Caldera IPA - Caldera Brewing Company

beertunes

Washington

3/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Finally starting to see this much hyped brewery show up here in the Fourth Corner. The Amber and Pale I tried weren't all that thrilling so I didn't have much in the way of expectations for the IPA. Well it turned out to be just an average example of the style. It's worth a shot if you see it, but it's not great.

Serving type: can

07-06-2010 01:00:15 | More by beertunes

DefenCorps

Oregon

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

12oz can I picked up at State Line this past weekend.

A: In my Duvel glass, this IPA sits a rather dark amber with an off-white head with good retention and gorgeous lacework.

S: On the nose, there's some heady and bitter pine with some grapefruit pungency. The balance leans towards the bittering hops on this one. Malt presence is light and is easily countered by some citrus and spicy aroma hops

T: Opens up with plenty of bitterness - pine, grapefruit and white pepper. Hop flavor is moderate with a little bit of citrus. Thin malt backbone with a hint of caramel sweetness. Finishes dry and bitter

M: Fairly light in body with good hop bitterness, soft carbonation and a dry, bitter finish. The finish could be improved if there was some resiny character from the hops.

D: This is fairly enjoyable, the bitterness just might be a bit high for my palate

Serving type: can

03-20-2009 02:10:24 | More by DefenCorps

tpd975

Florida

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

Thanks to ibrew2or3 AKA McLargeHuge

A: Pours a nice light bright golden yellow/orange hue with a small fizzy head. There is little retenion and spotty lace.

S: Nice big hop aroma. There is a huge blast of grapefruit and a bit of grass. A touch of sweet malt lurks beneath.

T: This one starts nice and bold. A big blast of grapefruit right from the start. Some malt cuts thru do tone things down in the middle, but the finish is nice and bitter.

M: Medium body with great carbonation.

D: Perfect summer brew for Florida as it comes in a can. One of the best canned IPA's out there.

Serving type: can

08-12-2008 15:32:58 | More by tpd975

FosterJM

California

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

316th review on BA
can to pint
No dating on can

App- Dark amber orange with a gentle 1 1/2 finger pancake head. Big cling in the glass.

Smell- Little bit of crystal malt with some caramel sweet, maybe a pinch of graprefruity IPA'ness.

Taste- A very well done IPA. Malty backbone with a spicy, fruity, candy like chew to it.

Mouth- Medium bodied with a medium carb level. Fruits with a little pepper. Good stuff.

Drink- I will have this again. A good IPA from a can.

Serving type: can

03-16-2011 05:49:53 | More by FosterJM

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

RedDiamond

Oregon

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

Caldera IPA is my new best friend. And I'm wondering if the can has something to do with it.

For decades canned beer deserved the stigma attached to it. The aluminum adversely impacted the taste, lending a tawdry metallic quality that was the hallmark of industrial beer production. This problem has been solved in recent years by coating the inside of the can with a food-grade polymer that effectively keeps the beer off the aluminum. No more unsavory beer can taste.

Today it's not merely a matter of acknowledging that canned beer "works." It's now prudent to ask whether it's an altogether better idea than beer in a bottle. And Caldera's IPA is a fine candidate for the notion that canned beer is an idea whose time has come.

Caldera IPA's aroma is floral and leafy. The leaf is so fresh it's almost sticky. It imparts a tall airy head of majestic suds amid lively carbonation in a sunny topaz color. The body is vivid and clear though marred by a few wayward flocs.

The taste reminds me of Fire Station 5 with perfectly posited bittering that takes your hand and walks you through a lush garden of herbal hop flavor. Piney, peachy elements interweave from an ideal balance of hop flavor and malty sustenance. And the mouthfeel is flawless - plush, meandering, and exquisitely quaffable. Even the head delights in its own fluffiness.

An ideal go-to beer for any occasion.

Serving type: can

07-22-2008 00:11:14 | More by RedDiamond

bluejacket74

Ohio

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

12 ounce can. Served in a pint glass, the beer pours a hazy amber color with about an inch off-white head. Head retention is pretty good, and there is a lot of lacing left behind on the glass. Aroma is herbal and citrusy hops, along with a bit of sweet malt. Taste is similar to the aroma, it's mostly hops with some sweet malt noticable too. There's also a nice lingering bitter hoppy finish. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's slick with moderate carbonation. It's easy enough to drink. I think it's a good solid IPA. I'd buy this one again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 23:40:45 | More by bluejacket74

hopdog

Pennsylvania

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

12oz can.

Poured a medium amber color with an averagd sized off white head. Aromas of pine, earthy, floral, and citrus. Tastes of pine, citrus, and some caramel. Nice grapefruit bitter finish. A vert nice IPA and from a can too!

Notes from: 09/14/07.

Serving type: can

01-13-2009 15:03:28 | More by hopdog

Brent

Kentucky

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

Pour was a surprisingly murky yet bright caramel color with an aggressive, sticky head. Big hops flavor up front - broadly bitter with floral and herbal notes, finishing up with a bit of pine resin. Substantial malt flavor, leaning toward caramel malt and a bit of toffee. Mouthfeel was almost chewy - no one will accuse this beer of being overly filtered.

