Mirror Pond Pale Ale - Deschutes Brewery

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 12 oz bottle from Liquid Solutions.

A: The ale has a pale (relatively) amber orange color that has some sparse red notes. The head measured one-finger in size and has left some light lacing.

S: I pick up some citrusy hop notes, slightly grassy and sweet, mixed in with some biscuit malts.

T: The beer shoots for the best of both worlds. It kicks off with an impressive hop profile, grassy and grapefruity, providing a strong flavor kick to start the ale. The hops follow immediately, having a strong caramel flavor. I do notice that the malt flavor finishes fairly thin, trailing off to allow the hops to re-emerge at the end.

M: The mouthfeel is hoppy and tangy, citrusy with a moderate malt body.

D: I'd gladly drink down a few of these. This is a nice sessioning APA, strong on hops without ramping up the alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2007 02:54:49 | More by akorsak

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a clear gold/orange with some head that leaves a good bit of lacing. Nose is hoppy and sweet. Taste is heavy with hops with a firm citric/sweet edge to it. Almost like a cross between a lemon and an orange. Feel is what you'd expect - has a little carbonation to it, and it feels good on the tongue. Extremely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 06:22:35 | More by RblWthACoz

barleywinefiend

Washington

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

Pour light amber with a decent head that quickly disappears leaving just a little lace. Moderate bready malt with slightly perfumey hops smell and a hint of sourness. The sourness isn't exactly unpleasant, but it doesn't really add positively either. The flavor is good with a nicely balanced malt base and moderate hop bitterness, leading into an acidic and bitter finish that is relatively long lived. The aftertaste also picks up a hint of sourness as it warms up. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with nice dry texture, lively carbonation, and a slightly astringent finish. Overall this is a nice, clean pale ale that goes well with a variety of foods, especially grilled meats. It isn't too overhwelming, and the flavors are generally good but not overly complex.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 16:20:43 | More by barleywinefiend

Wasatch

Utah

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

Revisted: 31 May 09.

Pours a nice clean/clear dark golden orange color, nice carbonation, very nice two-finger foamy off-white head, with some nice sticky lacing left behind. The nose is mostly malty, with some hops, very slight citrus, and caramel. The taste is malty, some hop notes, nice touch of citrus, and caramel. Medium body. Very drinkable, it's been almost four years, since I've had this brew, I really rated it higher at that time, so today I will rate it accordingly. Still a tasty brew. I could not find a bottling date as before.

Dated 09/02/05. Poured a slight hazy golden color with some nice lacing. Has a very nice taste not bitter at all compared to other Pale Ale's I've had in the past. Very nice body on the light side. Very light compared to other Pale Ale's, very drinkable. I could get use to drinking alot of these (for me 3-4). I really like the taste. A very socialble brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2005 23:13:07 | More by Wasatch

jlindros

Massachusetts

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

I'm hooked on Deschutes, and got this as an extra from bendretread. I'm excited to give it a try.

A: Nice fluffy 1 finger head that sticks around for a while. A crystal clear amber honey orange color reveals all the mini bubbles rising up from the bottom. Leaves a slight lacing on the sides of the glass as I drink the beer downwards.

N: Ooooh, a really nice hop aroma slaps me. A slight but distinct crystal malt aroma gives a nice background. On top of blasts with distinct cascade hops that have a really nice aroma. Floral citrus and slightly grassy and spicy hop aromas bite me. A nice fresh hop oil bite as well.

T: Mmmhmmm, again super distinct crystal malt flavor hits you nicely, then adds a really nice juicy hop flavor with some hints of citrus, spicy hop, and a bit of grassy bite. Very crisp and clear, distinct flavors, but delicious flavors. A nice bitter juicy bite and slight fresh hop oil earthy flavor.

M: Medium body with decent carbonation, a little bit of oil feel, and hop spice.

F: Finishes very clean and crisp. Touch of a bitter hop bite, but its not too much. Light and crisp, clears your palate very well with a nice bitter finish. Very nice tasting ale and very clean and crisp, nice crystal malt and good cascade hops. Another winner from Deschutes.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2009 01:29:49 | More by jlindros

jdhilt

New Hampshire

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

Pours a three finger off-white head that fades slowly leaving a good lace. Clear amber color. Piney almost grapefruit hop nose. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Favor is mild grapefruit hops with hints of sweetness. 12oz bottle - gift from Portland, OR.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2009 23:19:31 | More by jdhilt

Jason

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz brown with a best by freshness date.

LOOK: Bubbly white lace, tarnished golden colour

SMELL: Cascade hops, fruity, citric rind, mint, nutty grain, mild malt sweetness.

