Deschutes Brewery- Mirror Pond Pale Ale: Simply Wonderful Beer
Sunday, April 25, 2010 at 1:01PM | by Eric 
So often, in our quest to find new and exciting craft brews, we tend to overlook the simple things that make a great craft brew great. We spend so much time trying to find a beer that has 243 different aromas, bouquets, and flavors that sometimes we forget about why we love craft beer to begin with. Deschutes Brewery's Mirror Pond Pale Ale provides us that reality check.
My first experience with Mirror Pond happened on a fly fishing trip after work one day. My friend that I was fishing with brought a sixer with him that was to be enjoyed after we were finished. We were so enthralled by this beer that we sat there and enjoyed the entire six-pack before deciding to leave. Now a fly-fishing trip is not complete without it.
Mirror Pond is quintessential of a great American Pale Ale. It pours a beautiful amber color with a 1 inch fluffy dish-soap-bubble head. The initial taste greets the palette with a bright floral and modestly bitter hoppiness which melts beautifully into a full and balanced malty body. The end result is a bright, citrusy aftertaste that dances across your tongue. The skill, precision and grace of this balancing act would make the creators of Cirque Du Soleil jealous. It’s amazing that such robust flavors can be fashioned into a beer that finishes so colorful, yet doesn’t weigh you down.
This is a great brew to bring to a barbeque or a tailgate. It goes well with any meat. And will impress all but the most hard-core light beer drinkers. And as great as this beer tastes when poured into a glass, it won’t get offended if you drink it straight from the bottle. It just wants to be part of the party.
ABV: 5.0%
Consumed: Stella Artois glass
Verdict: Buy a Case
