Caldera IPA - Caldera Brewing Company

ktrillionaire

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to Bobby8405 for the share

A - Pours a hazy amber-copper hue, with a rocky off-white head.

S - Some citrus-y and evergreen hop aroma is available, but it is pretty tame.

T - The flavor is much more potent than the aroma. There is a very classic West Coast dankness that is melded at first with the rich malt, but then separates itself and stands apart, with great herbal and leafy hop flavors lingering intensely on the finish.

M - IPA. Good.

D - Not the best of the West, but pretty good.

Serving type: can

05-17-2010 15:38:02 | More by ktrillionaire

DoubleJ

California

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

My thirst is getting to me, so why not an IPA to quench it? On to the beer:

It's all good in looks; dense head, iron orange color in my glass, good retention. The nose is the expected NW IPA dose of lychee, grapefruit, and pine sap. As suggested the nose, this IPA goes towards the "dirty hop" side. Big smack of grapefruit, pine, lingering hop bitterness on the palate, and a hint of orange. The aftertaste of sap lingers softly. The beer has a smooth body with carbonation that doesn't seem like it's there. In all respects, a respectable IPA.

Serving type: can

09-25-2010 06:08:38 | More by DoubleJ

Bfarr

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Amber with hints of orange with big tan foamy head with good retention and uneven lacing. Big citrus hop aroma. Big bitter grapefruit up frony with good caramel mellowing backbone. Smooth, silky feel with a low carb feel despite the big foamy head.

A good overhopped IPA that's pleasant yet slightly one dimensional. Not worth $13.50/6 pack unless you really need a good IPA in a can.

Serving type: can

09-29-2010 20:54:07 | More by Bfarr

beagle75

Iowa

3.58/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. can into a shaker pint glass.

A: Very clear, light amber color with over one finger of off-white foam head. Heavy lacing remains on the glass, showing striking relief near the top of the glass.

S: Peppery and astringent herbaceous hops suggest dryness, with lesser tropical and citrus fruit also detected.

T: Begins dry, with earthy black pepper that seems to be associated with the aromatic hops from the smell. Esters are barely detectable, blending in with and complementing the hops. The fruit flavors give off a funky tropical quality, like durian. Acidity is restrained--detectable but never distracting. Husky toasted grain becomes more assertive in the middle, and moderate bitterness develops in the finish amidst continuing malt and slightly astringent hops.

M: Medium viscosity, smooth and slightly sticky on the palate, with very low carbonation.

D/O: It seems like many of the IPAs made by the smaller production breweries struggle almost predictably with some facet of the style--all in the pursuit to be unique in order to stand apart from the pack. This contribution from Caldera is fairly unique in its qualities, but it manages to stay appealing. Its abv is on the low side of the normal range for the style, adding to its approachable nature. Look for interesting pepper and off-center tropical fruit, but don't expect anything too extreme--this is a beer that still aims to please.

Serving type: can

06-01-2011 15:02:26 | More by beagle75

HOPPYKC

Kansas

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

Can poured into a pint glass. Don't know the dting on this but have seen it at my bottle store for a while now and don't know if it's been siting around for awhile. Nice just over and inch head. White. Thick. Heavy malt. Fruit. Apple. Pineapple. Slight pine. Transparent. Wouldnt try again. Not bad but expected a little more for the price. Overall not too bad.

Serving type: can

01-02-2012 04:14:18 | More by HOPPYKC

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

WeisGuy

New York

3.6/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a - pours a deep burnt orange color, two-finger off-white head with very good retention and lacing, almost perfectly clear

s - big amounts of lemony and tangerine citrus notes mixed with bready/grainy aromas

t - very well-balanced, much like the smell, lots of lemon and other citrus on the palate with a substantial amount of graininess for a backbone, pretty strong lasting bitterness on the finish

m - medium-bodied, moderate to high carbonation, very dry on the finish

d - the dryness of the finish is somewhat hard on the palate, but nothing that would limit a hophead, the real hit to drinkability comes from the lack of depth in flavor, this isn't a bad beer, just not all that interesting

Serving type: can

09-07-2009 05:02:36 | More by WeisGuy

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.6/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz can picked up today at the COOP... poured into my Delirium goblet... nice eggshell white head atop a crystal clear lite amber brew.. good lacing..

