Mirror Pond Pale Ale - Deschutes Brewery

bump8628

Oklahoma

4.23/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Right up with Sierra Nevada as the classic American Pale. Mirror Pond has a bit more malt and yeast character. Biscuit and caramel are firm against the floral and citrus cascades. Bitterness is even and drying and keeps the drinkability high along with the well-calibrated carbonation. An anytime beer that's great alone or paired with just about any type of food.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2012 20:13:24 | More by bump8628

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-golden amber color with a nice white head and decent lacing

S-malt and bread, slight herbal, but overall not an overwhelming nose

T-malt and bread with some herbal notes and some decent hop flavors in the finish

F-light to medium body with moderate carbonation, crisp mouthfeel

O-a nice easy drinking pale ale

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2012 04:11:00 | More by MDDMD

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pint at The Morrissey in Vancouver. From notes.

A - Golden, bright, two finger white head left great thick lace and a film of retention.

S - Orange citrus and grass.

T - Orange, citrus, grassy, some bread.

M - Good carbonation, medium body, sweet orange finish with some bitterness.

O/D - Not too bad, very drinkable and pleasant with nice balance.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2012 17:49:40 | More by tbeckett

OleJohnnieAle

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at the yard house in san diego

A - Deep golden amber with thin head with nice sheets of lacing left behind.

S - Nice citrus tropical notes with some floral piney hops. Nice bold notes.

T - Has some nice tropical noted with some grapefruit flavors. There is some nice malts to add body in the middle and some nice floral aromatic hops. Had nice bitterness at the end.

M - Medium body, nice carbonation, well balanced with a nice bitterness and resin feeling left behind.

D - Thought this was a good beer, nothing over powering but was a good beer that I will search out again. Another good one from Deschutes,

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2012 01:08:31 | More by OleJohnnieAle

DCon

Missouri

2.5/5  rDev -36.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Enjoyed on-tap @ Cadillac Bar & Grill in Jackson, WY for $4.50. Tapped from the Wooden Handle w/ Deschutes down the throat of it & a "mirror pond" with mountains above it into a 16oz Pint Glass.

Aroma- Has a good amount of hop in the aroma but mostly a variety from the UK and lighter... Nothing else comes up.

Appearance- Received with a 1 finger head but dies quickly. Has a copper colored body and clear. Leaves good lacing behind.

Flavor- Corn and slight malts come up in the taste too quickly... Hops were not a first impression. Where are they? Barely a light bitterness level here.

Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, Medium Carbonation, Smooth, and finishes sweet but brutal.

Overall Impression- This Mirror Pond in front of me HAS to be due to an old/over due keg or line problems... I will be reviewing the bottle I picked up from Lukas Liquor soon. I surely cannot recommend this beer from what I had to sit through with this version. An English Pale Ale at best...

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2012 05:44:59 | More by DCon

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

First had: on tap at Deschutes, Portland, OR

Poured a slightly hazed apricot color with a small white head that receded to a ringlet. Good dose of citrus and pine hops in the nose, with a hint of bready yeast. As good beers in the style should be, a good balance of sweet and bready malts with citrus and piney hops, mild fruit tones. Light-medium body, and easily drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2012 07:12:51 | More by Rifugium

MsRif

Pennsylvania

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

Had on-tap at Deschutes in Portland, OR. Poured a nice clear orange/yellow color with a moderate white head that receded slowly leaving some spotty lacing on the glass. Aroma was hoppy (earthy, citrusy, grassy), malty and I smelled a touch of wheat. Taste followed the nose...I really liked the light hop profile of this one. I was surprised at how smooth it was given the amount of hops I tasted, but I think it was just an excellent balance of malts and hops, making it very drinkable/sessionable.

Light-medium in body with moderate carbonation.