TASTE: Smooth, medium body, semi crisp malt, bready, mild fruit, faint esters, hop bitterness, citric peel, oranges, kiss of pine, finish semi-dry

A great pale ale to be had here, any hop head would be pleased and if you love cascade hops this is your ale! A great snapshot of what an PNW Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 01:06:04 | More by Jason

mdfb79

New York

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

Another beer my girlfriend brought back from Oregon two weeks ago. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle intp my Gulden Draak tulip. Best by date of 08/12/11 on the side of the bottle.

a - Pours a hazy dark orange color with one finger of fluffy off white head and moderate carbonation evident. Light spotty lacing on the glass and an inch of head stays throughout drinking it.

s - Smells of light citrus hops, fruity malts, some bready malts, and earthy and musty notes. Nice, but I was expecting some more hops in the nose.

t - Tastes of bready malts, citrsu hops, fruity malts, light toasted and caramel malts, and light mustiness. Again, it is good, but more malty than hoppy. Very very light bitter bite from the hops.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Smooth and creamy, and just a touch too much carbonation. A little less carbonation and this one would be even easier to drink.

o - Overall a good beer, but their Red Chair NWPA blows this one away. The Red Chair had a lot more hops, whereas this one had a lot of malts and a twinge of mustiness to it. If I saw both on the shelf, I'd suggest going with Red Chair, though this is worth a shot once.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 22:39:09 | More by mdfb79

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

Zorro

California

4.4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a hazy amber colored ale.

Smell is fruity and hoppy with lots of esters smelling like a BPA. A bit of sweetness and a bit of malt and toasted wheat and pecans in the scent.

Taste is malty and fruity with a woody hop finish at the start. Mild acidity comes out after a bit and pecans and vanilla and oak flavors dominate. This brew never seems to get bitter, only a dry woody finish that is quite pleasant.

Mouthfeel is good.

This brew could pretty much be the reference for perfect drinkability; tasty and mild without beating any of your senses into submission. I could drink this everyday and be very happy for the rest of my life. I give this brew the highest possible recommendation!

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2005 21:21:40 | More by Zorro

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

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.5/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pint taken on the veranda of Hotel El Tovar, on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, beat that view if you can!

The beer was a healthy amber colour, very slight haze, but not enough to get excited about. On top sat a thin white head which hung around for a while.

The aroma was mostly hops, a variety maybe, but mostly hops.

The taste was mainly hops, the same variety as the smell, but again mostly hops. A dry bitterness with a hint or two of malt make this a very drinkable beer. They haven't tried to over hop this beer, it sits nicely below the IPA levels and although it leans towards being that style they've resisited to go that far, good.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2010 20:49:20 | More by BlackHaddock

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

Bighuge

Minnesota

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

Clear copper body. Thin and bubbly dirty white head. Lace is spotty and fairly abundant. Fresh lemon citrus hoppy aroma with a slight background of caramel malts. Quite the nice aroma. Fresh citrusy flavor too with a solid malt backbone. Again, I'd say more of a lemon citrus aspect than the expected grapefruit, but I'm not complaining. This is obviously fresh and very agreeable with my buds. Carbonation level is pretty high and this is quite quenching. Would lend itself very nicely to some spicy Thai or Vietnamese dishes.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2010 02:42:16 | More by Bighuge

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.66/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

One of the ol' standby's. Pours a rich amber color, another dark pale oxymoron. Very clear and professional looking. Good aroma.

Taste, lately, has been a little maltier, woodier feel. Good hopping for a pale ale. The standard stuff, none of the new high alpha hops, this feels of Cascade and Chinook maybe. Never really found out what they use. But you know that classic C variety of hop feel v. the simcoes and amarillos of the world. This is old style pale ale from the West Coast.

Mouthfeel, because of the dissipation of the hop quality as you drink, I am a little disappointed. Drinkability is much better, its one of the best price/quality ratio's out there. Routinely find this for $6.99.

EDIT: This beer continues to go downhill, Deschutes either expanded too far or something, because we just don't get the same fresh awesome mirror pond as it used to be.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2010 03:30:21 | More by Beerandraiderfan

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

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

glid02

Georgia

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

On-tap at The Vig in Phoenix, AZ.

Pours a clear and light copper color with a half-finger white head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of pale malts with hints of bread along with floral and slightly grassy hops. As the beer warms citrus hops waft out.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Moderately dry pale malt flavors kick things off and are joined shortly by citrus and slightly earthy hop flavors. Midway through the sip the hops turn more herbal, carrying through to a mildly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with decent carbonation.

Drinkability is also good. I had no problems finishing my glass and could have another.

Overall this was a solid beer for the style but it's nothing special. Worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2011 19:52:26 | More by glid02

Gusler

Arizona

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Draught @ Papago
A translucent amber on the pour with a modest and creamy head that is light tan in color, the left over lace forms a fine concealing sheet upon the glass. Nose is rich in malt, crisp and clean, maybe even a tad lemon like sweet start with a moderate feel to the palate. Finish benignly acidic, the hops pleasant and welcoming in their spiciness, dry and long lasting aftertaste, a damn good session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-19-2003 03:09:03 | More by Gusler

kojevergas

California

3.55/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a glass in high altitude Denver, CO around Christmas. Reviewed from notes.