Nose is pretty fresh smelling CCC hops... pale malts and a very minor caramel is way in the background.

Flavor has a fair amount of toasty malts with it.. the hops are mainly in the front with bittering and more in then in the back close toward the finish with some pithy citrus skin... mid-palate is more about the malts.. toasty with minor some lesser caramel.. mouthfeel is a tad heavier than expected.. sorta full with a good carbonation that still leans toward the creamy side of things.

A good IPA that I think is very drinkable, but seems to not find a real identity in the traditional American IPA style.. don't get me wrong, this is a pretty nice beer.. but the maltiness seems a tad high and maybe too pronounced with toastiness and caramel.

3.5/3.5/3.5/3.5/4

Serving type: can

11-26-2009 07:18:02 | More by JohnGalt1

PeteVenkman

California

3.6/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Tastes like a hopped grapefruit, which sounds terrible but drinks pretty nice. Citrus is not overwhelming, but it's in there. I think I prefer my citrus lean toward lemon, but this is fine. Frankly, the best reason to drink this is the vessel. Drink outside by the grill on a sunny day. Go cans.

Serving type: can

02-23-2010 17:48:17 | More by PeteVenkman

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

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

tempest

Pennsylvania

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

Picked up a 6-pack at State Line in Maryland. Poured a golden amber with a good white head. This beer reminds me of Dale's Pale Ale, and not because of the can. There's a big punch of citrus and pine hops that's met (more so here than with Dale's) by a hit of caramel malt. Very drinkable and a tasty, more balanced IPA.

Serving type: can

06-23-2009 01:43:35 | More by tempest

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from can into a Delerium Tremens tulip. Pours a hazy red-orange with a one finger off-white head that slowly subsides to minimal. Maintains decent lacing throughout. The aroma was comprised of malt, hops, and pine. The flavor was of malt and a load of hops. It was medium on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a very nice IPA from a can no-less. Definitely worth seeking out if you are an IPA fan as it is quite drinkable and enjoyable. I will be having another in the near future.

Serving type: can

07-01-2010 20:42:44 | More by thagr81us

leedorham

Washington

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

Poured from a can into a pint glass

A - Amber in color with a thick, off-white head.

S - Not as much hop aroma as I had hoped. There is some citrusy hop aroma and a bit of stickiness to it.

T - better hop character in the taste. Good malt backbone to balance the hops. The finish is a bit chalky and biscuity.

M - The biscuitiness interferes with the mouthfeel to me. A bit too thick on the tongue for an IPA.

D - Nothing unpleasant about the way this one goes down. Alcohol is well masked and the carbonation level is right where it needs to be.

Serving type: can

08-06-2010 01:35:18 | More by leedorham

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

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

12 oz can poured into pint glass - thanks to mrmiles for this during the nice cans II BIF

A - Pours a somewhat hazed burnt orange with a finger high frothy head, leaving plenty of lacing around the glass in ring formations. Film retains over the beer.

S - Fairly strong hop aroma with a touch of sweeter malts.

T - Biting pine hops along with some grapefruit citrus tang. A bit of malt base attempts to creep through but the bitter hops seem to overpower the balance. Finishes with long lasting, lingering bitter, dry hops.

M - Medium bodied, very sticky and dry though.

D - Pretty easy drinking, abv is masked well.

Decent IPA - glad I was able to try it.

Serving type: can

10-17-2010 00:22:00 | More by xnicknj

NWer

Washington

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

From a can an aggressive pour into a chalice. Looks nice. Dark golden clear color with a decent head. Lace layers nicely on the side of the glass.
Aroma is very pleasing building anticipation and expectations.
The taste isn't quite there however. The citrus is there - to a fault. A little too bitter with an unpleasing aftertaste.
It's good, just not quite ready for the big time. With all the great beers Oregon has to offer the competition is too tough to rate this beer among the best.
If they smooth out the edges with a little balance this can be a great beer.

