Caldera IPA - Caldera Brewing Company

biglobo8971

Minnesota

3.23/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I dont believe that I tasted the freshest can, I didnt see a date on the can, so cant affirm or deny. Poured from can into a pilsner glass. Nice orange color which fades to yellow on the outside of the beer. 1/4 inch head that laced the whole glass. Picture alone, this looks like an amazing beer.
Smell was barely apparent. I tried several times to get any aroma at all. I do pick up a faint aroma of orange, pineapple and other citrus notes. No pine smell at all.
Taste is average. Not anything surprising or breath taking. No real note supercedes the rest. Faint hints of orange and citrus fade to a very faint sign of pine on the end.
I rated the mouthfeel better after reading the abv. For having 6.1%, its very easy to drink.
My overall attitude of this beer is that it is ok. Not a great one, and not a bad one. Then again I have no idea how fresh my sample was.

Serving type: can

05-29-2011 23:32:07 | More by biglobo8971

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

From notes:

Pours a dark golden copper/amber color with dark ruby red edges hen held to a light source and a massive frothy three finger off-white head. Excellent retention, only slowly fading into a thick lasting cap that leaves sporadic chunks of soapy lacing left behind.

Sweet citrus hop aroma with hints of pineapple, range peel, mango along with subtle earthy pine, subtle light fruit and alcohol.

On the lighter end of medium bodied with a nice balance of sweet citrus, earthy hops and malt backbone. Not overly bitter with hints of grapefruit and pineapple as well as some pine needle and biscuit/graham cracker malt. Slightly dry finish. Decent but nothing out of the ordinary.

Serving type: can

01-06-2011 09:25:07 | More by corby112

callmescraps

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Always interested in a can.

Appearance - A deep copper/amber color. Very clear. Half inch of white soapy head. Laces well.

Smell - Some grapefruit hops, with a touch of pine. Also a little sweet malt. The hops are a little subdued.

Taste - Follows the smell. There is some nice hops up front, but the malt really comes through at the end. There is a real sweetness, and a little burnt maltiness on the finish.

Mouthfeel - A little on the thin side. Nice carbonation.

Drinkability - Pretty decent, it's a nice beer, but nothing special.

This is a maltier "east coast" style ipa. It's a pretty good beer, but not necessarily my favorite.

Serving type: can

11-24-2009 07:24:05 | More by callmescraps

Dubbercody

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Apperance: Orange-y, light amber. Lacing left on the glass.

Smell: Nice citrus hop aroma that’s pretty minimal of a NW IPA, a nice chance.

Taste: Malt flavor is rapidly replaced with a pretty bitter lasting hop finish. T

Mouthfeel: darn easy drink....

Drinkability: Tasty beer, I’d drink this again.

Serving type: can

01-01-2008 04:47:59 | More by Dubbercody

woemad

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz can purchased at Bottles in Millwood for $1.69. No freshness date. First time I'd seen this beer.

Poured a golden orange color with a creamy, two-inches of off-white head. Strings of lace were seen clinging to the sides of my glass.

The nose was citrusy in a grapefruity sort of way, with some peppery notes. Definitely seemed like a WCIPA.

A bit more herbal in the taste than in the nose, and there's a pineyness that didn't seem to come through in the aroma, all in addition to the citrus noted in the nose. Bone dry finish. While diverse in terms of hoppiness, the malts seem a little too anemic for the beer's own good, and the hops aren't beefy enough to be a true scorcher of an IPA.

Fairly light bodied, though with a mouthfeel that is mildly slick with hop resin.

A mediocre IPA. Beefing up the malts to provide a bit more counterpoint would improve it. Should I find myself in Ashland, I'll give this a try on tap. For now, I'm glad I tried it, but this won't make me switch from Laughing Dog's IPA (my local, go-to IPA)anytime soon.

Serving type: can

06-23-2008 00:45:56 | More by woemad

tripelhops

Missouri

3.33/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a can into a tulip glass. There was no date on the can so I'm not sure how fresh it was, and thinking my can was a touch old based on my perception vs some of the other reviews.

Aroma - slightly cloudy, murky copper, decent foam that faded quickly but left some lacing around the top of the glass

Smell - very little hop aroma, maybe just a hint of citrus and a little more pine, but really had to work to smell it

Taste - malty sweetness then bitterness, but nothing outstanding in the way of distinct flavors

Mouthfeel - decent carbonation, lower alcohol for an IPA, easy to drink

Overall - I had this at a tasting not too long ago and remembered it being much better, so I'm thinking the can I bought may have been old. That said this is a decent IPA, nice that it's in a can, but also nothing stands out about it, either.

