expect. Very little head retention with some large surface bubbles during the first few sips. Gonna have to give this another try someday to see if I just had a bad pint.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2005 03:46:38 | More by mjbrewboy

RedDiamond

Oregon

3.33/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I've drunk this beer on many occasions at taverns in Portland where I've greeted it as a class act. But the pint I drank at the Deschutes Brew Pub was somewhat less charmed. The color is quite beautiful: dilute honey with modest clarity and depth. It sports a thin head, low carbonation, and no lace. The aroma is light and plummy, and the taste emphasizes malt fruitiness with a wayward note of pineapple and customary bittering. Late addition hops make minimal appearance.

Mirror Pond is a decent all around pale ale that's best found in a bottle. The draught version served by Deschutes has a plump mouthfeel and a companionable flavor but otherwise stirs little excitement.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2004 05:47:37 | More by RedDiamond