Caldera IPA - Caldera Brewing Company

BattleRoadBrewer

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served cool from a 12 oz can into a Boston Lager glass.

Pours crystal clear with a fluffy off-white head that leads loads of lacing on the glass. Nice orange light-amber color bordering on light coppery tone.

Aroma is just loaded with citrusy, tangerine hops. Not much subtlety there.

Flavor is a lot more complex. There's tangerine, pine, and floral hops. A touch of caramel and a touch of maltiness, and even a touch of grassiness. Nicely "balanced" (for what it is) but practically speaking, still hop-heavy.

Mouthfeel is suitably bitter, but not near the max of the style, and has a nice dry finish--refreshing compared to many heavy, sugary IPAs in its class.

Drinkability is good, but the bitter front and dry finish might actually go better with a bit less flavor and aroma. This is a nice complement to their Pale Ale, one of my favorite beers, and I think I like this one's hop bill even better.

Highly recommended.

Serving type: can

05-28-2008 00:05:45 | More by BattleRoadBrewer

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

Wasatch

Utah

4.35/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very nice golden orange color, nice carbonation, nice creamy one-finger plus off-white head, lots of nice small islands and sticky lacing follows. The nose is malty, big hop note, citrus/pines, and caramel. The taste is very nice, malty, hoppy, with some nice citrus/pine tones, with some caramel thrown in. Medium body. Very drinkable, this is a very solid IPA (in a can too), definitely recommended.

Serving type: can

05-10-2008 23:19:43 | More by Wasatch

MuenchenerKindl

Germany

4.05/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz can to a pint glass, the liquid is i nice gold with good carbonation. The head is almost 2 fingers off white and leaves good lace.

The smell is earthy hops, plenty bitter for the stlye.

The taste is mildly bitter, and has a good malt back bone.

The mouthfeel is very good, I like the better then medium body as well as the level of carbonation.

The drinkability is good really worth a try. Prosit, MK

Serving type: can

04-20-2008 21:59:59 | More by MuenchenerKindl

libertygrails

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bright, colorful 12 oz. can poured into yer average pint glass.

Pint: Color is dark straw. Aggressive pour yields a light head that reduces quickly. Moderate carbonation. Loads of cloudy-white lacing down the glass.

Nose: Ahhh...ye olde tell-tale Simcoe and Centennial THC-esque resiny/floral hops. Very sweet and estery! Lovely.

Taste/Palate: Sharp, grassy/floral/resiny hops with light malt couples for a nicely refreshing Ale. Liquid sunshine...truth in advertising here, folks.

Mouthfeel: Not to heavy/not to light. Really nicely balanced here. Gimme another quaff. This IPA goes down very, very easy.

Drinkability: The perfect PNW Summer Session IPA. The best IPA i've had out of a can/as good or better than many in bottles. Don't let the packaging keep you cuz i can't find anything not to like here. A clear Blue Ribbon IPA. I'll be coming back. Thanks to you, Caldera Brewing. Another brew worthy of inclusion in the proud pantheon of PNW hoppy Ales. Try one. You'll drink two, maybe three?

Serving type: can

04-07-2008 02:30:03 | More by libertygrails

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

BeerZack

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear orange-copper, or weak iced-tea in color with fine foamy covering that leaves some nice lace.

Nice perfumy cascade-like aroma. Some citrus, pine and floral hops.

Assertively hoppy. Lots of woodsy pine and some citrus peel. Kinda astringent bitter finish.

Slightly stingy aggressive carbonation does not help the already astringent character of the beer.

Pretty drinkable, despite the astringent impression.

Serving type: can

03-28-2008 06:11:08 | More by BeerZack

brentk56

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev -1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a hazy copper color with a rocky head that fizzes out quickly, leaving only the sorriest dots of foam on the sides of the pint glass I have ever seen

Smell: Whoa, that's one rank odor; sure, there is a bit of grapefruit, but there also is something in there that is a cross between wet wool socks after a hike and a cat's litter box

Taste: Fortunately, the taste is much better; starts out with with a hint of caramel that becomes infused with a minty grapefruit juice aspect by mid-palate; after the swallow, the bitter flavors dry out the palate, even though there is plenty of residual sugar that rests on the tip of the tongue

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Just hold your nose and enjoy this beer; it's fine stuff

Serving type: can

03-24-2008 21:03:27 | More by brentk56

russpowell

Oklahoma

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

part of my liquid solutions order, a late x-mas gift to me, from me!