Serving type: can

06-03-2011 13:32:55 | More by tripelhops

harrymel

Washington

3.35/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Can date:unk

A: Pours a copper ale with two fingers of peanut head which falls slowly to a thick quilt of the same. Cobweb lacing. Excellent clarity.

S: Mango and papayas with some citrus notes and some resinous notes as well. Malts are sweet and subdued.

T: Lightly bittered, oxidized malts. Some raisin notes and some nice citrus (grapefruit and orange) flavors. The malts are quite oxidized and that's just not cool. Not bad, but not great either.

M: Medium bodied with surprisingly low carb. Lightly slick finish.

O: About average. Good nose, but taste is nothing to call home about. Decent hit for a can.

Serving type: can

08-02-2011 15:07:21 | More by harrymel

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.35/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from can into pint glass. Golden orange color with nice chunky foam head. Good lacing. Strong hop aroma with fruityness to it.
Taste is of bitter hop bite with some malts. Slightly soapy and lightly fruity.
Mouthfeel is dry and bitter...
Its ok...not great and not missing this brew in NY. Sorry caldera, but not for me.

Serving type: can

02-14-2012 01:43:14 | More by DrinkSlurm

Phelps

Arizona

3.4/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a small snifter.

Light sunset orange color with perfect clarity and a grayish-white head that deposits speckles of lace.

Honeyed biscuits and spicy hops in nose. Clean, understated and balanced.

Caldera’s website says this was brewed with Centennial, Simcoe and Amarillo -- which has me confused, because my taste buds are calling these hops earthy and spicy, with none of the usual snap of American-grown hops. Perhaps it’s the abundance of malt throwing things off — there’s a lot of toasty biscuits, bread and uncooked pale barley before the clean, dry finish.

The medium body exhibits a very light touch of carbonation and soft silky fizziness. Lightly bitter.

I found Caldera’s IPA very similar to their pale, with maybe a half step up in each category. While both beers are enjoyable enough, they lack the hoppy bite I crave in American-brewed versions of this style.

Serving type: can

07-25-2011 23:13:00 | More by Phelps

HosP

Indiana

3.4/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this as an extra from Rhettroactive. Thanks buddy!

A- Pours nice deep golden shade. Bubbly white head, clings to the edge of the glass with bits of lace sticking.

S- Big burst of orange and mango aromas. Tough to even pick anything out over the great smells coming from it. A little sweet malt at the end.

T- Not what I was expecting after the nose. Some citrus hop flavors up front but very subdued. Sweet malts quickly take over and mix into a sweet almost tangy taste. Where did all the juicy hop flavors I thought were coming go to?

M- Lighter side of medium body. Little carbonation. Very mild bitterness. Kind of metallic after taste.

O- It started off so great. Fizzled out with the mediocre taste. Was really wanting big juicy hop flavors, but just weren't there. Thanks for the try Rhett!!

Serving type: can

12-15-2011 03:50:48 | More by HosP

htomsirveaux

Texas

3.45/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. can tried 20 Jul 2009.

Poured in the 0.5 L Adambrau becker. Extra large fizzy beige head. Light carbonation. Faintly hazy golden orange color. Citric and buttery toffee aroma. Grapefruit pithiness to start and throughout. Moderate caramel and toastiness. Somewhat buttery (A is ok with that in an IPA). Bittersweet lingering aftertaste. Moderate ethnanol. Medium body.

Just don't like the butteriness in IPAs...

Serving type: can

09-18-2010 06:26:00 | More by htomsirveaux

dannydetox

California

3.45/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

grabbed a sixer of these cans for the drive to punk rock bowling since the bright yellow can looks quite innocent - an ideal road beer. the packaging makes me think of grapefruit soda...

as for the beer itself, well, it is ok. i think i like it better out of the can, but this review is for one poured into a sam adams glass. darker amber color with a decent inch of head that stuck around until the end. smell is a mix of caramel malts with some floral, fruity hop qualities. not much citrus or pine like i would expect from a west coast brew, the caldera ipa reminds me of the english approach. pleasingly bitter on the finish. the 6.1% abv makes this one an easier drink with a lighter body and mouthfeel. good as a roadie if you value discretion, but there are many superior ipas for less than the $11 per six price tag. i think next time i will opt for the equally inconspicuous point the way ipa from local brewers golden road; they make a six pack of talls for the same price.

