Mirror Pond Pale Ale

5.0% ABV

Deschutes has landed and I’ve already sampled 50% of their offerings.  Who’s in for going for 100%?  Me, Me, Me.  Next up is the Mirror Pond Pale Ale for the second and final Deschutes year round brew in our area. 

The Mirror Pond pours with a pillow of fluffy white head.  Sour grapefruit aromas pour out of the top of glass inviting further investigation.  The first drink leaves me amazed at how big of flavor there is in this pale ale.  The brew starts with a toasted biscuit character and leads into a wonderful citrus hop character.  Light grapefruit dances on the palate and continues all the way to the finish.  Bitterness is present and complements the malt character wonderfully.  Everything is in balance and all the ingredients play nicely together.  There is no astringency or overwhelming bitterness to compete with in this pale ale.  This one is a winner my friends.

I’m not sure how Deschutes managed to squeeze this much flavor out of this little 5% ABV pale ale.  Although Black Butte wasn’t on my hit list, it did exhibit some good complexity.  Between Mirror Pond and Black Butte, I can say that I’m impressed with the complexity that Deschutes brings to the table.  The other positive I get out of this tasting is that I found a lower ABV brew that is loaded with flavor.  I’ve made a little pact with myself to explore some session brews this year.  Session brews are lower than 5% ABV by definition and you’re supposed to be able to drink more than one in a session without being wasted.  This year I vow to enjoy the lighter things in life.  I’ve scheduled several sessionable homebrews this year and will be looking to buy lighter commercial brews.  The Mirror Pond fits this criteria perfectly and will most likely be one of my go-to lighter brews.

Cheers!