Pours an effervescent amber with 3 fingers of fluffed up cream colored head. Above average lacing & superior head retention

S: Much grapefruit & some pine hops

T: Biscuitty malt, a touch of honey, then lemony hops & finally a wave of grapefruit hops up front. Bready notes, caramel, & then more grapefruit as this warms. Finishes a little dry, with more grapefruitty hops, & a bit of honey malt. Almost gave this a 4.5

MF: Pretty smooth with some chewyness & excellent carbonation & balance

Drinks pretty easy, nice to find another great canned beer out there! Good AIPA

Serving type: can

03-16-2008 05:37:35 | More by russpowell

Spikester

Oregon

4.05/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured amber from the can. Nice one inch head with plenty of lacing. Aroma is earthy citrus hops and a bit of sweet malt.
Flavor is usual hops citrus and pine in this case.
Nice balance of hops and malts with hops dominating.
Good mouthfeel not too watery.
Amazingly good canned beer!
Highly recommended if you enjoy IPA's.
Try the APA also.

Serving type: can

03-15-2008 06:01:00 | More by Spikester

seaoflament

California

3.63/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Hoppiness for sending me this nice extra.

Pours a nice amber color, between a caramel and apple juice hue. A soft inch of foam quickly forms and trickles slowly to a thin layer, leaving behind some lacing on the side of the glass.

Very decent hop aroma. There seems to be a good balance of citrus fruits and pine aromas. The traditional grapefruit is there along with some bitter orange and maybe some tangerine and nectarine. The toasted malt aromas and caramel tries to peek from behind the hops but so far it's mostly hops on top. A touch of bread dough and slightly spicy hops.

Taste is of bitter citrus, citrus zest, and pine with a slightly metallic flavor in the finish. Toasted malts and toasted bread with just a hint of caramel make up the malt backbone. I'm getting a lot of lemon flavor on the finish.

Medium mouth-feel, nothing major to complain about, pretty decent.

Serving type: can

03-08-2008 21:00:07 | More by seaoflament

flexabull

California

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

I was SO pleased to see this at my local liquor store. Finally I have some good locally crafted canned beer that I can take into the wilderness this summer, and that makes me very happy.

Pours a bright light gold color with a very nice white head.

Aromas are very earthy, and resin like. There is also a hint of hard candy sweetness. Very nice nose on this one.

Beer has a very hoppy flavor to it. Mostly like the aromas, earthy and resin like, with some pine like flavors as well. There is a bit of subtle underlying creamy malts, and a finish that is crisp, tart, and bitter.

Mouthfeel is thick and full. Very nice feel for an IPA.

Drinkability is good. This is a nice IPA. Very solid, well made, and tasty. The flavors are actually surprisingly strong, almost DIPA like. This is still a very nice beer that I am glad is now available to me, and in a can too!

Serving type: can

02-28-2008 02:54:00 | More by flexabull

Reidrover

Oregon

2.83/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Nice dark orange colured ale, small lightv tan head. I dont like the aroma, it certainlly has hops aplenty, but has a sour ,sweaty work sock aroma that puts me off in the background. The flavor is better, very strong oniony hopping, pink grapefruit and spruce tips. Thin and maybe even a tad under carbonated. I dint really dig this one. I liked their Pale Ale way better.

Serving type: can

02-26-2008 05:29:42 | More by Reidrover

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

WVbeergeek

Ohio

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

Appears semi haze copper orange body glows when held to the light, large bubbled off white head clings to my pint with thick chunky even lacing between each sip. Aroma is chalk full of hops grapefruit, floral, and piney varieties blend wonderfully tickle the nose with citrus peel like fury. As it warms more of a complex earthiness with mild tree bark notes ring out but underneath all those hops a subtle layer of malt sugars arise bringing out sweet candy like notes. Flavor is upfront with brash bitterness yet enough malt sweetness comes out to party, this is west coast style IPA all the way. Hop bitterness reigns supreme with grapefruit citrus peel bitterness and more of that earthy dirt layer coming through. Mouthfeel the hop bitterness consumes your palate it really sticks around it makes you feel like you have to scrape the hops off your tongue, I love it. Once again I love the can format, this is great to get this much hop flavor out of a near 6%abv brew coming right out of a can. Next time I hit up an outdoor event where drinking takes place I will remember this beer and wish I had at least a case on hand. Very green yet biscuit malts and mild caramel twang make so drinkable the palate gets used to those brash bittering hops and adjusts to all the other flavors my palate has a found it's equilibrium and no shit this is an outstanding IPA in a can. Hoppier than Gordon DIPA.

