Caldera IPA - Caldera Brewing Company

LukeD23

Delaware

4.13/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a really nice sunburnt orange. Subtle head is off white and minimal.

Aroma - Lots of citrus, and tangy aromas, a little bit of dankness. I get clementine and tangerine, apricot, and a little peach.

Flavor - solid bitterness with a crisp hop flavor. I get a good earthy flavor with a nice caramel note in the backround. Good malt backbone with biscuit and cracker dry notes.

Overall- good everyday drinker IPA. Lots of hop goodness with a solid malt flavor to back it up.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 01:38:34 | More by LukeD23

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.4/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Acquired from Tiklmelmo courtesy of the Hometown BIF, so a big "Thank You" goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz can into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light golden brown color, with a large off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains floral hops, fruity citrus and caramelized malts.

T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of citrus and caramel that are quickly followed by strong but not over-powering and very complementary hops bitterness. The malt character is hearty but not too heavy and provides a very good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly hoppy.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean and dry.

D: Very tasty, goes down quite easily, not too filling, decent kick, very good representation of style, this is a very solid IPA that is worth drinking for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2010 22:12:07 | More by TheManiacalOne

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

4.03/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a hazy burnt orange. A billowy 3 finger head. Average lacing.

S - Big citrus aroma, caramel, hints of alcohol, dried herbs.

T - Citrus hops with some strawberry fruitiness. Some floral spice in the back fades into toasted caramel malt. The malt has a nice sweetness that keeps the hops from taking over everything.

The malt seems shy at first but opens up as you go. My first IPA out of a can. Very easy drinking. Good stuff!

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 02:53:36 | More by StaveHooks

JTahoe

California

3.88/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

on tap at Uber Tavern, poured in a standard pint.

A - Amber-gold with nice off-white head that leaves pretty decent lace sticking all over the glass.

S - snappy pine and citrus rind.

T - Pine resinous and bitter herbal hops with nice grainy backbone.

M - nice coating medium body with risp carbonation and fry finish.

D - Fairly layered for a somewhat straight forward flavor profile, revealing itself over time which makes it more drinkable than it seems at first.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2010 04:57:21 | More by JTahoe

BevMoAndrew

California

3.73/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a standard pint glass at about 40-45 degrees.

Shows an orange-like copper in the pint with a nice white froth. Citrus and pine hops jump out of the glass with orange, lime, dried apricot, subtle peach (I know...it's weird, but that's what I got), pine, and easy hop leaves followed by a clear caramel, biscuit, and a touch of cereal grains. On the palate, there is a medium hop bitterness that shows fron the beginning through the finish that is smooth, but a little lean and kind of weak for an IPA. Although the beer is very smooth, balanced, and easy to drink, I was looking for more of a hop presence from this beer (being that's it's a west coast style IPA). Overall, it's a solid IPA that is very easy to drink, but one that left me looking for more.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2009 15:51:18 | More by BevMoAndrew

Finn

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A light orange gold, with modest tightly knit bit of head that stays.

S: Nice piney, grapefruit and citrus, hint of biscuity malts

T: First flavors are a strong, piney, grapefruit bite, with a tad of crystalish malts barely balancing it out, then a bitter finish of resinous west coast hops.

M: Medium bodied, average carbonation, slightly sticky, cloying finish. maybe from the hops.

D: Decent drinkability, though I've had much more drinkable IPA's. Still a very delicious west coast IPA well worth the try. Just probably wouldn't make this session beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2009 02:52:28 | More by Finn

RoyalT

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - This is a shiny bronze in color with a modest head that showed good retention and left some nice lattice work on the inside of my glass.

Smell - The hops are deep, rich, and complex here and quickly surpass the good malty base of this ale. There's a beautiful orange citrus here that isn't too sweet but more like the aroma of a fine orange liqueur. The stiff pine gives a contrasting compliment to the citrus and a bit of lemongrass to complete the puzzle.

Taste - The big malt base, almost like a DIPA, comes on much stronger at the taste and is amazingly able to hold its own against these huge, complex hops. The pine from the nose steps back a bit on the tongue but otherwise this ale tastes like it smells.

Mouthfeel - This is a solid medium-bodied with some large bitterness that is tempered by the light toffee sweetness of the malts. The carbonation is rightly light and overall this IPA has a terrific mouthfeel.

