Comments on: Hit Me with Your Best Deschutes: Three Reserve Reviews

By: beer_scientist

beer_scientist — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:48:56 +0000

You probably could have passed. It’s funny you say it because Big Tex made a similar point, which was essentially “I’m used to them.” I’m not and can say that I thought the bitterness was a bit much on the XXI. As far as aroma…it wasn’t overly aromatic. Thanks for the compliment on the reviews. I think the answer to the hop question is maybe one or two. Of course, I’m sort of kidding.

By: Sean Inman

Sean Inman — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:29:16 +0000

Excellent and well thought out reviews as always. I have “only” had Mirror Mirror and XXI and both to my palate had only tiny amounts of hops. Which leads me to a question. How many uber hoppy west coast style IPA’s must one consume to lessen their impact? Should I not have consumed Green Flash’s Palate Wrecker?

By: Michael Reinhardt

Michael Reinhardt — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:05:57 +0000

There’s plenty to pout about for me too. I want New Glarus, Bell’s, Dark Horse and all kinds of stuff I can’t get.

By: howardf

howardf — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:21:42 +0000

I haven’t had Mirror Mirror, but I thought the Black Butte XX (not XXI) I had was magical. Even their year-round stuff is really good, and I wish we could get them here in the midwest. Oh well, one more thing to pout about…

By: Big Tex

Big Tex — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:52:37 +0000

I reckon it’s to be expected when consuming beers from this region. Local ingredients are typically the freshest, and freshness counts, especially around here. There are a several locally grown varieties around here, often taking their name from local geographical features: Willamette, Cascade, Olympic, Chinook, and Mt. Hood come to mind. They’re here, they’re fresh, and they’re used quite a bit.

Personally, I dislike the piny-ness of the Chinook hops… they can become quite harsh in your beer. Elk Rock Wapati IPA and Skuller’s IPA from Skagit River come to mind. I enjoy hoppy IPA, but these are harsh.

By: beer_scientist

beer_scientist — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:15:59 +0000

I’ve noticed the Cascades in a lot of stuff an regularly complain about it. You guys may be used to it but I’m certainly not…I may at some point. I definitely agree about how subdued Mirror Mirror is, which part of why I linked to Thomas Hardy’s Ale…much more bold and sharp. I did find 30 IBUs to be odd in Barley-wine. I was disappointed by Black Butte but I’m going to try it again. I’ve got all three of these cellaring. What I want most is to try Dissident.

Thanks for the feedback, Tex. You always have good stuff to say.

By: Big Tex

Big Tex — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:08:53 +0000

I’ve sampled 2 of the 3… Abyss has not graced my glass yet. I enjoyed both Mirror Mirror and Black Butte XXI. Mirror Mirror struck me as a good, yet relatively subdued barley wine. Not my favorite style, but enjoyable nonetheless.

I preferred the Black Butte XXI to the Mirror Mirror. I distinctly recall strong chocolate notes in tasting this bad boy. And a note about the hops… Cascades are a staple for NW beers, so much so that is somewhat cliche. But then again, I live out in the NW and find that it is rather commonplace for citrusy hops to find themselves in places you may not expect (that is if you hail from another part of this great country). I guess one becomes somewhat used to it around here. It appears that I have.