Deschutes Mirror Mirror Barleywine

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

Serve in Snifter

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

2009 Bottling, about damn time... Appearance - The color is a dark amber coming out of the bottle, but once you are done pouring this beauty it turns into a light red beauty. This reminds me of Consecration a lot, just a tad bit lighter. When this is held up to the light it becomes darker and even redder, magnificent! A 1 finger creamy off white head sticks around for a little while and subsides to a ring around the glass. Smell - Very oaky, with strong hints of red wine. A balanced mix of bitter, sweet, and tart mingle in that glass like a swingers club. Dark fruits and a massive amount of malt round it all off with some caramel in the background. Taste - Wow, that was a lot gentler than I expected. Very fruity and oaky. The red wine is very subtle, but it is definitely there. Has the tiniest alcohol kick to the finish, but it is more of a love tap really. I still can’t believe how smooth this is already, even when Deschutes says it will be best to drink after April of 2010. A little bit of caramel appears in the middle as well. Mouthfeel - Awesome, very full beer. It coats my tongue for ages, and slowly drips down the walls of my mouth. This is perfectly thick, just how a barleywine should be. Drinkability - The high alcohol content is going to hurt it here, but damn, this beer drinks amazing. It is extremely well balanced, and the oak aging gives it a massive uplift in smoothness. This is the best barleywine I have ever had. Deschutes, how do you do it?

on tap pizza port carlsbad,downtown johnny browns, 2008,2009 vintages. super barley wine what a beer. super hot and sweet sugar is apparent. pours an golden hazy off tan. so rich off the top this beer should be shared with friend both time ive had it they were 8oz pours

This is one of my favorite BW’s very well balanced great color, great nose, this one has been getting better with age. I suspect the 09 might start hitting a wall within the next year or so. I think it is drinking at it’s peak now, and will enjoy that ride for another 6-8 months or so. Don’t get me wrong I think it will still be good, but I think it’s at it’s best right now.

UPDATED: JAN 13, 2012 Bottled 2009 version, thx to NoiZe (and the one he traded it with). Dark amber color, short head. Aroma of toasted malt, raisin, caramel, hint of oak, slight citrus, biscuit and cookie, hint of vanilla. Thick and sweet, sirupy. Amazing combination of thick malty sweetness and slight bitterness, topped up with barrel-aged notes. This is how I like a big phat barley wine!

Barrel Aged Tuesday at Jupiter. This has to be the highlight of my night. Very fragrant with apricots, orange peel, whiskey and pine. Bitter flavor, with more fruit coming through. Piney hops in the finish. Moderately astringent. This is amazing.

Source:22 oz bottle from Blake.
Glass:Gulden Draak Ballon.
Appearance:Hazy orange/amber pour with a one finger beige head.
Aroma:Nose has caramel, toffee, brown sugar, molasses, dark fruits, alcohol and a hint of citrus.
Flavor:Caramel, toffee a hint of chocolate, vanilla, dark fruits and warming alcohol. Citrusy bitter finish.
Palate:Full body with mild carbonation. Very creamy mouthfeel.
Overall:I haven’t had many better. Top tier. The sweet malts blend well together, and the mouthfeel sets the beer apart from most. Don’t get much barrel aging here, but that is the intent I’m sure by only using 35% aged beer. Excellent.

Poured into a snifter. Got this as an extra from scray24. 2009 Reserve. 4.0 A: Beautiful cherry amber color. Clear as a bell. Whispy semi-tan head has less than average retention, but I’ll let it go since it’s at 11% ABV. 5.0 S: Smells like a homebrew shop. There’s many different malts blending perfectly, though it’s hard to pick out each one. There’s also a fruity aspect where cherry sticks out like a sore thumb. Wonderful. 4.5 T: This is one hell of a brew. It’s not nearly as cloying as most barleywines out there even though this one is still fresh. Tastes include brandy, dark fruits including cherry again (though not as strong as in the nose), and a mild oakiness to it. Sweet with lots of caramel malts, though not too sweet. Some alcohol is apparent. Excellent. 4.5 M: Heavy body. Very creamy and smooth. Warming on finish. 4.5 D: This is by far the most drinkable barleywine. It is jam packed with flavor, but doesn’t have that cloying sensation like many other barleywines. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 06-26-2009 04:10:42

2009 vintage. Poured from the 22 oz bottle into my Duvel snifter, this one poured a deep, burnished copper, with a nice, decent head. The aroma offers and incredible mix of bourbon, oak, raisins, citrus, vanilla, chocolate and pure fusel alcohol. The alcohol really dominates the flavor of this beer, although in a good way. A nice sweet mix of caramel and honey is present up front, although huge citrus notes (orange, tangerine) quickly develope as it warms, leading to a very pleasant finish. Although this beer is somewhat hot right now, it is still quite drinkable. Strong and alcoholic right now, this should mellow quite beautifully with a little age. SO happy to have quite a few more of these on hand.

05 version on tap at Biercafe: Opaque deep amber, smooth tan head.Nose of hops,carmel,whiskeymalt,vanilla. Sweet smooth molasses, brown sugar whiskey like profile.Finish is sweet, then a long lasting hop burst. Complex and well balanced. Great Belgian lace. The best and smoothest of this style I have ever had. This is my new #1 beer

Could have a much better aroma, a little lacking. The flavor comes off as way less than 11%, probably because it doesn’t seem like a hop-heavy barleywine. Pretty nice stuff overall.