Mirror Pond Pale Ale - Deschutes Brewery

vinny21bal

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Great session beer. One of the finer Pale ales out there. I think it gets over looked because it is so easy to get, but with great tradition is great beer. I don't think they have to change a thing. Great citrus notes. Wonderful aroma. And you can actually have a couple of them without being completely loaded. That seems to be a problem with a lot of these beers these days. Nothing better on a sunny after noon

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2013 18:46:49 | More by vinny21bal

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

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

(had this at the PDX airport at a pub whose name escapes me, but they had the most ridiculously large Bavarian pretzel I'd ever taken in)

Orange-amber in color, filtered clean and bright, with a wispy/feathery off-white head - nice, snotty lace sticking around.... Mostly a floral-soapy hop aroma, toasty pale malt just sneaking in underneath, to balance.... The floral-soapy thing certainly comes across in the taste, refreshing, matched against some pleasant lime/grapefruit hop flavors - supporting malts show a bit more here, but never really give the esters and hops much of a fuss - bright/lightly tart bitterness, bit of an English esb/pale flavor quality.... Smooth, quite clean light-medium body, maybe a little round-maltier than drier than desirable in the finish - but having a little fat is no crime... A really solid APA - the invigorating hop/ester combo is showcase here - definite warm-weather treat

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2013 18:16:53 | More by Bouleboubier

archyquaffer

Montana

3.64/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bomber into a schooner glass. The freshness date is nearly one year ago (June 2012)- the beer was bought at a discount ($2.24 on clearance). The bottle is just barely cellar cool- stored on my back porch for a day or two. The beer has a beautiful, crystal clear pale copper color. The head is nothing much in terms of volume, but is attractive enough, with a patch of foam in the center that looks like one of those small islands used as airfields in the Pacific.

Taking into account the age of the beer, a floral hop aroma is still quite evident in the aroma, with just enough bitterness on the tongue to balance out the malt. A fruity taste is very apparent, and evocative of grapefruit, rhubarb, and perhaps tart, bitter berry- rather like cherry seeds.

I remember drinking this earlier in the year, from the same store (and thus probably past its due date), I thought it to be one of the finest American style, west coast pale ales around (i.e. HOPPY pale ales). Even though the bottle was old, I still found it to be complex enough and easy-drinking enough to be enjoyable, and well worth the 2 1/4 clams I forked over for the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 04:15:52 | More by archyquaffer

RaulMondesi

California

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

Just smooth. All smooth. Light and cool Sunday at my homeboy's down at the beach; and while staring at the ocean blissfully glisten, it reminds me of Mirror Pond. Easy on all levels - not Paris Hilton easy - but perfectly easy in its grace and subtlety. Like a Rita Hayworth hair flip, Raul enjoys this.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 00:21:16 | More by RaulMondesi

khensley

Washington

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured a rich amber color, tan head which dissipated rapidly. Smell reminded me of lightly toasted bagels, very earthy. Taste was much the same, earthy, whole-grain oats, cracker-like. Sweetness is present, yet faint, but well balanced with the mild bitterness. Finishes dry and very pleasing. Did I mention it is very earthy. I had another, and another, and...Deschutes flagship beer sets the standard for Northwest Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 07:05:53 | More by khensley

Either_Aether

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

For a pale ale, this beer ventures into a realm of comfort and warmth most don't explore. I'm relatively new to the style, but I find this particular pale ale to be rather interesting due to it's complex profile. The hops are noticeable, but they seem to take on an equal playing field with the malts and caramel flavors this beer offers, which is a delightful spin on the pale ale. In one word: rustic. This beer should not be overlooked.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 03:01:31 | More by Either_Aether

jmccullough108

Missouri

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

Poured into a pint glass, bottle dated best by 5/3/2013

Appearance: Pale golden, light brown, light bronze, slight haze (I am assuming their is some dry-hopping here), Large, two finger head with excellent retention. Sticks along the side of the glass throughout the entire time.

Smell: Interesting up front spice smell, orange zest, apricot, a hint of biscuit/bread

Taste: Very smooth, medium carbonation, slight bitterness, complex malt/roast taste, mixed with just the right amount of hops. Also taste a bit of spice of sorts.

