Mirror Pond Pale Ale - Deschutes Brewery

Infamous7100

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: pours a cloudy copper to orange with a nice white head about a half a finger thick. Decent lacing.
S: a nice blend of malty, floral and citrus notes. Nothing us dominate and balance rules here.
T: much like the smell, its very complex but very balanced. There us a nice malty backbone supported by hints of pine and citrus. Just when you think the bitterness might takeover the sweet maltiness there at the start comes back.
M: medium to high carbonation with a medium body. Creamier than expected which really enhances this brew for me.
O: because this brew is so well balanced both in aroma and taste, it really lends itself to be quite sessionable. The 5% ABV doesn't hurt either. A fantastic example if the style and bone that stands out in a market crowded by the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 19:45:57 | More by Infamous7100

kemoarps

Washington

3.83/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Beautiful beer. Amber colour, crisp and clear, little off white head, retention. lacing. all the good stuff

smells largely of gentle caramel malts, some grassy hops and grains thrown in for good measure

maltier than expected, but tasty. Some hops in the third act, but less pronounced than anticipated.

Smoothe and crisp finish, really good example of the style. quite drinkable

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 11:43:18 | More by kemoarps

magictacosinus

California

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a pint glass from a 12oz bottle.

The color is a reddish, copper toned amber with a solid initial 3 finger head that eventually settles down to a half ring for the remainder of time. Lots of thick fluffy lacing coating the glass, which is nothing but surprising. There's a few strings of bubbles rising atop, but everything looks relatively stable, unfiltered, and normalized as far as pale ales go. A simple yet classic rendition of what is the APA style is considered to be.

The aroma is a combination of strong, sweetened caramel malts with a touch of grassy/citrus zest. Lots of toasted graininess in the aroma, although definitely muted by the overbearing amount of malts. This is definitely not an amber ale or anything - the Cascade hops are well amplified at the finish, and bit of lemon rind and toffee notes soon follow. Brown sugar syrup flavors appear to meld with a toasted biscuit backdrop. Just like appearance, simple and straight to the point.

The flavor takes the aspects of the aroma a little bit more up front, with lots of breaded malts, toasty grains, and an ever-growing presence of hops the more this sits around. At the front, there's dense, syrupy caramel, which soon follows into graininess and then zesty, lemon-like hoppiness. This is indeed the cousin of SN's own pale ale... However, it's slightly more carbonated and has less of the hop pine/citrus zest of that beer. Despite the malts being strongly magnified, it's not a red ale or anything, but definitely a different, breadier rendition of the style. The finish is sweet and semi-dry, with a nice astringent aftertaste. Not bright or crisp by any means, but still juicy and flavorful.

Mirror Pond has made its mark as one of the few go-to APAs I've been getting for the past years whenever I'm in the mood for one. It definitely is on the sweeter side, although the 5% ABV and easy drinkable aspects make it a classic beer of its type. This one in particular is the most balanced of Deschutes' offerings, and a crowd pleaser. Want to find a gateway beer that will turn people on to craft? This is one of the main ones to pick for sure.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 05:25:38 | More by magictacosinus

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer is golden to copper with a white head that leaves ample lacing on the pint glass. The aroma offers some bready malts, biscuits, light caramels, a touch of hops. Easy drinking and well balanced. Malty finish with a hint of bitterness. More of an English style brew than the hop forward American offerings. Tasty. This one disappears quickly.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 02:03:41 | More by Huhzubendah

kevanb

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Served on tap at the Galway Arms in Chicago in a shaker pint.

Pours a nice copper color, slight chill haze, hues of orange and brown, medium amber with a 1 finger white head that has moderate retention and leaves behind wonderful rings of soapy lace throughout the session. Aroma is of rich and smooth caramel malt, fairly sweet, light piney hops with a faint bit of citrus comes out as well, nothing special here. The flavors are similar, lots of sweet caramel malt, light hops, citrus, a bit of earthy pine and grassy flavors come out as well. The body is fairly thin, a bit watery, finishes light dry but definitely lacking any punch.

Verdict: At best, this is a decent pale ale. It's fairly refreshing at times, but compared to many other pale ales out there, this just doesn't stack up.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2013 06:42:44 | More by kevanb

Nixonbrew

California

3.96/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Got the 6 pack at albertsons.

Bottle

A- poured a golden copper color. Nice head, small bubbles. 1.5 fingers thick

S - not much to the smell for a pale ale. Slight citrus, malty aroma

T - smooth, light bitterness for a pale, malty aroma, followed with light citrus and cascade hops aroma. Bitterness subtle on finish

MF - good medium bodied beer. Easy to drink. Well balanced

O - a well balanced beer. Nothing sticks out as my favorite but easy to drink and quite tasty.

