Deschutes Brewery of Bend, Oregon entered the Minnesota market this week. The sixth largest craft brewery in the country, Deschutes began brewing beer in 1988. They make a full line of seven year-round beers along with several limited release and seasonal offerings. To start with they are bringing their flagship beers to Minnesota, Mirror Lake Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter. A very limited number of cases of their holiday offering Jubel 2010 and their imperial porter Black Butte XXI were also made available this week. Good luck finding any of those. I first encountered Deschutes when I picked up a sixpack of Black Butte Porter on a trip to the west coast a few years back. It instantly became one of my favorites. Now I learn from a brewery press release that I am not alone. They claim it is the number one selling craft porter in the nation. I had a bottle of the Mirror Pond Pale Ale with grilled turkey brats tonight. Here’s my notes:

Mirror Pond Pale Ale
Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Oregon
Style: English Best Bitter
Serving Style: 22 oz. Bottle

Aroma: A light citrusy floral hop rides atop sweet grainy malt with touches of caramel. The aromas are fairly balance between the two. Background breaths of orange and English yeast fruitiness. Very much in the English style. There is something very tea-like in the aroma, like orange pekoe. Nice.

Appearance: Dark orange/amber and crystal clear. The small, off-white head dissipated quickly leaving a gauzy film of foam on the surface.

Flavor: Flavors balance delicately between malt and hops. The moderately high bitterness hangs on throughout, supported by grassy hops character like fresh-mowed hay. The malt carries this well with grainy sweetness and light caramel. Undertones of orange, English yeast fruit, and a flavor some call “farty” that is frequently found in English beers. But this is a good thing. The finish is dry, dry, dry with lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Light body with low carbonation. Crisp and dry with a slight tannic quality.

Overall Impression: The Deschutes website says this is a “quintessential American pale ale.” I say it’s a very nice English bitter, and I do love a nice English bitter. Great balance and articulation of flavors. Each flavor comes clearly but works together with the others to make a delicious whole. Earlier in the day I had a glass of Coniston Bluebird Bitter, my desert island beer. Mirror Pond Pale Ale compares very favorably.