Overall, well-balanced and a good representation of the style. Would have again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2011 16:47:41 | More by MsRif

TheBigBoy

Pennsylvania

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

On tap in SF - Really clean tasting, slightly fruity pale ale. Not overpowering at all. Just pure spring water with wholesome beer goodness. Hopefully this is as good in a bottle and hopefully it will make its way to this side of the Mississippi soon.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2011 03:40:16 | More by TheBigBoy

Auracom

Illinois

2.4/5  rDev -39.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

On-tap somewhere in Fashion Island at Newport Beach. First tango with Deschutes. Served in a pint glass on November 4th, 2011.

A - Deep golden/amber coloring with a light cream-colored head. Fluffy, though average, lacing and retention.

S - Eh, a bit muted. Light citrus notes and pine.

T - Better but not by much. Initial hop bite shifts into grapefruit tartness. Middle notes include slight malt presence and fruit sweetness. Bitter finish with (oddly) some alcohol warming in the back of the throat.

M - Medium body, not too smooth, quite carbonated, almost excessively so.

D - Finding more eloquent descriptions for a relatively bland pale ale is pretty difficult. A disappointment. Oh well.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2011 04:42:03 | More by Auracom

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap @ the Deschutes Brewery & Public House (Portland, OR) on 9/5/11. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a deep hazed copper, with a finger of off-white head. This retains with a smooth foamy richness, with a roughly ½ finger flare-up that rings the sides of the glass with thick swathes of lace. The aroma smells fresh and leafy in the nose, with some bright smelling citrus character sitting underneath. Sweet bready grains add a touch of thickness underneath. The more I sniff at this, the more of a fresh and flowery (even herbal) character emerges from this. It’s nice.

The taste is fresh citrus flavor with a moderately (and slightly spicy) bitter bite. That is well balanced by a backbone of sweet bready graininess. While flavorful, the overall profile has a certain amount of thickness to it that taking away from this a bit. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a firm, mouth-filling, creaminess to the carbonation. This definitely still has some smoothness to it in spots though, which helps this go down.

You know, I really liked the character of this for a Pale Ale, having a well balanced and accessible hop profile but the overall thickness of it (which seemed totally unrelated to the body) did hold the drinkability of this back some. I’m guessing that it’s the English-style yeast strain that Deschutes uses, which has never really been a problem for me until this beer. I think that a 16 oz pint of this was just a little too much for me of this beer during this sitting.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2011 14:33:39 | More by Kegatron

NittanyBeerFan

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Capone's on June 16th, this is reviewed from lost notes found.

Poured into a pint glass, the body is a light coppery hue, as a coarse and sticky 1 finger head leaves gobbed-up rings of lace as I sip. The body is clear and crisp. Nice looking...

The aroma is floral and citrusy hop notes against a caramel malt background. There is also a touch of bitterness here, though the caramel does a good job to balance it. The flavor is similar, with far more floral hop character. The bitterness and caramel backbone temper each other to provide a delightful balance where the floral hops pop and shine against the other beer characteristics.

This is a great pale ale, as it is easy to drink, perfectly carbonated, well balanced, and very aromatic. Good all around, this is a very solid APA.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2011 23:44:02 | More by NittanyBeerFan

hodby

California

4.53/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

App- Medium amber, pale buff medium thick head.

Smell- Balanced nose of malt-to-hops, having much impact of citrus and floral notes. Caramel.

Taste- Good intensity on entry, but wow the complexity and intensity comes on strongly at mid-palate and on the finish. Terrific balance for a pale ale in that the sweetness of the malts are not entirely overwhelmed by the strong hops. Yes !


Mouth- Medium-bodied. Low carbonation. Seems maybe 6% abv.

Drink- I'd come back to this any time, if it were available in SoCal on tap. Treads a line not heavily traveled by the Pale Ale specialists these days, that is, one of adequately balanced with malts without syrupy sweetness. Heads in the direction of a more elegant version of Sierra Nevada PA, with better malting and more attractive for multiple glasses at a time.

