Mirror Mirror on the wall, who has the best beer of them all?

While I cannot say that it's definitely Deschutes, they do have an awesome variety of beers that I have really come to enjoy. It doesn't hurt that Deschutes and Deshayes (my last name) are very similar in spelling. Tina, the Queen of Beers, took me on a little beer shopping spree for my birthday back in March. One of the beers, the Deschutes 2009 Reserve Mirror Mirror, was one of the fine bombers purchased that day. It has been sitting in my beer fridge since late March because the bottle told me to wait. No really - on the label there was a "Best AFTER 4/30/2010" marking.

Instead of waiting until midnight on the 30th, like an impatient guy watching a toaster, I figured it would be a good idea to wait a few more weeks for Tina and I's 5th anniversary to pop it open. We got into our bathrobes, sat on the porch and enjoyed this fine reserve.

Appearance - Rich copper, thick looking, very minimal carbonation, light lacing. When you swirl the glass, you can tell it's thinner than it originally looked- 3.5/5.0

Smell - Very earthy and piney hops, sweet and delicious - 4.0/5.0

Taste - Flavors are well blended, hops are present and as expected in a barleywine, not overpowering, bit of fruityness and sweetness, hop flavor is really tasty. As expected with a good barleywine, the ABV of 11% is deceptive and will creep up on you if you're not careful - 4.5/5.0

Feel - Enjoyably smooth, flavor profile is really well done - felt good, aftertaste is hoppy and sweet. - 4.0/5.0

Drinkability - I did wait until the prescribed "best after 4/30/10" - really enjoyable barleywine that I would definitely have again- 4.5/5.0