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Deschutes – Mirror Mirror

Posted on May 12, 2015 by Cam Ireland

Who is the fairest of them all?Mirror Mirror

Deschutes Mirror Mirror is an incredibly big, smooth and complex example of a barley wine style beer. This brew is a double batch version of the Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale and weighs in at 11.2% ABV.

What makes this barley wine unique? In addition to twice the malt, half of the fermented barley wine is aged for 10 months in wine barrels that previously held Oregon Pinot Noir, Malbec and Tempranillo wine. The wine and oak add a deep complexity to the barley wine that is incredible. Smooth and malty with enough Cascade and Millennium hops (53 IBUs) to be noticed and appreciated in balanced bitterness, flavor and aroma.

Appearance:
Amber to light brown with a touch of red highlights. A nice long-lasting tan head crowns the this elixir.

Aroma:
Wow…malt, toffee, butterscotch, dark stone fruit, spice, oak, citrusy hops and molasses. As this glass warms the aroma is intensifying. I hate to ruin this nose candy trippin’ by moving on to the taste…almost.

Flavor:
Wow, wow! A dramatic sensory explosion on the palate! Sweet, malty, oaky, bitter, dry, sour and warm. The toffee and caramel start the malt parade with some raisins and spice midway through the event. The finish is full, rich, spice, vanilla, molasses with a nip of bitterness from the hops at the end. A long-lasting maltiness lingers with a final reminder of warmth from the 11.2% alcohol.

Overall Impression:
AWESOME! I love the complexity. The changes that take place as the sip hits the palate. Sweet and malty yet spicy and warm. The oak plays as important a role as the hops by contributing backbone and balance to an otherwise cloyingly sweet brew. Mirror Mirror is the fairest of them all…so far.

Cheers!

Category: Beer Style, Brewery |

Cam Ireland

I am a BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) National judge. I am also a homebrewer. I love to taste classic styled and outside-the-box beer from around the world, explore craft beer breweries, cook and pair meals with beer and share all of these with anybody that has the same interests.

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32,10,0,70,1
600,600,60,1,3000,5000,25,800
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