Deschutes Mirror Mirror Barleywine

Brewed by Deschutes Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Bend, Oregon USA

Serve in Snifter

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Draft. Rich ruby amber beer with a nice light beige head. Some citrus hop and malt aroma. Caramel malt flavor with lots of citrus/resiny hops. Velvety smoothness.

Bomber from Bottleworks; Cloudy mahogony color with little head. Grapefruit and vanilla aroma; smells strong and inviting.... Caramel sweetness....tastes of vanilla. The malts really come on strong in this. I pick up a sharpness, almost bitterness, that reminds me of some wines. Very thick and complex beer...not much of a hop presence.

Draught at Rose and Raindrop, Portland. Clear nut brown. Aroma of grapefruit and mango. Sweet and really malty with rounded mouthfeel. Thick and dense English style malt character, some vanilla and US style hops: Pretty damn solid!

22 oz. bottle. Pours a clear deep reddish orange color with a decent off-white head that fades down rather quickly to a ring. Spotty lacing is left behind. Aroma is interesting. Nothing really jumps out and grabs you. A decent blend of the barrel components does come into play. A bit of sweetness, some vanilla, some oak shavings, perhaps dark cherries and chocolate also. Hop aroma is rather subdued, perhaps just lost in the myriad of things this beer was exposed to. Full bodied, somewhat viscous and coating to the tongue and palate. Flavors are a mixed bag. Vanilla and oak. Some cherry. The hops are there but mainly just present as a lingering bitterness. An interesting take, certainly worth trying and a decent drink, but perhaps too much activity going on.

Bottle: Deep amber, fiery hues, moderate foamy off-white head, fairly decent lacing, very light carbonation.   Caramel nose, hops are noticeable but subtle, biscuity, slight oakiness.   Sweet malt start, somewhat candyish in a toffee/caramel sense, but it finishes with a very tiny amount of bandaid, luckily not enough to detract tho.   Last year I had it on tap at Brouwer’s Café and I found that it had an aged cheese like aroma.   I don’t find that here.   Smooth, but fairly medium bodied.   Warming, yet not alcoholic.   Clean, but not as big as I expected.   Very easy drinking, with lingering oak, vanilla, caramel, and a very light hop bitterness at the finish.   I may hafta put a few down for a while to see how they turn out.

A long time I have been waiting for Deschutes to make a Barleywine, and my wish has been granted. This was absolutely delicious. Made in more of an English tradition, an extremely balanced malt character, with ample hops. Not overly hoppy and just sweet enough on the palate to make you lip your licks and wish for more. The aroma is the most amazing part, and I could really just sit her and sniff this for an extended period of time. Yummy!

On Tap rich red very malty anf hoppy as a barley wine should high alcohol notes as expected but very pleasing. Very rich thick palate...awesome brew at the brewery

On tap at the horse brass in what appears to be an oak aged form, at least a year old. Pours a nice clear mahogany color with a smooth off-white head. Very sweet barleywine aroma with a bit of butterscotch sweetness that gives it an oaky/bourbony smell. Very smooth and easy drinking, but slighlty cloying. Alcohol is hidden very well with age and a long lasting sweet finish stays with you.

Tap @ Toronado. A ripe mahogany color with a medicinal cherry flavor that fully coats the mouth. A slight tingling feeling in the back of the throat reminded me of Robitussin. Sweet malts. The bartender called this a double pale ale - imagine my surprise.

cocktail sauce aroma with no head, alcoholic and full of cherry flavors, sweet, slightly sticky finish, overall a disappointment and the low point of my Toronado experience