Beer & Food: Mirror Pond Pale Ale (Deschutes Brewery)

Friday, June 13, 2008

Mirror Pond Pale Ale (Deschutes Brewery)

Appearance: this is a burnt orange, slightly hazy, very effervescent brew. The head is a sparkling rocky light tan that breaks down fairly easily, but remains very rocky. Not a terribly tight head to this beer.

Aroma: The aroma starts off sweet and malty and is then met by a very fresh and floral cascade aroma that is easy to identify. Hidden in the background there is a slight tutti-frutti type of aroma.

Mouth Feel: But this beer has a very full mouth feel to it and the effervescence adds a creamy texture.

Flavor: The first sensation of flavor is of the malt, well roasted, rather toasty. When the hops arrive, they are underwhelming, and I can not find the characteristic grapefruit flavor of cascade hop.

Finish: The finish to this ale is very quick. There is a lingering hop essence that is neither bitter nor floral.

Comments: A sample of this beer was provided by the Deschutes brewing Company. It is to be noted that it has standard crown cap. Not a twist off. This beer was sent to me in celebration of a new label. I believe this particular beer is been on the market since 1997. If I had tasted in 1997I certainly would have been impressed as they were not too many beers at the style available on the market. Tasting this beer this afternoon, if this beer is the original recipe, I applaud the consistency. Let me further note, that this is an excellent palate cleansing beer. If it is available to the on premise establishments in a popular price, I would suggest making it one of the House beers. I would like to try it on draft.

VITAL STATISTICS:

Malts: Medium Caramel Malt

Hops: Cascade (Oregon)

International Bittering Units: 40

Alcohol by Volume: 5%

Brewery Site:

http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/BrewPub/OnTap/5830.aspx

What others say:

BeerAdvocate:

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/63/195

RateBeer:

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/deschutes-mirror-pond-pale-ale/2126/