Serving type: can

08-16-2010 18:01:41 | More by Brent

blackie

Virginia

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

a: nice off-white head over a light amber colored beer, good retention and light lacing

s: nice nose of tropical fruit juice hops, grassy, not as vivid as some but certainly pleasant with aromas of pineapple and passionfruit, pale base malt supports lightly sweet caramelized sugars

m: carbonation on the lighter side of medium, medium body, smooth

t: pale and caramel malts provide a base for a leafy tropical hop flavor, malts are a pretty weak, my only knock on this one...could use a touch more grainy caramel for balance and to increase flavor complexity, moderate to high grapefruit bitterness

d: no problem, a solid ipa

single from Grape & Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA

Serving type: can

02-26-2009 03:37:20 | More by blackie

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

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

I got this beer from Tilley4. Thanks Jason!

12oz can served in a standard pint glass.

L - slightly hazed copper color with a bone white head that left trails of lacing.

S - citrus rind and a slab of butter rolled in dirt.

T - bitter citrus rind upfront with some buttery notes before getting dry and tart on the finish.

F - medium bodied with a biting feel and smooth carbonation.

D - goes down quick and easy.

Serving type: can

10-27-2010 23:41:57 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

tdm168

North Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy orangish amber with 1/4" of dense, foamy, white head that has great retention. The nose has notes of bready malt, pineapple, and grapefruit with a faint flora aroma. The taste is bready and malty up front with a nice blend of hop characters ranging from pineapple, grapefruit-citrus, and faint pine. The flavors are very well blended. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, well carbonated, and very refreshing.

This is delicious and very easily drinkable. I could put away a lot of these especially since the bitterness from the hops isn't overpowering like in some IPAs so no diminishing returns here.

Serving type: can

11-17-2011 23:55:20 | More by tdm168

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

merlin48

Kentucky

4.33/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Can pours a chill hazed medium amber body with a creamy two finger beige head. Good retention and some sticky patch lace.

Bold aroma of pine and tropical citrus. Tangerine and mango come to mind. Undertones of melting caramel.

Creamy medium body is nicely carbonated. Hop resins are felt on the tongue.

Taste has a dominant pine and grapefruit rind bitterness. Solid caramel malt backbone supports the aggressive hops. Some of the tropical citrusy notes of the aroma emerge as it warms. Finishes dry and bitter.

Topnotch! Nicely balanced and very tasty.

Serving type: can

09-19-2010 16:52:46 | More by merlin48

flagmantho

Washington

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

Poured from 12oz can into a pint glass.

Appearance: nice orange hue with a moderate effervescence and a tiny touch of haze. Head is a thick finger of pillowy ivory foam with a touch of orange. Nice.

Smell: big piney, citrusy, grapefruity hops. Just what I expect from a West Coast IPA.

Taste: citrusy hops on top of a pretty substantially malty base with a hint of biscuit. Bitterness is big but quite smooth. I like it.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a nice carbonation and a good creaminess for the style. Works for me!

Overall: a tasty and accessible West Coast-type IPA. I would definitely have this again.

Serving type: can

05-11-2012 20:45:51 | More by flagmantho

Deuane

Pennsylvania

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

Thanks to Kegatron for hooking me up with a can of this.

A-Bright golden copper with a thick light tan/off-white head that reduced to a thin cap and left copious lace.

S-Sharp spicy citrus and pine hop aroma with a bit of apricot. Backed up with light sweet biscuit malt.

T-Spicy citrus hops with other tropical fruit notes. More assertive peppery bite lying on top of a nice bed of sweet biscuit malt.

M-Medium-light bodied, sharp and crisp with nice lingering spicy hop bite.

D-A hop forward, every day drinking IPA that has plenty of flavour to make you happy. Good job, could use a touch more citrus---->or maybe I need a fresher can? Will certainly visit again.

Serving type: can

09-22-2009 20:12:10 | More by Deuane

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

My main man woodychandler comes through with yet another canned beer for me to try. Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a orange/brownish color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is very hoppy, not much else. Taste is also all hops, dry and bitter, not much else coming through. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a decent beer.

Serving type: can

06-25-2011 14:36:36 | More by tone77

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

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

12oz CAN into a regular kitchen glass, looking forward to this one.

Caldera IPA boasts a kinda bright orange with some shiny bronze shades within. A clean looking beer with no haze at all. Two fingaz worth of off white foam that is quite creamy looking and condensed. A bunch of lace on the glass.

The hops take up most of the nose with a big grapefruit bite and some pale malts to back it up with a sweet scent, slight caramel. Not very bold but smells like the makings of a decent IPA.

Tropical fruit on top of a nice malty layer. Grapefruit, pineapple, others, some bisquit giving malt. I'm really liking the balance on this, it's pretty much even. Some grassy earth towards the end. This really reminds me of Lagunitas IPA.

The feel is smooth and a bit bitter, but nothing too much. Carb is just right not very high or overly crisp, I could drink this all day.