Serving type: on-tap

09-13-2011 17:21:19 | More by hodby

FosterJM

California

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

749th Review on BA
Draft to pint
Room temp glass

Woodranch Chino hills

App-  A somewhat see through light brown with amber mixed in.  A lot darker than I remember.  A maybe 1/2 in head what there with a sliding cap down the drink.  A few scattered lines of cling

Smell-  A malt driven Apa with nice darker candy sweet notes.  A trace in my opinion of soft hop florals with a mere trace of bitter.

Taste-  For only 5% this is a lot bigger and firmer in flavors that I remember as well.  Taste comes from large malt additions with more thick caramel and toffee but softly balanced and added.  Taste has a nice bitter quality but a little bigger for an APA

Mouth-  Medium bodied and Medium Carbonated.  Retains mostly a full malt flavor, a little caramel chewy and slight bitter

Drink-  Overall one of the better APAs on the malty side.  Ill come back to this one when its available.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2011 02:57:50 | More by FosterJM

draheim

Washington

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

On tap in an American pint glass at Bick's Broadview Grill. Review from memory (less than 30 minutes ago).

Color is a slightly hazy copper with a beautiful 1-finger head, good carbonation.

Aroma is floral and herbal hops.

Taste is floral, bitter hops with a nice pale malt balance. This beer straddles the line between a pale ale and an IPA. Used to drink this often and it's been way too long.

Overall this is a good example of a Northwest-style pale ale, generous with the hops and always refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2011 02:29:00 | More by draheim

Cyberkedi

Georgia

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

Pours a dark coppery amber with a decent off-white head. Aroma is malty and fruity and has a surprising hoppy, evergreen overtone. Malty, hoppy flavor is somewhat fruity with a touch of fruit sweetness and just a hint of caramel. Fizzy, sassy texture leaves behind a nice tingle.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2011 01:10:40 | More by Cyberkedi

oglmcdgl

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A pint on tap at kyber.

A- comes to me with a good finger of white head that settles quickly and leaves only a few spots of lace. Burnt orange copper in color with some golden yellow highlights.

S- light grapefruit hops with a hint of tropical fruits as well. Good bit of sweetness with some caramel and toasted bread.

T- light hopping with sweet grapefruit and some orange on top of a toasted bread and caramel sweet malt bill. Very good balance.

M- a tick below medium in body and a bit higher in carb.

O- nice pale for sure I'm glad philly got this in for beer week.

Serving type: on-tap

07-09-2011 18:33:04 | More by oglmcdgl

Ryan011235

Ohio

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

On tap in a nonic pint glass on 3/8/11 at Streets of London, Sacramento, CA

Nice, deep amber color. Pale and burnt. Honey-gold highlights. Mostly clear. 1/4th inch head. Thin retention. Drippy, webbed lace.

Full, balanced aroma. Grassy hops with some citric notions; namely orange peel. Toasted malts - bread and biscuit.

Tastes grassy and herbal. Undertones of citrus blend in low in the mix. An earthy, piney, hoppy punch holds up throughout. Orange peel moves into view as it warms up. Toasted bread solidifies the back end.

Medium body with prickly carbonation; though more than I prefer, it accentuates the bitterness. Swirling tames the carbonation a bit. Finishes grassy with a lingering bitterness.

This is a pale ale loaded with flavor and reasonably heavy on the hops. Quite nice.

Serving type: on-tap

07-06-2011 00:01:24 | More by Ryan011235

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Slightly more than a fingers worth of rocky cloud like egg shell colored head... Decent retention... The color is a warm inviting amber... A moderate bit of carbonation... Leaves rings of lace on the glass throughout the session...

S - Loaded with warm bready malts... A touch of citrus... Caramel... Some piney hops...

T - Lots of bready malts... A bit of caramel... Some nuttiness... A very subtle hop bite that is equal parts piney and floral...

M - On the lighter side of medium bodied... Slight carbonation... Clean... Crisp... A bit of lushness...