A: 2-2.5 finger head, which is thin but retains well. Murky copper colour.

Sm: Fresh barley. Hoppy. Smells like a pale ale; lots of bittering hops are present.

T: Fresh open, well built body without too much bitterness.

Mf: Crisp finish. Smack-your-lips chewy. Very wet.

Dr: Admittedly, pale ale is my second least favourite style. That said, it's a very light, moderate, enjoyable summer's day brew and gets me excited to try Deschutes' other offerings (If I can only get me hands on that damned Abyss). It takes a lot fr me to rate it as high as I am, but that's what beeradvocate is about - discovering and enjoying new beers.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 23:00:54 | More by kojevergas

DrJay

Massachusetts

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

Received from fartingdog as part of BC2. Thanks Dave!
An off-white head capped this hazy amber beer. Head retention was pretty good and there was some chunky lacing. The aroma was mostly fruity, floral hops, but there was a bit of hop spiciness and mild malt present as well. Moderate bitterness with malt sweetness held fairly low. Up front, hops were orange and tangerine, towards the end more grapefruit. Lightish bodied with carbonation that started out crisp and lively, but mellowed to smooth out the texture at the end of the glass. Quite a nice pale ale that makes for enjoyable summer drinking.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2007 14:38:41 | More by DrJay

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

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

Mirror Pond is indeed clear enough to see your reflect in (although jagged golden highlights might distort it a bit). This clear-bodied, coppered brew does conjure scenic thoughts, loosely sharing its colour with the red-rock mountains of the American south-west. Its head does too - not the mountains, however, but the flat, arid, dessert aspect of it.

Deschutes has used enough hops that above the sticky-sweet scent of toasted malt is an almost minty bouquet with a discernibly 'green' aura and fragrant lemon zest. It's clear from both scent and appearance that a sufficient amount of grain was used, but that zest and the outdoorsy must of tree serum easily wins the bid for the nose's attention.

I don't know that Deschutes makes any beer without character, but for a pale ale this has a surprisingly high level of toasted maltiness as well as (lightly) pungent hop character. It's like a leafy green salad with lots of chopped mint, some savory herbs thrown in, lemon zest and slices of citrus fruit. Maltiness is there, but I pay it no attention.

While there is certainly more bitterness than in any mass-produced ale you'll find, it is relatively easy and soft, primed with candied lemon zest and then spray painted over with a nectarous pine serum. Also, the malts have a natural, caramelly sweetness that plays right into those elements. The combined aftertaste is more than pleasant, it's desirable.

While this has a tremendous amount of character, it's nothing too strong so as to be niche; it's more likely to turn the average beer drinker onto better beer than it is to turn them away from it - which is exactly what Deschutes does. That fact, coupled with other reliable flagship brands like this, makes that brewery truly deserving of all the praise that comes its way.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 23:10:15 | More by biegaman

Georgiabeer

Georgia

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

Pours amber with a thick, rocky head that slowly collapses to a thin cap. Smells of light, earthy hops, some grassiness, and a touch of malt. The hops are a little more prevalant in the taste, but the beer is a little grainy. Citrusy hops, grain, some sweet malt, more body than the smell would suggest. In fact, perhaps just a tad too thick from the graininess and malt, but not too sweet, thankfully. Pleasant enough that I wouldn't be upset if this was the only thing on-tap somewhere worth drinking.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2009 23:15:45 | More by Georgiabeer

mactrail

California

3.73/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Really quite attractive dark amber brew in the glass. A modest fine-grained foam with pleasant carbonation. Slight aroma of beery caramel.

This is all more subtle than a lot of Pale Ales. It tastes more like the English style with the pronounced mineral flavor and the moderate bitterness. Fairly malty with a light, sudsy mouthfeel. A touch of roasted sweet malt on the lips. Faint bitter aftertaste.

Quite drinkable and low-key. From the 12 oz bottle at AJ's Fine Foods in Chandler.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 05:16:05 | More by mactrail

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Poured into Bud American Ale glass

Pours 1 and 1/2 fingers of khaki colored head. Decent retention with some really nice lace left. Color is a clear golden copper.

Aroma: Lots of bready malts here. Some caramel malt flavors as well. Don't forget the pale malts of course. Grassy floral hops. Fairly sweet. Light citrus blend.

Taste: More malt forward than I was expecting. This beer is nowhere near the hop level that I was expecting from a west coast pale ale. Caramel and bready malt flavors up front with a large amount of pale malts. Small amount of hops present compared to what I was expecting.

Mouthfeel: Bland, smooth, a bit of crispness. Medium bodied with a decent amount of carbonation. Ends slightly dry, relatively clean.

Overall, this beer just wasn't for me. I expected more hops. Way too much pale malt here. All of this combines for a beer that isn't too drinkable when a normal pale ale should be.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2010 01:44:58 | More by mothman