Will buy again if on sale and sierra nevada pale isnt...mostly for the longneck bottles for use with my homebrew (labels are easy to remove)

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 06:01:43 | More by Nixonbrew

pmcadamis

Illinois

3.56/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A - deep copper Penney in color with a small head but decent lace.

S - tropical fruit. Mango and pineapple.

T - more sweet fruit with some Apple notes and a touch of bitter arugula.

M - medium bodied with a extremely dry and bitter finish.

Not bad. A little too bitter on the finish but sweet and fruity on the nose. Seems to lack a strong malt base.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 13:27:26 | More by pmcadamis

WoodBrew

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Wow....this is a good beer!!! I believe this is my first from Deschutes and I can't wait to find other goodnesses from thia brewery. The beer pours a nice copper with thick slightly off white head that is lacing nicely. The smell is very subtle, sweet malts and fresh bittering hops. The taste starts with a sharp bitter, then a smooth sweet caramel malt takes over fro a nice finish. The mouthfeel is medium in body with good carbonation. Overall this is one heck of a pale ale...absolute session!!!

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 03:05:04 | More by WoodBrew

steveh

Illinois

4.06/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

New to our area and I found a reasonable sale at a local grocer. I'm pretty sure I've had this on a couple visits to the Pac Northwest and N. California some years past, but I don't recall my impressions.

Best by 4/24/13 right on the label -- nice.

A -- Clear, deep orange in color -- not what I expect in an APA, but not at all distracting. Good eggshell white head that holds up very well, leaving nice lacing.

S -- Pretty light nose of mild caramel, citrus and piny hops, and fruit esters.

T -- Citrus hops and fruit esters balanced well up front, sweet, caramel malts make a great balanced backbone, spicy and citrus hop blend with a nice bitterness in the finish. A lightly tart fruitiness and the bitterness linger in the aftertaste.

M -- Body is medium and the mouthfeel tends toward some syrupiness -- again, not expected in an APA, but very enjoyable.

O -- A very well-balanced APA with a great blend of malt and hops. Not in-your-face, but definitely embracing the hoppiness of the style. Well worth a try for studying the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 22:18:11 | More by steveh

Mendelbaum

4.24/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I tried this right after a Belhaven. The Belhaven was superior in my opinion, Mirror Pond to me is almost fruity to Belhaven's nutty. Doesn't finish as clean as the Belhaven. My wife did not like it and that's usually a good indication that a beer has some unwanted aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 00:17:57 | More by Mendelbaum

peabody

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours out a very cloudy amber to yellow liquid with 1/2 finger of slightly off-white suds. Lacing on the glass.
Aroma is a little weak but I get the malt and the slight hop aroma. No alcohol in the nose.
The flavor is very mellow and quite quaffable. You could drink a ton of this stuff. Would be a great lawnmower beer. Slightly hoppy but the malts are the star.
Mouthfeel is very clean and the aftertaste of slightly charred malts make this one a keeper.
Overall this is a really great everyday drinking beer. They are hard to come by so I am glad Deschutes came to Cape Girardeau.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 00:49:33 | More by peabody

Murrhey

Montana

4.19/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass in high elevation. Reviewed live.

A- Poured a thick, four finger white head. Small bubbles, thick and foamy with long retention. Orange color, semi-cloudy.

S- Amarillo hops maybe? Light hops and the light malt body typical of a pale ale. Very nice smell.

T- Hoppy, but extremely accessible. Floral and just top-notch.

M- Smooth, creamy and extraordinarily well balanced.

O- This beer hits every metric to make a great beer in my book. Complex enough to be interesting, simple enough to be immensely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 08:24:12 | More by Murrhey

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.84/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

To answer the label's question: CCR's Chronicle. Cheating? Maybe. Regardless, this stuff pours a clear brass-amber topped by a finger of off-cream-white foam. The nose comprises light grass, flowers, and light toffee. Almost nothing makes it all the way to my 'strils, but I do get the general idea of some of it (I assume). The taste brings in more of the same, amped up to proper volumes, and with some additional mild orange zest. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fairly dry finish. Overall, a solid pale ale, indeed. 'Nuff said.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 07:40:29 | More by TMoney2591

Star80

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Best before 5/04/2013.

A - Pours out an orange copper color with a sticky head. Decent lacing on my glass.

S- Smells like apricot, lemon zest and some pine resins.

T - Taste is a lot of citrus, some more sweet juicy fruits, and some twangyness. Also picking up a faint toasty sweetness.

M- mouthfeel is good, a bit creamy.