Overall: Excellent American Pale Ale, very refreshing. The smell may throw you off into thinking this is a hop monster, but it's really not. Whereas there is some bitterness in the mouthfeel, it seems to be more on the smell. Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 21:04:20 | More by jmccullough108

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

Siriusfisherman

Montana

4.04/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: Clear orange with a rocky white head and superb lacing. Gorgeous beer.

S: Citrusy grapefruit hops, classic cascade, nice toasty, cracker malt and moderate fruity esters.

T/M: Nice citrusy bitterness upfront, moves into a robust toasted bread malt flavor and a medium bodied mouthfeel. The finish is semi-dry and fairly slick, with lingering malt and grassy, grapefruit hops.

Overall, a classic Northwest Pale Ale. Everything about it screams Cascadia, the hop and malt balance, the fruity yeast, and the full mouthfeel. As an added bonus, it is a touchstone that homebrewers and brewers alike can use for tasting the intricacies of the Cascade hop. I overlook this one to much.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 18:45:17 | More by Siriusfisherman

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.51/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great pale ale - nice all around. Pours a bit darker than your average pale ale - brown to orange in color with a nice foamy head. Head is retained well and nice spotted lacing on the glass. Based on aroma alone you would think this is a darker beer - earthy malt. Flavor is nicely balanced with a bit of body yet still light and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 21:46:24 | More by Oakenator

GossageBrewery

Missouri

4.81/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured this 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. It poured a hazy amber color, produced a creamy white head, featured excellent retention and excellent lacing. The aroma contained malted grain, citric lemons and herbal hops. Medium bodied, there was a nice foundation of malted grain, apples, yeasty esters orange and lemon citrus and piney hops. This is a very nicely hopped APA, If you enjoy micro brewed APA's...this is one of the best!

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 19:57:54 | More by GossageBrewery

millsn1

Massachusetts

4.89/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This might not be as carefully crafted and have as many ingredients as other, higher rated beers, but I have not yet found a better drinking beer. It's smooth, full of taste but not too strong with a nice balance of hops and malt that really respects the Pale Ale moniker. Also goes for a great price in the Northwest, which really rubs in the fact that I now live on the east coast because this stuff also destroys anything from the Boston or Brooklyn breweries.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 17:42:40 | More by millsn1

robhbest

Michigan

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

Poured into tulip glass.

A: Hazy Golden Yellow with 1 finger white head.

S: Bready, malty, some citrus at the end

T: Biscuity from the malts, citrusy at the end

M: Medium bodied, high carbonation, smooth drinking beer.

O: I've heard about this beer for a while now from a fellow BA. The girlfriend was able to score some for me on a recent trip to Chicago. Can't say that I'm disappointed at all! Smooth easy drinking APA, my first from Deschutes and hopefully not my last! Would seek some out again for sure, but probably wouldn't go bonkers if I didn't have it.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 00:34:47 | More by robhbest

mjurney

Texas

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

Appearance:
Amber-gold color, a little hazy. Lots of small bubble rising up. Thick rocky head.

Aroma:
Citrusy, grapefruity, sweet caramal, fruity.

Taste:
Hop forward, mainly citrus-grapefruity, some floral. Malt background, bready, sweet caramel. Tropical fruit notes, prehaps mango. Bitter, crisp finish. Body is medium, tangy, dry, smooth, refreshing.

Overall:
Well made American Pale Ale. It's tasty and highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 06:58:40 | More by mjurney

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a deeper amber hue; pretty much a rust color. About a 2 finger, frothy head that retains and laces very well. High clarity.

S- Moderate hop profile hits first, followed by some malts. Mostly lighter hops with some floral tones. Slight hint of metallic flavors mixed in with the medium flavor malts.

T- Starts with a moderate hops bitterness and bite, just like the scent. Light to medium malts move in. Slight hints of light grains and malts, but balanced with a little bit of caramel malt flavor. Ends with a lingering hop bitterness.

M- Moderate to high carbonation. Slick across the tongue and smooth. Not too heavy, not too light. Very sessionable.

Overall, this is a solid APA. Between this and SNPA, they represent the style very well. Depending on the price, I might get this over SNPA. All in all, if you're in Deschutes distro, this should be a staple.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 01:04:30 | More by boilermakerbrew

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

Missouri

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