Caldera IPA - Caldera Brewing Company

Georgiabeer

Georgia

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

I had this very nice IPA on-tap at Brewer's Haven in Boise, Idaho after I had completed a little beer shopping. Poured amber with a nice head and great lacing. Smells very fruity with candied orange peel and grapefruit pith. The taste is very full, with bitter hops, breadiness. Sharp pine and earth in the hop profile. A little chewy in the mouth, but ovarall this is dry, bitter, and delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2011 20:20:35 | More by Georgiabeer

jdense

Oregon

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

On tap at the EOU faculty lounge in The Big.

Light orange body under one finger slowly dissapating white head, exceptional lacing. Floral hops in the nose with light sweetness of malt, not too sweet. A very nice balance of grassy, grapefruit hops with delicate malty overtones on the taste buds. Nice carbonation in mouthfeel, and a very drinkable brew. A very pleasant surprise, looking forward to trying this in cans on a hot summer day.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2009 17:02:42 | More by jdense

DIM

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

a: This was a very pale, clear golden color. It was served to me with craggy, sticky head that stuck around for awhile.

s: Big piney hop nose with a little lemon.

t: This tasted very fresh. Sweet flavors of toffee and then a big piny hop blast at the end.

m: Fabulous carbonation, long lasting. Perfect.

d: One of the best IPAs I've tried. Great stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2008 10:48:12 | More by DIM

ElGordo

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at the Horse Brass Pub in Portland. Pours a slightly hazy golden color topped by a beautiful creamy white head. Nice, creamy lacing all the way down the glass. Nose of fresh, spicy hops and a touch of light sweet malt. Palate is redolent of spicy hops, light sweet malt, and notes of pine, black pepper, grass, and just a hint of bready sweetness. Body is absolutely perfect - rich, creamy, and without the syrupy character that many stronger IPAs tend to carry. Man, I chose the right one here. I'd drink this every day if it were available where I live.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2006 20:53:32 | More by ElGordo

Redrover

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I had this on tap at Capril’s restaurant in Portland, OR. This is great place to go for really inventive food.

The beer was a slightly cloudy bronze orange with a nice white head. Good lacing.

Nice citrus nose. Not, sure, but I’m guessing cascade hops. Whiffs of fresh bread as well.

This is a nice solid IPA. A liberal use of hops adds a distinctive citrus bite. Some more floral tones emerge ½ way through the beer. Seems slightly under malted, but still tasty.

The carbonation is perfect for this beer and it also has a slightly oily quality. Drinkabity suffers a touch by the slight lack of balance. Still, an enjoyable IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2005 17:09:52 | More by Redrover

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

rawfish

California

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

Amber with three fingers of rocky and whipped head forming excellent lacing all over the glass, very nice beer.

Caramel, whole grain bread, husky and raw malt. Pine, green tea, and earthy hops hints of pineapple and caramelized onion, very rugged.

Husky malt, bready and grainy that complements the earthy and herbaceous hop profile. More tea leaves, bitter herbs and pine. Dull lasting bitterness that dries and scrubs the palate.

Medium bodied and lower end carbonation, works very well with the flavors here. No hint of alcohol and dries perfectly.

Flavorwise it doesn't wow like some other ipas but it's memorable for other reasons, it seems raw and built for the outdoors from the canned beginning. Balanced and earthy, very tasty one of the better cans out there.

Serving type: can

01-08-2013 03:32:03 | More by rawfish

nUgZ

North Carolina

3.83/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce can poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a mostly clear copper color with a 3 finger head and excellent lacing.

S: Citrus and pine hops, malt, alcohol, and also the aroma of tea. There's something about the smell that I don't quite like...maybe the tea smell.

T: Fairly heavy malt flavors but with enough hops to balance it out. Nice bitterness in the finish. Somewhat piney flavor.

M: Light bodied with a good amount of carbonation. A little lighter than my ideal IPA but very easy to drink.

O: Overall, this is a very drinkable IPA. Nice balance and good flavor. Lighter than my usual IPA's and the smell leaves something to be desired. A good option for when bottles won't work.

Serving type: can

11-17-2012 17:55:34 | More by nUgZ

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

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

Mixed and matched this can yet like others I am not sure how old it is.

A - Well I got little to no yeast particles so I assume it can't be more than 3 months old. Color is a hazy amber brown with a 1/4 inch of sticky white head that stays around for a while.

S - Smell is mostly subdued but has a nice edge of grapefruit hops. Really nothing beyond that and not really strong either.

T - Well it's not bad the grapefruit taste is juicy enough without being bitter or cloying and balancing sweet cracker malts seem to give it a great finish. Quite tasty,

M - Despite the sessionable ABV it seems a tad medium in body yet still tasty.

Overall this beer seems pretty good probably great fresh. Not terrible old though.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 04:11:11 | More by DrDemento456

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz can into a Half Acre tulip.

A- pours copper with a 2 finger white head. Nice rings of small bubbles remain on the glass.

S- caramel, lemon, orange, some spice and pine.

T- toasted caramel, slight onion, citrus and good amount of pine bitterness.

M- medium body and carbonation. Some effervescence tingles the tongue.

O- ok ipa. Not sure how fresh this is so won't bash it too much. Not a fan of the onion flavor and could use a little more citrus.

Serving type: can

10-03-2012 01:18:05 | More by kawilliams81

FickleBeast

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz can poured into a pint glass.

Pours a clear copper color with two fingers of foam. Nice sticky lacing. Aroma is nicely hoppy, tropical fruit, pineapple, apricot.

First sip is a nice explosion of hop flavor, with a solid burst of bitter flavor, but finishing clean without any harsh lingering bitterness. Substantial malt backbone helps round out the beer, but it just serves as a backdrop to showcase the tropical fruit hop flavors.

This is a very pleasant, enjoyable IPA. Balanced, drinkable, and satisfying. Would buy again.

Serving type: can

09-07-2012 00:20:03 | More by FickleBeast

Josiah2729

Tennessee

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

Can poured into pint glass

Appearance: Orange with 3 finger white head that settled to 1/2 inch. Excellent lacing throughout, clear with minimal effervescence.

Smell: Citrus and Pine, slight malt aroma

Taste: Citrus and Piney hops, slightly sweet malt finish.

Mouthfeel: Light body with low carbonation.

Overall: Delicious IPA with a strong hop presence that is not overpowering, great beer.

Serving type: can

08-23-2012 04:45:59 | More by Josiah2729

homebrew311

Illinois

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

Poured into NB globe glass. Appearance is dark gold with moderate clarity. Thin white head forms and retains a layer nicely. Tons of lacing is left behind. The nose has notes of graham cracker, earthy hops, and dashes of lemon and grass. Taste starts bready with malt sweetness, quickly becomes earthy and bitter. Notes of pine and wood come through on the finish. Mouthfeel is medium with high carbonation. Overall, a nice flavorful IPA here with an interesting cracker component.

Serving type: can

08-12-2012 05:25:11 | More by homebrew311