03. DESCHUTES MIRROR POND PALE ALE

Brand: Deschutes Brewery

Line: Mirror Pond Pale Ale

IBUs: 40

ABV: 5.0%

Origin: Bend, Oregon

Pre-Taste Thoughts

So this beer came in a Deschutes variety pack that I purchased from one of the most well stocked gas stations I've ever seen in my life in Westlake, Seattle. I'm normally not a huge fan of pale ales (except Sierra Nevada), they're a little too light and simple for my taste but I don't like to let beer go to waste and I didn't want to take up some valuable space in my beer fridge, so I decided to give it a go and drink it while I put together my dining room table. Deschutes is a very respectable beer company, so I figured this wouldn't be bad and gave it a shot. I like the style, (dare I say, aesthetic?) of Deschutes bottle labels, and this one is no exception.

First Sip Thoughts

While I didn't have super high hopes for this beer, I was pleasantly surprised. It's light but a bit more full bodied for a pale ale, so it was much more pleasant than say, a Rolling Rock for example (no shade to Rolling Rock!). There isn't a lot of fragrance in this beer; the very light aroma matches the light flavor of the beer.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I'd say this beer is pretty okay. It's definitely not my favorite kind of beer, but for a kind of beer I'm not particularly fond of it tastes pretty good. Growing up, my dad would explain to me what beers are good for certain activities, and I agree 100% that light pale ales, such as this, are perfect lawn mowing beers. While if I have my choice of pale ales I'd choose a Sierra Nevada, I wouldn't say no to a small glass of Mirror Pond in a set of Deschutes tasters.