Serving type: can

05-28-2011 01:06:32 | More by NWer

mactrail

California

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

Attractive coppery amber in the tall snifter. Nice scent of flowery, aromatic hops. Usual cap of foam and decent carbonation in the mouth. Nose of pine and a touch of caramel.

Big hops with lots of resiny and pine flavors. Fairly bitter, but not as excessive as lots of IPAs. Relatively drinkable. Some warm malt along with the earth flavors. Not as dank as some current hoppy beers. Slightly sharp, but has a mellow approach. Light bodied.

12 oz can from Olive Tree Market in Ocean Beach.

Serving type: can

04-08-2012 05:06:07 | More by mactrail

alleykatking

Indiana

3.65/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz can. I can not think who sent this too me for the life of me. I need to start putting names with beers I get in! Review from notes.

A- Pours semi-hazy orange/reddish color. One and a half light tan/offwhite head that stays for a little while. Nice soapy lacing hat slides down the glass.

S- Tropical fruit (pineapple) upfront along with other citrusy hops. Light bready malts in the background. Very light earthy floral hops...these could have been a little more in the aroma in my opinion.

T- Nice bitter hop bite right off the bat which I didn't foresee. Light malt sweetness in the middle and toward the end. Bitter hop again in the end but not quite as big as in the front. Also a light medical alcohol taste which was a little distracting.

M- Lighter mouthfeel. Good carbonation for the style. Hops left a trainwreck of bitterness on the palate. Some hop resin stuck around after each sip. Light tropical fruit in the aftertaste.

D- Very drinkable IPA in my book. The light alcohol taste kind of brought the taste down a half point in my review but after some sips it went away. Nothing is over the top about this IPA and I would easily make this my session beer if it was near me.

Serving type: can

12-21-2009 00:41:26 | More by alleykatking

grover37

District of Columbia

3.65/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance (4.5): Slightly cloudy dark orange with a finger and a half of cream colored head. Gold around the edges. Great lacing after the head reduces to a thick film.

Smell (4): Bready malt and citrus and pine hops. Some darker crystal malts probably account for the darker color and more pronounced rounded, caramel scent. The hops really open up once it warms.

Taste (3.5): Bitter upfront with grapefruit and not yet ripe oranges. A bit thin in the middle and not much there. Nice flavors on the finish with a lot of bitterness and some resinous piney flavors that linger with the residual sweetness. Very nicely balanced for as bitter as it is.

Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium bodied and medium to low carbonation. A nice resinous mouthfeel that lingers.

Drinkability (3.5): I could drink a couple of these but probably all night. Pretty bitter for a regular IPA, but that's not hugely detracting for me.

Serving type: can

02-02-2011 04:24:57 | More by grover37

thebeerisgood

Indiana

3.65/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aroma: Not much to this one with very faint hints of floral hops and citrus, maybe a little grassy.

Appearance: A medium amber color with a thick creamy white head that leaves a thick top that follows the beer all the way down the glass.

Taste: Muted grassy hops, orange, balanced well with sweet malt and finishes dry.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light feel to it with mild carbonation.

Overall: Not a bad brew overall, but not great either. Checking Caldera's site on this, it claims to have an assertive hop profile and 94 IBUs. I'm thinking this can traveled a long way and sat for quite some time before being sold to me, because I am not picking up much bitterness or hops. Someone could have told me this was a pale ale with IBUs around 50-60, and I would have believed it. Still, it was an enjoyable beer, and I'll be keeping an eye out for others from this brewery.

Serving type: can

04-21-2011 00:32:08 | More by thebeerisgood

StlHopHead77

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours out a body of orange/copper that held a light haze and sat beneath two inches of creamy,bone white foam that left thin strands of lacing after showing moderate head retention.