Serving type: can

06-12-2012 00:57:37 | More by dannydetox

cvm4

Mississippi

3.46/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a pretty much clear amber in color with a white two finger head. Great lacing and retention.

S - Light citrus hops, pine abounds, there's a buttery or cheese quality as well as caramel malts.

T - Orange peel and grapefruit peel with a good helping of hops. Lemony afterwards with pine hops following. Interesting... The buttery/cheese still sticks in the taste. Odd considering it's the morning and I have yet to eat anything.

M - Light to medium bodied with medium to high carbonation. Not sticky, very easy to drink.

O - Honestly I doubt I would buy again. I always like trying different offerings and once the opinion is formed it's hard to deviate from it.

Serving type: can

04-28-2013 15:53:51 | More by cvm4

ccrida

Oregon

3.48/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. can poured into a nonic, the Caldera's IPA is a clear bronze with a moderate sized white head that quickly fades to a thick skim, leaving scattered lace. Like their Pale Ale I just reviewed, this is the first time I've ever not had this beer in a can, but I'm not nearly as impressed. Served at fridge temp.

Smell is pure, resiny cannabis - ah, Oregon! To be more specific, it's more of the cat piss style, which you probably won't care for unless you have the mental association. I was just working on my goggle tan at Mt. Ashland this past Wednesday, and by the number of heads goofing off with me on a work day, it's obvious this town operates on a slightly slower speed. With a smell like this, I think Caldera's trying to remind us there's always time to chill...

Taste is pungent, resiny hops, firm malt backbone with a big bitter finish. The slightest touch of sweet caramel malt loses the battle to the big buds, which pack enough lupin to knock out Bobby Brown on a 3 day coke binge.

Mouthfeel is creamy but dry and crisp, with a heavier body.

Drinkability is average. I like a lot more hop flavor then bitterness, and this IPA is pretty much the opposite, and a bit thick for my taste as well. I'll still give it bonus points for the can, not to mention that dank aroma that I never noticed from the can.

Serving type: can

04-05-2008 06:49:06 | More by ccrida

mugglesandhops

California

3.48/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Super clear orange body with a frothy sticky head that lasts the whole beer, very impressive appearance. Smells sweet, pine, citrus, biscuity, earthy. Taste is very malty with very little bitterness which i was not expecting as this is an IPA and should have more hop profile the taste. A little too malty for my liking.

Serving type: can

10-31-2009 04:13:26 | More by mugglesandhops

Risser09

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz can poured into a goblet - fridge - 2009

Appearance: Pours a golden orange color with well, orange highlights .The head soars to 3" and has an ivory hue to it. It shows great retention and tons of foamy lace gets left behind on the glass. Tons.

Smell: Piney and citrusy hops are strong. It smells like Centennial or nugget hops. It's hard to discern the malts that are lying behind the hops. Very fresh, especially from a can. No metal aromas!

Taste: King of mineral and earthy, doesn't really live up to the aroma. Still quite tasty though.

Mouthfeel: Bitter, earthy, yeasty and a little boozy. Lingering bitterness.

Drinkability: A good IPA. Not good, but very drinkable and worthy of a sample. I would revisit.

Serving type: can

06-12-2009 12:10:33 | More by Risser09

Docer

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Snagged a can of this at my local Vancouver, WA By the Bottle...

- Crystal clear new copper penny color... bit of fluffy white head, down to a little bit of white lacing... some big bubbles in the head....

- Rich caramel malts.. sweet, brown sugar..Some bittering hops, and a bit of a pee smell... or mildew... something of the sort.

- Sweet caramel malt, dirty water, mildew, earth, and some light bitter hop notes, little bit of pine, and roasted and/or burnt malt.

- Bit watery feel, dry, roasty aftertaste... and some dirt.

- Ok as far as drinkability... but really not that great of an IPA... especially just having this after a Green Flash West Coast IPA....

Serving type: can

07-23-2009 23:11:18 | More by Docer

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Wierd tasting IPA, thrown in a trade. Starts OK, and then residual odd hop flavours. Medium yellow body, a quarter inch of white foam. A little hop aromas. Not skunky, but just another AMerican IPA to me, with moe astringency than balance. A bit aggressive carbonation.