Drinkability - This is a big, complex IPA that seems like a double until you notice that the ABV is just slightly over 6%.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2009 01:58:16 | More by RoyalT

cerveza5150

California

3.95/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a hazy orange/reddish with a soapy, foamy head. Lots of bubbles of small carbonation.

S: Pine, citrus, and grapefruit all the way, almost to the point of smelling like a Fresca! (how's that for an obscure reference). The malt is also noticeable in the form of a little fruitness.

T: Wow! The hops pack a whallop both in the nose and in the finish of the taste, but the sweet malt coats the tongue and the throat and balances out nicely. The aftertaste of so many hops does take down the mouthfeel a bit, but the taste is definitely...tasty!!!

M: The hops sting a bit, even in the mouthfeel, but the malt is moderately thick, which helps wash everything down. The only drawback I can see is that the hops stick around so much in the aftertaste. It wants me to drink more, but it still is a little surprising.

D: This is a good IPA. Almost like a Firestone Pale Ale supercharged; the hops are front and center, and the malt does its job to try and balance it, but the overall impression is HOPS. I like this, and like the idea of cans, but this is NOT for folks who don't like it bitter!!

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2009 02:13:41 | More by cerveza5150

meatyard

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out a clear, amber/orange with a 2-finger, thick, white head that leaves moderate, splotchy lacing.
The smell is both fruity and malty, malt dominates.
Taste is fruity, citrus hops up front then overtaken by a strong malt flavor and finishes with bitterness.
Mouthfeel is medium, well-carbonated at first but low later.
Drinkability is fine. I like it and many of those who like IPAs will also.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2009 19:43:50 | More by meatyard

tronester

Oklahoma

4.15/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear orange with a big tan head. Smells of citrus. Taste is very citrusy up front, with a nice caramel malt middle, and an herbal, smoky hop finish. Nice bitterness that clings to your tongue. Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, nice low carbonation. Drinkability is great, several of these in a row wouldnt be difficult. A super choice for an IPA which conveniently comes in a can.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2009 00:14:42 | More by tronester

kirok1999

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to rayjay for the extra in a trade.
Pours a slightly hazy orange with a nice, tight white head that laces like glue.
Smells of massive amounts of hops, damn near all of them. Lots of citrus and pine, with some caramel malt as well.
Tastes wonderfully hoppy, tons of pine and citrus yet an almost grainy note, also slightly vegetal. There is a lot of malt here to back things up, there's a nice tight carbonation and it feels dense.
Very easy to drink on after an evening of flying frizbee.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2008 00:54:06 | More by kirok1999

PhxHorn

Arizona

2.3/5  rDev -42.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Ordered this from Liquid Solutions with my Abyss order. Pours a dark yellow, with a good deal of white foam which sticks to the glass. Smells like a strong IPA, citrusy. Taste is where the problem was. Hardly any citrus taste at all, no malt either, just a one-dimensional sour bitterness that was very unpleasant. Not happening and not drinkable at all. I couldn't finish this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2008 04:05:01 | More by PhxHorn

MrIncognito

Virginia

4.24/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A - Poured from a 12oz can. My first official gusher I believe. After 1 second of cracking the mouth open the beer gushed out. Probably lost 1/2 - 1 oz. Pours a light amber body with nice orange hues. Big, sticky, lightly off-white head that retains well and leaves beautiful lacing

S - obviously hop-forward with citrus notes or orange and lightly grapefruit. Somewhat sweet but not overly sugary/syrupy. Nice and crisp.

T&M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Big citrus notes of orange a lemon and bittering hop balance. Sweet enough to be really tasty without being cloying. Great citrusy aftertaste. Good malt backbone to bring it all together.

O - Great beer that is full-flavored yet easy to drink. Could definitely have a few of these in a sitting

Serving type: can

05-17-2013 13:32:07 | More by MrIncognito

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

MNishCT77

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. can purchased at Total Wines and More in Alexandria, VA last week, unknown birth date, poured into a 3Fs Teku long-stemmed glass, drank 4/23/13 over one hour.

