Deschutes Mirror Mirror Barleywine

Brewed by Deschutes Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Bend, Oregon USA

This was a nice offering. Deep ochre body with a small off-white head. Caramel and hops in the aroma. Did not get much of the bourbon/pinot/port barrel in the nose or the taste. Sweet and malty flavor felt smooth and dense in the mouth. Bitter hop finish. Not bad.

Translucent copper/orange pour. small off-white head with little retention. Minor lacing. the glow from deep within the center of the liquid is beautiful, resembling a fiery explosion. The nose is very aromatic, lightly alcoholic and showcases brilliant, though very subtle, complexities. Vinous notes pour forth first, then are quickly trumped by scents of new French oak, followed by bourbon and vanilla. Caramel malts and light toast mingle with a hazy cloud of hoppiness. The flavor is very sweet but has plenty of hop bitterness and light acidity underneath the malt. Red wine notes emerge with warmth and gently accelerate a tannic sting. Very syrupy at points. Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, with plenty of silky carbonation. The finish is off-dry, vinous and bitter, very lightly astringent. Very good.

05 version on tap at Biercafe: Opaque deep amber, smooth tan head.Nose of hops,carmel,whiskeymalt,vanilla. Sweet smooth molasses, brown sugar whiskey like profile.Finish is sweet, then a long lasting hop burst. Complex and well balanced. Great Belgian lace. The best and smoothest of this style I have ever had. This is my new #1 beer

22oz bottle, 2005 vintage, cellar aged for 2 years. pours murky copper-amber with off white head. nose has coco powder, plums, vanilla, slight tobacco, and oak. flavor has some tobacco, plums, slight grape/wine note, brown sugar, vanilla, and oak. alcohol is very well hidden. carbonation is real low. mouthfeel is thin, but palate is long. i do enjoy this but i think it’d probably get better when aged about 4 years. a good aged barleywine at this point. 3.7.

4/11/09, 2005 vintage. pours hazy amber with off white head. nose vanilla, dark candy sugar, tobacco, ripe red fruit. flavors tobacco, candy sugar, red fruit. nice dry finish with a good level of oxidation. light easy drinking body.4.0.

Draft at Belmont Station: Pours a very cloudy amber brown color with a tan creamy head. Aroma of malty sugars and vanilla and oak and a little alcohol. Flavor is warm rich and malty. Mildly sweet but balanced with notes of of oak and vanilla tannins. Somewhat thick body with hints of alcohol but not fairly well hidden. Quite delicious.

20061111 Sampled at Cornboy’s 1st Annual Barley Wine Extravaganza
#13 2005 Woody and dry. Aroma a bit funky, earthy. Emergent fruity esters. Odd, nagging fishiness (?).

I had this one on tap a few weeks ago and wow! nice full body, I felt like I could start chewing on it. Very sweet, almost like caramel. The aroma is strong in malt character, smells a bit like oak too. In mine there didn’t seem to have any lacing/or head. But, I liked this beer, but it was too easy to drink for the alcohol content! definitely a beer to sip among friends..

65 cl bottle. Reddish dark brown colour with a little head. Aroma of malt, caramel and little wine-like. Nice and very tasty flavour of malt, caramel, winery and ends up little alcohlic, but ends up very nice.