O-Overall a nice, sessionable pale ale from Deschutes.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 00:56:47 | More by Star80

SerialHiker

Illinois

3.49/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a transparent, light amber/brown color…some whitish head formed, but didn’t last long...now it’s just a thin layer barely covering the entire surface…looks watey…(3.25/5)

Smell: Amber malts, sweet candy caramel, pale malts, cascade hops…not overly aromatic, but smells more like an amber/red to me than a traditional pale ale…I do like the sweet caramel smell, it’s somewhat unique and helping rate this a bit higher than I would otherwise…(3.5/5)

Taste: Cascade hops for sure, a very distinct earthy quality that makes me think of Sierra Nevada…definitely a NW APA though, has that genre defining amber/red taste that malts from that area have…it’s good, but not outstanding…there is a touch of light lemon in the way after taste…(3.5/5)

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body, light on the carbonation…watery…earthy hops bitterness in the after taste…(3.5/5)

Overall: As of this review, this is brand new to Chicago and all over the Binny’s Beverage stores in the area…I’ve tried this and the porter (haven’t “reviewed” it yet) and I have to say the hype is a bit more than the beer can stand up to…it’s good, and maybe it’s just me, but I’m not feeling this new style of NW APA’s…ambers and reds are flavors of beer that I typically avoid and this one is not a far cry from that…it’s good and has good flavor, is drinkable and with only 5.0% ABV it’s a sessionable brew…Deschutes rates really high so like I said, maybe it’s just me, so even though I put this one in the average range, it’s probably worth the gamble on your end…(3.5.5)

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 01:50:45 | More by SerialHiker

TWStandley

Massachusetts

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

Poured from the bottle into my over-sized HF wine glass.

Appeared a orange/gold/amber color with a one finger white head.

Smelled of some light hops - citrus and pine, as well as some sort of metallic scent.

Taste was decent. Light hops backed by even lighter malts. This is an easy drinking beer so the taste isn't anything crazy, but it is a solid APA.

Mouth-feel was appropriate for the style - light and crisp without being watery.

A solid session beer but nothing to write home about. Probably my least favorite from Deschutes to this point, and at a 3.5, that clearly shows that Deschutes is world-class.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 03:27:40 | More by TWStandley

Aaron_Ramson

California

4.45/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is an exceptional pale ale. Pouring with a light copper color and gorgeous clarity, It's bright, bold and balanced with a citrusy hop character that stands way out front in the nose and leads the way towards a clean and malty taste that reminds me of toasted bread. The mouthfeel Is medium without being watery or oily and i would call the carbonation level perfect.It's not overly complex and I would argue its a bit too hoppy to be marketed as a straight laced pale ale, but its highly enjoyable and a great beer to serve to friends who are curious and beginning to dabble in craft beer. Mirror Pond will be the one to convert them!

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 00:45:25 | More by Aaron_Ramson

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

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

A - pours a clear rusty orange color. A solid fingers worth of white head which fades to a thin film leaving spotty lacing on the glass.

S - nose is soft and nuanced. plentiful citrus hop character comes through as well as leafy and slightly herbaceous notes. Cake batter sweetness with possibly a touch of vanilla. Quite intriguing.

T - surprisingly dry on the palate with maybe just a hint of sweetness. fresh doughy bread upfront with hints of crispy crust. Center is round and full of citric bitterness and notes of lemon pith. Finish is quick and crisp.

M - medium nearing full body. Creamy texture helped by the high quantity of frothy carbonation.

O - an excellent pale ale. I am every happy I was finally able to try this ale and see what a fantastic example of the style it truly is.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 05:11:37 | More by Teleweizen2

matjack85

Illinois

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

This beer and brewery are new to the Chicago market. Got this bottle from a friend who works for the distributor. 12oz brown bottle with a best before date of 3/26/13.

The beer poured a crystal clear golden/orange color that left a 1½-finger creamy white head on top. Retention was good and the beer left lots of whispy patches of lacing on the glass.

Flowery and citrusy hop aroma with a touch of malt underneath.

Deliciously hoppy. Big grapefruit and orange peel flavor with plenty of bitterness for a pale ale. A mild caramel sweetness is used for balance.

Medium bodied with a smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Carbonation is moderate.

This is a really good tasting pale ale. Can't wait to try other offerings from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 12:09:56 | More by matjack85

chanokokoro

Illinois

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

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Deschutes Brewery branded pint glass

Pours a golden amber with orange hues. Fluffy one and half finger head, light thin, wispy lacing, above average retention. Light citrus, lightly sweet, some grain notes and fresh green tea. Mild tropical fruit, hints of grapefruit rind, bready, but light malt. Finishes refreshing, crisp and dry.

Extremely well-balanced and incredibly easy-drinking.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 05:59:26 | More by chanokokoro

ummswimmin

New Jersey

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

I got this beer from a BIF. I was happy to open a beer from my past. Deschutes was one of the earliest brands I drank even before I turned 21 while living in Oregon.

