Deschutes Twilight Ale

Brewed by Deschutes Brewery
Style: American Pale Ale
Bend, Oregon USA

Bottle shared by nolankowal: Orange/gold pour with a white head. Aroma, light malts, some grassy hops. Flavor, pale malts, lightly hoppy, some citrus and spicy notes from the hops. Solid brew.

There are some beers that revel in their dirty, muddy, flakey existence. These beers are ruddy like a mountain man, and just as heartwarming. Then there are beers that are the paragon of sterility. Their immaculate appearance and flawless crystal body is a model for janitorial services around the world. But these lack something in personality. Rather, they lack personality in general. I wonder if this is related to the whole cask filtering debate. I honestly have no opinion on the heated discussion, but I do know that in the case of Deschutes’ Twilight Ale, cleanliness and spotlessness make for a clean attire but a vacuous mind. As I’ve said, this beer couldn’t look more square jawed and clean cut. It proudly glows, splitting rays of dark marigold about the room, clear and simple like a drop of unpolluted rain. And above that floats a simple wafer-shape of white head. Nothing fancy, nothing ornate, but also nothing with character. The smell is actually so well scrubbed that I couldn’t pick out anything more than a generic and low-key bitter smell. And to take the cleanliness analogy to a new extreme, this beer actually tastes like a semi-fancy hand soap. Imagine walking into an upscale store and excusing yourself to the bathroom where you find a well coordinated wallpaper and decorative knick-knack lining the walls. It’s quaint, and enough to give you a good opinion of the store. It has a homey touch. A precious commodity in today’s ever more common chains. And then you wash your hands and when you reach for the soap you can tell it’s not cheap, but just not cheap enough to avoid being called not cheap. That’s exactly what this bitter tastes like. There are detectable notes of other things I think, but you forget about it when your mouth gets used to the light, springy and almost bubbly texture of the beer with the odd, chemical perfume taste circulating around the mouth. It might actually be cheaper to go to your local trusted liquor store, run to the bathroom, fill your hands with hand detergent and lap it up before anybody else comes along. Then leave with clean smelling breath and buy something good on the way out so there are no lingering suspicions. Besides, didn’t your mom ever make you eat soap?

Sampled on 12/20/2006... 12 oz bottle (Best by 9/28/06 1248M, 5.0% ABV) from bitbucket (bonus). Thanks Bob! -- Deschutes Twilight Ale pours a mostly clear bright gold color with a small white head/crown. It has an interesting grainy lacing pattern though. The aroma and flavor of this beer reminds me a lot of the Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale that I just finished, only weaker. The honey flavor is there, but the hop bitterness is a bit different. The bitterness seems to be a bit more pronounced in the finish and more grassy in character. Palate: A bit lighter than the Mirror Pond Pale Ale with a mild level of carbonation. Another unique and satisfying beer by Deschutes. If only I could buy this brand locally...

GABF-on tap-pours a dissipating foamy white head with gold color. Taste is mild flat hops. OK carbonation.

Bottle. Pours dark gold with a medium head and lacing. Hoppy aroma, with hints of grapefruit and orange. Nice sour hops and grapefruit in the taste. Nice mouthfeel, and the flavor spreads evenly. Great brew!

Hoppy, citrus aroma. Golden honey color. Clear with good carbonation. White, foamy head with large bubbles that dissipates quickly, leaving good lacing behind. A clean, hoppy flavor that begins strong and maintains such character. Citrus and floral tones to flavor. A refreshing beer that goes nicely with homemade tacos.

"A unique blend of four hops"- indeed! I enjoyed this hoppy, amber-colored ale- it reminded me a bit of a Magic Hat beer from back in the day. It had a strong aroma of citrusy-hops- which I’m guessing are from that big valley to the west of Bend.. The flavor was lively: ample hops and a refreshing bitterness. The finish was clean. The graphics aren’t bad either.

Bottle pour into an english pint, a beautiful hazy brass color, with an inch of off white head; light lacing. Aroma of hops and mild citrus with some yeast. The flavor is bright hops and sweet grains. Hops way up front with a very dry finish. Very good beer, but maybe a little light on palate and flavor. The hops need more body to suspend the flavor.