Serving type: can

10-03-2010 20:31:24 | More by northyorksammy

HopDiggityDawg

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

appearance - light amber color, just a little darker than I expected from the nose, big frothy head.
Smell - very nice hop, pine, some fruit
taste - nice hoppy grapefruite taste, dry finish
mouthfeel - very even, not too thin, not too chewy for a single ipa
overall - solid, I doubt I will pay $12.99 again for this brew and it probably factored into my rating

Serving type: can

07-03-2011 00:55:08 | More by HopDiggityDawg

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to robbrandes got this extra. Poured into tulip glass...

A- Dark for an IPA. Bronze/copper color with a rocky pale cream head. Sticky lacing remains on the glass and is slowly revealed as the head sinks into the beer.

S- Citrus forward. Lemons and limes, fruit Smarties, and grapefruit. Aroma is a little lighter than I remember, and not much malt behind the hops in nose.

T/M- A slight chalkiness upfront on the flavor before the citrus comes through. Grapefruit and grapes pop prominently. Bitterness is all on the finish, with a nice moderate IBU level that could be about 10-15 higher per my preference. Alcohol announces it's presence, but not over powering. Body is medium, leaning towards heavy. Carbonation is fairly low, leaving this slick and borderline slimy in the mouth.

O- I like this beer now, but I love it when I get it at the bar and don't analyze it as much. Has solid properties, but nothing that makes it stand out against other competitors. Above average, but it gets pushed aside at it's price when Sweetwater, Yazoo, and others are on the same shelf...

Serving type: can

12-06-2011 16:23:40 | More by TheGordianKnot

HalfFull

California

3.53/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass from a 12 oz. can. Pours clear and deep golden/copper in color and offers a nice bubbly half inch of off white head. This settles to a surface cap in a minute or two but doesn't hold up to offer any lacing with the carbonation heading for the hills by half glass.

Nice blend of hops on the nose with some orange citrus and fresh cut pine, with a certain resiny quality in that regard. Hops are quite light and become a bit more elusive over time. Some clean fruity malt notes accompany. Good quality but not quantity.

Smooth in flavor and light in body as predicted from the nose. Finishes with a distinct and lingering orange flavor and just a hint of bitterness follows. Decent unobtrusive feel and drink.

This is an IPA 'Lite' for me. Light hops and malts, well balanced yes, but very light bodied for the style. Would have dubbed this an APA. Wonder what their Pale is like?

Serving type: can

08-27-2009 22:14:01 | More by HalfFull

Overlord

California

3.53/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Eh. A little surprised at the rating here.

Pours a copper, reddish orange. Definitely not the familiar yellowish, golden orange of most IPAs. Large off-white head.

Smells faintly of pine, more strongly of ... well, citrus. Not quite grapefruit, just citrus-y. And there's maybe a whiff of malt. Well, maybe not.

There's a strange toasted after-taste to the malt, and the hop flavoring is a touch muted. Really more like a pale ale than an ipa to me, though not quite that either. Some grapefruit, some random-y citrus notes, and a touch of sweet malt.

Decent, but nothing to write home about.

Serving type: can

12-16-2009 06:35:37 | More by Overlord

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.53/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed on 1/3/2010. Can. Pours a clear deep orange with a thick off-white head. Aroma of piney, grassy hops, some citrus and tropical fruits. Flavor of caramel malt and light citrus upfront with a bitter hops finish. Decent IPA, rather on the bitter side.

Serving type: can

12-23-2010 17:03:57 | More by LilBeerDoctor

Finatic

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz can poured into a chilled Founders pint glass.

A: Pours a dark orange color with a nice white, frothy head that recedes very slowly. Excellent lacing retention throughout the glass.

S: Huge tropical notes up front with grapefruit being the main scent. I also can smell traces of pine and some orange and malt.

T: I taste more orange than the scent gives off. Not as much pine and or grapefruit as the scent had suggested. This beer has a massive sweet malt backbone.

M: A bit too syrupy for my liking, medium bodied and it has nice carbonation.

O: Not what I look for in an IPA and quite honestly for the price not worthy of an elite IPA status IMO.

Serving type: can

01-08-2012 14:22:16 | More by Finatic

dbmernin83

California

3.53/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Outta the can, into a pint. Good lace, head. Foggy copper.
Citrusy hops, tropical fruit malts, delicious. Balanced for an IPA, but still hoppy. A signature Colorado IPA.
Appropriate carbonation. Crisp. Dry finish. Canned IPA this good is a beautiful thing

Serving type: can

03-11-2012 01:56:11 | More by dbmernin83