Date: September 3, 2011
Cost: NA
Brewer: Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Oregon
Alcohol content: 5.0%
Served: Cold in the bottle
I’m going to admit from the get-go that pale ales aren’t among my favorites, so take that into consideration as you read this review. Maybe someday I’ll meet a pale that changes my mind, but Mirror Pond Pale Ale wasn’t that beer.
The beer is a light copper color with a rather ordinary fragrance. Some people rave about the hints of fruit or caramel…frankly, all I could taste were malt and yeast. I’m fine with a beer that tastes great and has a slight bitter aftertaste, but bitter was the overriding sensation with this beer, and the bitterness lingered on my palate and lips long after each swallow. If you’re a fan of bitter beers, this is the ale for you.
Deschutes has an interesting selection of brews, and I’m game for sampling the remainder of their line. But for me, Mirror Pond was a one-night stand.
The Beer Savant 