I poured this beer in a fat tulip glass. I got about two fingers of foam with some pretty decent lacing. Off the top I get a little bit of citrus in the nose. The bouquet on this beer is very understated... just a simple presence.

The body had a decent amount of english malt and hopping. This reminds me more of an english pale. This is an easy drinker. It is a pretty good offering.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 01:37:43 | More by ummswimmin

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

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

Poured into a Pint Glass

Appearance - Fairly Hazy Orange/Amber Color. Head pours in around 1 finger width head with some good lacing along the sides. Fairly abundant amount of carbonation going on inside.

Smell - Floral Hops, Yeasts, Citrus and Barley. Fairly sweet smelling Pale Ale and quite enjoyable.

Taste - Floral Hops, Resin, Citrus Notes and Yeast/Biscuits

Mouthfeel - Light and fairly crisp, thanks to the moderate carbonation

Overall - This is a Pale Ale which is fairly simple in it's flavor but it's very good. I've had this on tap before and it's one of the few beers that I can trust will deliver in terms of taste.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 20:52:41 | More by NuclearDolphin

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

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

Thanks to Momar42 for the bottle! About 6 oz. poured into a beer mug.

A: Pours a dark amber color with some yeast haziness. The head is a one finger offwhite color with nice retention. Very nice retention, actually.

S: Seriously fruity - quite different from the caramel malt/Cascade hopped pale ale I'm used to. Figs, grapes, apples, and currants are the dominant aromatic notes. Not much hoppiness, but it is an older bottle.

T: Not very hoppy, but the vaguely tart fruit notes help compensate. There is a *very* slight ping of tropical, citrusy hops on the finish, though. Very pleasant - it's nice to have something nuanced and subtle after downing Double Bastard.

M: The overall texture/finish is neutral, not erring too far in any direction, but there is a touch of finishing dryness I find pleasing. The feel is wonderfully balanced.

O: My first Deschutes offering, and while I wasn't blown away, this is a good offering that's different from the typical pale ale. I'd love to try a fresher bottle, and I'd doubly love it if Deschutes distributed to Maryland. A great "pair with food" pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 21:50:05 | More by ThisWangsChung

alexrichman

Oregon

4.11/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Served from a 12oz bottle (best by 1/9/13) into a glass.

Mirror Pond Pale Ale is a classic brew from Deschutes Brewery, one of the staple breweries in Oregon. This beer is everywhere in Oregon. It's one that I've enjoyed many times throughout the years, but I've never taken the time to review it.

A> A good looking pale ale. A little darker than most, taking on a rusty brown appearance. This brew pours with a 1 finger head that reduced mostly down but had a small bit of retention, leaving a little lacing down the glass.

S> Not a huge aroma, but I get a lot of caramel from the malt and a bit of pine in the background. It's got a good aroma, but nothing special.

T> This is a great tasting beer. Personally, I think it's pretty bold for a pale ale. It's got a great malt backbone that greets your taste buds. Slightly sweet, a nice complex/roasted caramel. The hops are assertive without being overly aggressive. The hops are very piney with a hint of citrus/grapefruit. There's a nice toasty/sweet finish that comes back into the palate after the hops subside.

M> Great feel, great carbonation, great drinkability. Not too watery, not too thick. This beer is in a unique category that is quite complex but also smooth enough to be a session beer. Kudos to Deschutes on the feel of this brew.

O> An awesome beer and a great example of what Oregon beers are all about. Deschutes shows why it sets the standard once again. Deschutes makes beer that is mass produced, but still has the attention to detail that microbreweries command. I am proud to have Deschutes represent the Pacific NW. If you are visiting Oregon or the Pacific NW, make sure to try this one!

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 22:23:04 | More by alexrichman

KelOne333

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +26.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had two bottles shipped to CT for me by a friend.
BA says that "All "5's" should be rare (ie. cannot improve anymore). Just keep that in mind." Well, I kept that in mind...and I can't think of a better beer for me right now.

Served at 35-40 degrees F into a shaker glass. Pours a beautiful rust brown color with a fluffy, light, off-white head that lasts the whole glass.

Nose - bready malt with a hint of almond extract and a layer of citrus and pine.

Taste - Biscuit and caramel with a perfect pine hop backbone. The finish is citrus and a sweet malty hit that lingers for a few seconds and makes me want another sip. Neither side, the malts or the hops, overpowers the other.

Maybe I love it because I can't get it around here. Maybe it's just where my pallette is right now. Either way, I can't think of how it could be any better.
If anyone knows of something that's available in CT that comes close to Mirror Pond, let me know!

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 20:19:41 | More by KelOne333