Serving type: can

02-23-2008 17:43:06 | More by WVbeergeek

unclederby

Oregon

4.47/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

IPA from a can, oh man. This is a good beer.

I opted for the DFH pint glass here and the ale pours out a crystal clear orange with a copper grapefruit hue. A white two-finger head tops off a good looking beer. Nice lacing.

Tantilizing bouquet: floral and perfumey hops accented by a strong citrus presence. The overall effect of hops and malt is sweet and tangy.

Flavors are nicely balanced with just a slight bent towards the hoppy side. Orange and grapefruit mingle with spicy and floral and it's all about centennial hops. Whatever it's hop makeup, it's tasty.

It's weighty on the palate with a somewhat grainy texture and ample carbonation.

I could drink this regulary, it's damn good and I'm tempted to compare it to Two Hearted Ale. Seriously.

Serving type: can

02-19-2008 00:53:06 | More by unclederby

SurlyDuff

Oregon

4.55/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The whole canned microbrew thing is really taking off. With Surly, Caldera, and others now proving that canned beer can be as good or better than bottles, I tihnk in another 5 years the market will explode.

Brick/rusty orange flows into my pint glass from the brightly designed can. Smaller head, though the lacing sticks to the side of my glass with tenacity.

Aroma is a bit weak compared to other PacNW IPA's. However, after the brew warmed up a bit, there was a noticable improvement in the strength. Noticed hops of course. More sweet florals that other IPAs. Grapefruit, lemon, cannabis.

Flavor was superb. For the first second, I notice a sweet smoothness. Then the hops set in and I am awash in bitter pine and citrus. Again, cannabis notes as well. The finish has caramel and bitter earthen/soil characteristics.

I really like this one, and get no metallic or other "can"-like flavors. (not that I expected to). I've got a 6-pack, and I would like to drink at leas tone straight from the can, it seems like the thing to do.

Serving type: can

02-14-2008 05:34:39 | More by SurlyDuff

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

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a clear, orangey-copper body with a small, bubbly white head.

Smell: Aroma of caramel malts with an herbal, citrus hop presence.

Taste: Mild caramel malt flavor and sweetness. Zesty citrus hops and the taste of fresh herbs. A pinch more of those caramel malts reemerge for the overall bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Slight stickiness to the mouthfeel.

Drinkability: Whaddya know, it's a fairly good IPA.

Serving type: can

12-16-2007 21:48:00 | More by ChainGangGuy

Floydster

California

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

12 ounce can purchased from Liquid Solutions in Oregon for two dollars, never heard of this brewery and went out on a limb when trying this one

Poured into my Russian River pint glass with a golden copper color and a 1/2 silky white head that held its ground for about five minutes, left lots of lacing as most West Coast IPAs seem to do

Smell was lots of floral accents, strong piney hops, different kinds of citrus, particularly lemons and grapefruit, some malt was also evident in the aroma

Taste was nice and dry like I like my India Pale Ales, hops attacked at the beginning and the finish, remaining bitter the entire time through, some sweetness was caused by the citrus but malt was not really there because of how dry this taste was, another great beer out of a can with a distinct taste, floral parts made this one better than a lot of generic IPAs, nice long lasting and crisp finish

Nice full body and just the right amount of carbonation give this one a good mouthfeel

Could drink a six pack of these because they are light and only six percent, cannot wait to try other beers from this brewery in the future

Serving type: can

11-12-2007 07:33:41 | More by Floydster

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

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

Polished brew kettle coppery orange with butter rum edges. The good looking crown is some combination of ivory, ecru and pale orange. It has the look and leaves the lace of a beer that contains a generous amount of hop resins. At least I hope so.

The nose is nicely hoppy, but it isn't explosively hoppy. I blame the fact that the brewers decided to use too much Munich and crystal at the expense of pale malt. The hops (Crystal, Galena, and Centennial) provide grapefruit and orange esters, along with a strong whiff of ganja. Close to excellent, but no cigar. Edit: by the last ounce... cigar.