A: 4.5 - reddish-brown (dare I say amber?!?) coloration, impressive clarity (can both see and read through...likely filtered), white one finger head dissipates very quickly into subtle glass lacing, small amount of tight amber bubbles, minimal perceptible alcohol legs

S: 4.5 - solid dank aroma: pine, resin, grapefruit...slight booze notes on the nose dig...classic Simcoe, Centennial and Amarillo notes

T: 4.5 - slap of bitterness on the anterior tongue but surprisingly less than 94 IBUs but resolved on subsequent sipping...in the middle of the mouth, there was lots grapefruit and pine but, after warming, the biscuity sweet caramel malts lingered, picking up alcohol tones consistent with 6%, very dry

M: 4.5 - moderate body and carbonation, juicy mouthfeel

O: 4.5 - solid, well-balanced American IPA: again, I mostly pulled out the Simcoe, Centennial and Amarillo pine dankness on the front end with accompanying bitterness (albeit not aggressively so) but the malt backbone is underrated here; I got a single can on the cheap (~$2), very glad that I tried it and would definitely purchase this again

Serving type: can

04-24-2013 00:57:48 | More by MNishCT77

MattSlem

California

2.94/5  rDev -26.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.75

Appearance - Golden orange color with some small debris (looked like hop stems)
Smell - Piney, a bit of grapefruit, a vegetal quality to it
Taste - Diacetyl, grassy, hint of grapefruit
Mouthfeel - Light carbonation which makes this beer a little heavy and sweet for the style
Overall - I have had much better IPA's than this. Not terrible, but not nearly my go to IPA either. I thoroughly enjoy the cans though!

Serving type: can

04-14-2013 00:18:46 | More by MattSlem

Roman5150

Michigan

4.06/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

tried out of can, prety damn good, this review is poured into a tulip glass

Appearance: Orangish Ruby Amber color, large white fluffy head, lots of lacing

Smell: grapefruit, citrus, very piney (simcoe hops possibly?)

Taste: lots of hop flavor bursting out right away, followed by a smooth dry somewhat bitter finish. lots of grapefruit and earthy pines. Also got some lemon notes at the beginning.

Mouthfeel: pretty light on the carbonation, sits very light, very refreshing

Overall: A solid, hoppy, west coast IPA, I honestly think I like this one out of the can better. Is that weird? The cool looking cans caught my eye, so i gave it a try, and it's probably gonna be another buy. However, I don't think I'd purchase this if Stone IPA was also available, or even Ruination.

Serving type: can

04-11-2013 06:58:15 | More by Roman5150

Somebody_Else

California

3.95/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Drunk straight out of the can so IDK about the appearance.

The smell was very light. Kind of lager-y from cold to end-o'-can.

The taste started out fairly nondescript, straight out of the refrigerator, but as with most IPAs, the flavor opened up quite a bit after a few minutes at room temperature. There was an odd cheese-like component to the taste -- sort of an aged Swiss or Gruyere. I see where another reviewer mentioned a "butter" flavor so I don't feel completely out of touch with this observation. Odd but not bad at all.

The mouthfeel was great and the best part of this beer was the lingering hops oils on the tongue. Great after-taste!

Overall, not a first pick, but a reasonable sailing bear as it's in cans and only 6.1% ABV so suitable for drinking all day on a summer's sail. That cheese flavor would make me hesitant to give to a newbie as an introduction to hoppy IPAs but other than that, pretty durn good!

Serving type: can

03-30-2013 20:31:41 | More by Somebody_Else

Immortale25

Florida

4.49/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Dogfish Spiegelau glass. No freshness date but there's a sticker, no doubt put there by the liquor store, that say 2/12/2013.

A- Pours a dark amber with a 2 finger off-white head that retains a good long time before eventually making its way down to a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a large tuft of surface foam. .

S- Moderately hoppy aroma with a great deal of cereal grain sweetness from the malt. It has just as much citrus punch to it as it does caramel and brown sugar.

T- Such a delicate balance between subtle yet effective hops and that wort-like sweet barley flavor. Notes of caramel as well as grapefruit. Bitterness is strong and lingers but is fully complimented by the malt backbone.

Sharp and oily from the hops with a bit of creaminess from the malts. Medium carbonation and a notch above medium for the body.

O- I use malts and hops a lot in contrast for this review because this is a prime example of the two fused together nearly seamlessly. An excellently balanced IPA.

Serving type: can

03-30-2013 02:59:59 | More by Immortale25

Cubatobaco

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Copper in color with a deep haziness. You can pick out some carbonation through the fog of the glass. Light lacing and and about an 1/8 of an inch head.

S: Slightly muted in the nose with hints of sweetness. Others here call it "candy", but I'm getting a "butter-like" aroma. Light citrus and pine notes are there as well.

T: The taste is very different in the sense I am getting the same "butter-like" note on the back end, just behind the classic West Coast IPA tastes of citrus fruit and pine.