Serving type: can

02-10-2010 07:17:42 | More by onix1agr

Metalmonk

North Carolina

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

The hops-adorned label just called to me...and it's in a can, which I fully support. So it pours into the glass a lovely toasty bronze-rust color, with a crazy-fluffy head that looks like the top of a root-beer float. Lasts a long while too.

Nose is ultra-hoppy...very much veering into the fresh fabric-softener breeziness area. Not much else behind it, but gotta love it.

Flavor is delightful hoppiness all the way. Bright, breezy, a bit intense but not overwhelming. The malts carefully and successfully offer backup, or maybe more of a foundation than anything, as the prickly, colorful hops continue to be the magical ingredient with each sip. A little green, a little leafy, and very, very nice unless you're not into hops. A slight twist of graininess that reminds of rye carries through, especially into the finish. Also some candy-like sweetness, especially with a little warming.

Mouthfeel is neither here nor there. Not much to say about it, but it's fine. It's a medium-bodied beer with some prickly carbonation and a bit of stickiness.

A very solid IPA, and a very drinkable west-coast version of the style. It's not over-the-top while still exuding the character of its region, and the ABV makes it completely manageable if you're wanting several in a row.

Serving type: can

08-10-2009 21:35:04 | More by Metalmonk

GbVDave

Illinois

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

Poured from a 12oz can into a 20oz imperial pint.

A: Pours a completely clear golden orange color with a firm off-white/light-orange cap of puffy foam. Lots of bubbly and sticky lace left behind. Lazily carbonated.

S: Big piney hop nose right off the bat. I also pulled out aromas of orange, caramel, grapefruit, tangerine, and a pinch of pineapple. Also noticed a medicinal/aspirin type aroma that was strangely apealing.

T: Big bitter pine with a fine coating of toasted malt and caramel. This sports a plethora of citrus and tropical fruit flavors with elements of cut grass and metal.

M: Spicy astringency that's balanced by the sweet and creamy caramel malt. Finish turns bitter and dry with an underlying peppery hop quality that keeps things pretty interesting.

D: This was a very nice surprise. This IPA drinks exceptionally well. Excellent balance between bitter & dry hops and sweet maltiness.

Serving type: can

10-03-2008 22:44:51 | More by GbVDave

dbrauneis

New Jersey

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

A: Pours a crystal clear golden amber to copper in color with some light visible carbonation close to the surface of the beer. The beer has a finger tall beige head that reduces to a thin film covering the entire surface of the beer, a thick patch, and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant lacing is observed.

S: Some sweet malt notes that hint at caramel and honey. There is a mixture of tropical (mango and peach) and citrus/orange hops. Maybe just the slightest hint of pine hops as well.

T: There is a pretty solid hop bitterness that is reminiscent of biting into an orange peel. There is a nice malty sweetness upfront with hints of caramel and some honey-like notes. Then the hop flavors take over, there is a pleasant fruitiness with hints of pineapple and mango as well as just a little bit of orange.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Crisp and almost creamy.

O: I really enjoyed this one and found both the smell and taste to be quite interesting. I think that you could easily have a couple of these in a sitting. I would like to get this one another time.

Serving type: can

05-05-2012 21:12:23 | More by dbrauneis

emmasdad

Colorado

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

Picked up a six pack of this one in a recent trade. Pours out a nice orange color with a smallish head. Aromas of oranges, pine and hops. On the palate, this one is very hoppy and enjoyable to drink. Another nice canned beer, enjoyable in the summer sun.

Serving type: can

09-26-2010 23:30:10 | More by emmasdad

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

maximum12

Minnesota

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

So...not only does ThirstyHopHead agree to send me two bottles of the 2008 Abyss in a recent trade, but he drops three beers I've never heard of in as extras. Including Caldera IPA. Not only never heard of the brew, no clue the brewery even existed.

The pour is the initial use of a Flying Fish glass that marcpal sent me recently. Clearly he read my mind about the need for smaller glasses in the house. Thanks Marc!

The 12 oz. goes into the tulip with about an ounce or so to spare. The smell knocks me for a loop, a bitter, disgusted, angry, fucked-up hophead's dream searing my nostrils. I was kind of looking at this as a nice, gentle way to start off the night. What did I get myself into?

Ah, I see. I got myself into a kick-ass IPA I've never heard of before. The taste is aggressively hopped, pleasantly oily, bitter, sharp, clean, & all the things a good IPA claims to be. Wow. First-class IPA. Really, really good.

I could drink these all night.

Thanks Mr. Hophead, I am going to put this on my wants list hoping people will drop a can or two in as extras. The only thing preventing me from trading for it is the existence of a local brew, Surly Furious, maybe you've heard of it. This is...almost...no. I can't even type it. It's close. Great beer.

Serving type: can

12-07-2008 00:09:45 | More by maximum12

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz can courtesy of Unclejedi, thanks! nice orange color with a foamy, sticky white head. Smells hoppy, resin, catty, nice. The taste is nicely balanced with the hops not really taking over just blending in to the picture. The mouthfeel is very smooth. Another example of good beer in a can.

Serving type: can

11-23-2008 02:55:43 | More by ArrogantB