I feel the same way about the flavor... at least after two mouthfuls. Who knows what time, warming and the rest of the can might accomplish? These guys definitely love to hop their beer, but then that's almost a requirement in Oregon, isn't it? I wish the website listed the IBUs. I'm thinking 70ish.

The sturdy malt backbone, again, contains a healthy amount of toasted earthiness from the Munich and steely caramel from the crystal. It also provides an underlying sweetness that keeps things from being more arid on the back end than they already are. Caramel-soaked orange and grapefruit pith and peel zings across the tongue with each mouthful, leaving shallow alpha acid furrows rather than deep trenches.

The mouthfeel is IPA medium; perhaps a bit more full due to a wonderful creaminess as it gains a few degrees. The amount and feel of the carbonation strikes me as just about right. Are all 12 ounces gone already?

Prior to Surly blowing the entire concept sky-high, Caldera Pale Ale was my favorite canned beer. IPA is at least as good. It's a terrific, drinkable beer that I have no trouble recommending to anyone, hophead or not. If you have a few slots to fill in your Liquid Solutions order, you could do much worse than to fill them with either Caldera Pale Ale or Caldera IPA.

Serving type: can

11-11-2007 14:49:27 | More by BuckeyeNation

Bierguy5

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. can, 6.1% ABV. Thanks to mcallister for bringing this back from the northwest journey!

Slightly hazy, copper color, with some gold streaks. Nice fluffy white head. Great retention, and lace as one might expect from a northwest IPA.

Nice blast of hops up the nose, grapefruit, tangerine, floral and pine. Smells quite fresh. Good amount of malty notes in the nose as well.

Fair amount of sweetness up front, along with a decent blast of citrusy, floral and slightly piney hops. Seems to fade into a bit of grassy flavor as well. Very nice.

Good body, very easy to drink. This seems pretty solid to me, and an easy drinker.

Serving type: can

10-15-2007 20:01:38 | More by Bierguy5

blakesell

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Mcallister for hooking it up with this can.

Poured from 12oz can into a pilsner glass.

Appearance- Beer pours a hazy dark orange with a nice frothy head with large bubbles filling about a 3 finger head. A chill haze is present, light lacing.

Smell- Big floral hop smacks me right in the face, this smells like a nice fresh IPA. Smells like there is a decent amount of malt on this one to balance as well.

Taste- Rich fluffy hops and a very nice light malt bringing in the rear. This is a nice balanced IPA, there is a bit of metallic can character as well.

Mouthfeel- The metallic flavor comes in and lingers on the mouthfeel. The carbonation seems to wear down quite a bit as well. Still a medium bodied, crisp beer.

Drinkability- The drinkability on this IPA is quite good. This is the sort of beer one could stand to have by the 'suitcase' although it has more of the maturity for the established craft beer drinker. Great swilling beer.

Serving type: can

09-30-2007 19:29:32 | More by blakesell

mcallister

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Lovely pour colored similarly to unpolished copper. The head is a pillow of sustained goodness. Off white, and just won't go away. A beer that when you take a sip the head sticks on your mouth for a foam mustache. Thick completely engulfing lace completely down the glass.

Damn I love the canned beers. Fresh smack of in your face hops. Lovely floral tones with a piney aspect with a hint of stone fruits. A thick caramel toffee really brings things together and adds a sense of sweetness to the aroma.

Very floral and perfumey on the finish. Slightly lacking on the mid palate and on the finish a gritty almost metallic hop bitterness. Caramel malt rests behind the floral tones and could be a little more pronounced. A bit of peach and blood orange also say hello.

Mouth is lacking the creamy thickness that more malting could have brought and it dissapoints. This beer just barely misses from being great, otherwise a very solid IPA.

Serving type: can

09-19-2007 21:53:02 | More by mcallister

cswhitehorse

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First micro brew for me in a can. Cool logo but with no freshness date. It pours a amber color with a nice sea foam head. The smell is strong of hops. The taste hits you with a dry hop appeal with a huge hop profile. It leaves a stinging pleasant aftertaste as it journeys down the throat. I really like the uniqueness of the this American IPA profile.

Serving type: can

09-15-2007 02:54:53 | More by cswhitehorse