Beer of the Weekend #488: Mirror Pond Pale Ale
I have been busy busy busy recently and need a beer. A sixer of Mirror Pond Pale Ale, brewed by the Deschutes Brewery of Bend, Oregon has been chilling in my fridge for about a week and I decided it was high time to finally try it.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “BEST BY” date printed on the label is “11/08/13.”
Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is golden amber. Two fingers of dense, buttery, eggshell-colored head settled slowly and unevenly in places.
Smell: It offers a nice malty base with a tinge of enticing citrus. Caramel and lightly toasted malts, earthy hops, orange peel, tangerine, and grapefruit.
Taste: The hops and bitterness are upfront at first, which I like. It also has a slightly coarse mouthfeel. Earthy hops, pine resin, lemon, orange peel, tangerine, and grapefruit. As the beer continues to warm, the caramel and toasted malts emerge and begin to balance the hops.
Drinkability: This is tasty and very drinkable. There are better pale ales out there, but this is definitely a pale ale and not an IPA wannabe.
Fun facts about MPPA:
-Style: American pale ale, of course.
-Price: I think it was on sale for $7.99/sixer at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.
-Alcohol content: 5 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: The beer’s webpage suggests “Grilled Pear and Goat Cheese Pizza, Northwest Mushroom Bruschetta, Steamed Clams in a Fresh Corn Stock.”
-IBU: 40.
-Calories: 170 per 12-ounce serving.
-The text on the neck label reads, “If you could only listen to one album forever, what would it be? At least there’s Mirror Pond when it comes to pale ales.”
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “BEST BY” date printed on the label is “11/08/13.”
Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is golden amber. Two fingers of dense, buttery, eggshell-colored head settled slowly and unevenly in places.
Smell: It offers a nice malty base with a tinge of enticing citrus. Caramel and lightly toasted malts, earthy hops, orange peel, tangerine, and grapefruit.
Taste: The hops and bitterness are upfront at first, which I like. It also has a slightly coarse mouthfeel. Earthy hops, pine resin, lemon, orange peel, tangerine, and grapefruit. As the beer continues to warm, the caramel and toasted malts emerge and begin to balance the hops.
Drinkability: This is tasty and very drinkable. There are better pale ales out there, but this is definitely a pale ale and not an IPA wannabe.
Fun facts about MPPA:
-Style: American pale ale, of course.
-Price: I think it was on sale for $7.99/sixer at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.
-Alcohol content: 5 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: The beer’s webpage suggests “Grilled Pear and Goat Cheese Pizza, Northwest Mushroom Bruschetta, Steamed Clams in a Fresh Corn Stock.”
-IBU: 40.
-Calories: 170 per 12-ounce serving.
-The text on the neck label reads, “If you could only listen to one album forever, what would it be? At least there’s Mirror Pond when it comes to pale ales.”
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