D - This one is an extremely sessionable American Pale Ale if ever there was one... Slight more assertive than most, but nothing overpowering... Simple... Straight forward... Very effective...

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2011 02:46:42 | More by philbe311

corby112

Pennsylvania

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

Draft at London Grill.

Pours a slightly cloudy pale golden orange color with golden apricot edges and a frothy two finger soapy white head.  Very good retention only slowly fading into a lasting cap/ring.  Spotty lacing left behind.  

Floral hop aroma with lots of earthy pine as well as some faint citrus.  Pale malt backbone with hints of light fruit and straw.  Subtle alcohol.  

Medium bodied but a bit fuller than expected with a somewhat creamy texture.  Subtle floral hop presence up front with faint dryness.  Only slightly bitter with kind of a weaker hop presence than anticipated.  Sweetness underneath with pale malt, grass, straw, apple and pear.  Slight dry finish.  Very easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2011 06:51:52 | More by corby112

garuda

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Golden copper, white head that has good retention and good lacing down the glass.

S - Sweet, bready malt up front, subsiding to pine hops with a touch of citrus.

T - Very nice taste with pine hops up front, a bready malt middle, then finishes with some more bitter pine hops with a touch of citrus, and some caramel malt sweetness.

M - Medium body, medium carbonation, nice crisp finish.

O - I'd definitely get it again, a very good, nicely balanced pale ale.

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2011 19:23:14 | More by garuda

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a clear, golden/orange with a finger of creamy white head.

S- Floral hops, citrus, some grainy malts.

T- Grainy, sweet malts, citrus, hops are big through the middle and last into the finish with a bitter, wet hop flavor.

M- Medium body, medium carbonation, smooth and creamy with a slightly dry finish.

O- A very tasty brew, goes great with food, a great session choice.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2011 00:56:26 | More by WillCarrera

acelin

Kansas

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

Poured Into a sniffer at the worst seafood place in Portland, Oregon, Dan and Louis oyster bar. Never go there.

Poured a nice amber color with an average head and average lacing.

Nose was slightly hoppy, reminded me of most pale ales. Faint hints of apple? It was nice.

Taste was pretty good, would have been better had the beer been fresher. The initial flavor is fruity, delicious with strong hop notes. Middle was malty, pale, and very crisp. The finish was again hoppy, with faint fruity malt flavors. By far the easiest drinking pale ale I've ever had.

Mouthfeel was good, going to their Portland pub tonight to have a proper glass.

Overall excellent.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2011 01:43:51 | More by acelin

ehammond1

California

3.68/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On Tap

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Bright, burnt dark orange and amber. Off-white head. Decent lacing.

Minimal aroma and not overly hoppy. Some grapefruit hop aroma, but not a particularly aromatic beer.

Bready, caramel malts with some piny and grapefruit notes. Very simple.

Medium to thick in the mouth. Easy to drink.

A very balanced, simple American pale ale. A great beer to enjoy with food.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2011 04:18:27 | More by ehammond1

kinupanda

Texas

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice, hearty amber-orange with a lingering half- to one-finger head that provides some lacing through the first half of drinking. A subtle scent of hops and some floral tones, but mainly malt with spice. The taste is a sweet (possibly caramel) maltiness with good hops that provide an almost-IPA bitterness. Moderately light carbonation and relatively smooth.

FourthBeer potential: HIGH. Not bad at all. As an IPA fan, I find this to be a good balance of some bitterness in a slightly more subtle and sweeter package.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2011 22:06:18 | More by kinupanda

mdunman

Texas

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Hazy amber that pours a thick head than disappeared quickly but had plenty of linger

S: Hops, malt, spices and a bit of lemon

T: Great balance of hops and malt to provide a very enjoyable flavor

M: Medium body with a bit of carbonation makes for a good feel.

Overall this was an enjoyable pale ale. Had a great balance of flavor and is just a bit more hops away from hitting IPA level.

Serving type: on-tap

02-05-2011 01:21:49 | More by mdunman