Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale

Brewed by Deschutes Brewery
Style: American Pale Ale
Bend, Oregon USA

Very fresh, melony flavors and soft, drinkable palate. Good, but there are better PNW pale ales, particularly Hale’s.

Pale slightly hazy orange amber color, with promising signs of carbonation. There’s a nice appealing fresh fruitiness to the nose, a floral hoppiness, and a nice mellow maltiness that hints towards caramel. This is pretty light on the palate for an ale, with a slight spritzy carbonation that combine to make this fairly easy drinking and refreshing. The hop takes charge of the flavor, offering a soft melon and lemon citrus freshness throughout. There’s some pale maltiness supporting the lighter hop, although not as distinct as I would have guessed from the aroma, offering very light suggestions towards caramel as well as some smooth mellow comfort in the middle. The finish reinforces the fruitiness, with a crispness and a subdued lemon tang and sourness that suggest something of an IPA. The malt makes a come back in the aftertaste and balances very well against the citrus.

Fairly smooth with plenty of grains present in the taste. While the hops are fairly mild they’re still a bit much for me. If you’re a fan of APA this is a must try.

Amber, no head. Grassy and flowery hops in the taste. Smooth creamy mouthfeel.

Excellent balance here. This is a very nice session brew. Honey colored with a good white head.Its all about the hops but very tastefully done.

Light amber color with a moderate light cream colored head. Light malt with hints of oranges and pine in the background. Light sweet start with more Orange citric flavors. Fairly light and fruity.

Real nice pale. Sweet, yet still floral, with a nice bitter quality on the finish. I prefer the Orchard Street Pale, from Orchard Street Brewing, but this is darn good.

very fine pale ale. Good aroma, fruity and floral, slight apricot/apple. Wonderfully malty, slightly roasted. Distinctive hop finish.