M: Oily with light carbonation. Enjoyably bitter on the sides if my tongue. There is a light foaminess that coasts my mouth which leaves a pony aftertaste.

O: A very well made West Coat IPA. I would definitely buy again. With the distinct flavor, I could optically pick this one out of line z

Serving type: can

03-14-2013 02:40:04 | More by Cubatobaco

JClarson

4.24/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A- Nice off white head. Rich coppery color.

S- Sweet pine, melon, and candy.

T- Hops smack you in the face on first sip and follow through on the finish. The sweetness from the aroma doesn't carry through to the palate as I expected it would.

M- Dry and delicious with a hoppy aftertaste. Slight sweetness after licking the lips.

O- Wonderful brew. Classic west coast style IPA. Hops are prevalent and last all the way to the last drop. If you consider yourself an "IPA guy" this is a must try. Very hard to find by me on the east coast.

Serving type: can

02-11-2013 22:14:39 | More by JClarson

garuda

Pennsylvania

3.84/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Clear copper body, white head has good retention and lacing.

S/T - All around good IPA with pine hops up front with the caramel/bready malt providing a nice backbone. Finishes bitter with hop flavor, never getting too sweet.

M - Medium body, medium carb, smooth and creamy, finishes dry

O - Simple straightforward IPA. Drinks easy, no off-flavors, up front pine hops with a little citrus.

Serving type: can

01-24-2013 20:15:41 | More by garuda

tut2528

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

once again, thanks to Jaap for sending me this one!

A: pours a deep dark orange with some brownish hints to it. pours a nice 1/2 fingers worth of head formation that dissipates rather quickly, but with a couple swirls of the glass, it quickly rises again.

S: awesome citrus (orange peel and lemon zest), some grapefruit, pineapple and even mango. terrfically balanced with a blast of hops. i also pick up on a sweet caramel backbone that holds this brew together.

T: big earthy hop bitterness, sweetened malt and a subtle peppery spice in there as well. the fruits aren't as nearly prominent here as they were in the nose, which is probably the most suprising aspect.

M: big carbonation, solid medium bodied, the palate is left with the dry hop bitterness and a slight touch of citrus.

O: if you like big bitter hopped up brews, this one is a must try. the aroma of this brew is amazing with the big tropical fruits, and I wish it carried over into the taste. Instead, as previously mentioned, the hops become the dominant player and the fruits take the back seat. Nonetheless, this is a great beer, that is has fairly high drinkability.

Serving type: can

01-20-2013 20:35:22 | More by tut2528

vashooter

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Serving : 12 ounce can from Total wine served in a tulip (large one)

Appearance : Beautiful clear dark honey color, about what I would expect from an IPA, nice 2 fingers of head when poured into glass subsiding to a small half inch of sticky head that seems to want to hang out with me.

Smell: Is not quite as hoppy as a BIG IPA but lots of caramel blending, hop notes are somewhat subdued as the beer warms up but more hop nose when first poured.

Taste: Initially straight malt, sweet but, lots of hop character that is not overpowering or rude. No hint of Diacetyl or vegetable notes in my sample. Actually this beer is well made and well balanced, not as large as a lot of IPA's that rely on brutish hop levels with out good malt balance.I actually think there might be some demarra sugar in this brew.

Mouthfeel: Actually reminds me of a cross between an ESB and a IPA, the sweetness is there but the hops are there also, just not in your face hops. Warming to the tongue with a little bitterness in the finish. Wonderfully balanced beer. Someone put a lot of love into this recipe.

Overall: I give it a 4.5, However this can become one of my favorites very easily. Cheers

Serving type: can

01-18-2013 06:26:11 | More by vashooter

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.54/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Pours a pretty dark woody amber, just under an inch of tan head.

Smells of sticky sweet pine, fairly heavy on the malt, some sweet stone fruit or maybe light strawberry or something. Smells good but maltier than I'd like.

Taste is more bitter than I expected from the nose, good dose of pine, some light fruitiness again that's hard to place. Pretty heavy on malt again but much more balanced by bitterness than it smelled. Actually more malty than sweet really.

Fairly thick body, more than I usually like in IPAs, but good carbonation too that keeps it from being syrupy or cloying. Solid.

Solid ipa, maltier than I like my IPAs but pretty balanced and drinkable, a good option for a six pack for a party or something.

7.1/10

Serving type: can

01-11-2013 20:21:23 | More by AlexFields