S-Soft,sweet citrus,apricot preserves,toffee malt
and some flowery hop qualities with a touch of pine on the finish.

T-More sweet citrus,dried apricots,soft pine,caramelized grains and some raw,leafy hop qualities.Good hop bitterness but a slightly generic malt base.

M-Light bodied with a lasting but moderate bitterness.

O-A good canned IPA.Definitely not a six pack worthy of a $12 price tag but good none the less.

Serving type: can

02-27-2012 12:39:43 | More by StlHopHead77

Gueuzedude

Arizona

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

A decent pour from the can produces an almost three-finger thick, light tan colored head in my large Tripel Karmeliet tulip. The beer is a light amber color, but shows a brilliantly clear, orange / red tinged, full copper hue when held up to the light. The aroma is definitely hoppy, though not aggressively so, there is also a fair amount of malt character that accentuates a sticky hop character. Aromas of candied orange zest, ruby red grapefruit, caramelized oranges, some touches of pine and green herbal notes and, towards the finish, a touch of cracker like grain and lightly toasted malt.

Slightly sweet, somewhat light bodied, but definitely hoppy. A nice bitterness clings to the palate and lingers for quite some time in a long, bitter, dry finish. Up front the bitterness takes on a decidedly herbal note with touches of hemp, biting pine flavors and a bit of herbal / green-grassy notes. This is definitely nice and quaffable, it is not overly sweet nor thick for an IPA, though the hop character definitely tends to cling to the palate. The first sips, as well as sips where I have gone and done something else for a while, have a much more prominent citrus hop character (with orange zest, grapefruit notes, kumquat and perhaps a touch of lychee); otherwise the herbal and bitter hop flavors dominate.

The flavor is much more harsh and aggressive than the aroma suggested, but it will certainly still be enjoyable for the hop heads out there. A solid IPA, that could actually use a touch more malt, or to dial back the herbal and bitter hop character.

Purchased: Liquid Solutions

Serving type: can

11-16-2008 01:19:53 | More by Gueuzedude

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

kels

Virginia

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

Didn't really think much of other Caldera brews I've had, but heard good things about this one and thought it would be worth a try.

Pours a nice, slightly hazy, toasted ruby-brown color. There's visible carbonation running throughout, feeding a short, well-retained white head. There's a tremendous amount of sticky white lace that marbles the sides of the glass without any signs of fading.

Smell is all hops - aromas of grapefruit rind and earthy, musky hops come through. There's only the slightest indication of sweetness from the malts.

Taste definitely reflects the largely hop-forwardness of the aroma. The bitter citrus rind presence in most detectable in the aftertaste, and a hint of the piney, oily sticky hops hits the tongue early on. There is more of a malt foundation in the taste, but it is hardly sweet - more toasty, full and warm. The aftertaste is really nice; it makes me want to wait between sips to enjoy it a little more. Feel is bright and perfectly carbonated - not too much and not too little. It fills the mouth and spreads the flavors around the palate very well.

This is one highly drinkable beer. I was tempted to drink it from the can because you don't see that all that often with crafts. I went for the glass, and enjoyed every last drop. Definitely recommended for a try. It is a solid, everyday IPA.

Serving type: can

11-25-2009 00:36:21 | More by kels

ClockworkOrange

Pennsylvania

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

A 12 ounce can from a sixer I picked up at Abe's for $11. Poured into my Ithaca shaker glass. The IPA appears a super clear golden amber color with about a finger of off white foam. The head leaves a nice looking lace in its wake. Nose and flavors consist of bready, caramel malt, perfume, a bit of bitter grapefruit pith, lime, lemon, lightly toasted rolls. Medium bodied with adequate carbonation. I thought this would be super fresh and hoppy since this brewery just came into PA a week or so ago. I was a bit let down, especially judging by the reviews here. Needs more hops...

Serving type: can

02-17-2010 06:41:28 | More by ClockworkOrange