Caldera Pale Ale - Caldera Brewing Company

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.84/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: clear, orange, bright white finger of head. Some sporadic lace.

Aroma: light floral and pine notes, biscuit malts, light sweetness.

Taste: medium bitterness, floral and citrus, pale malt sweetness, well rounded.

Mouthfeel: crisp, slick, clean.

Not bad. Quite decent canned pale.

Serving type: can

06-15-2013 03:46:46 | More by EgadBananas

dbossman

Nebraska

3.99/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Brass colored hue with a large foamy head--great retention and decent lacing

S: A pretty balanced grain and hop profile in the aroma--lemon, pine, tea leaves from the hops and toast and sweet bread from the malts

T: Lemon and tea leaves up front--actually really dominant lemon tea hop profile with a malty, bready backbone that really balances out the bitterness

F: Medium body; creamy--though a bit too thin on the back end

O: A very solid, balanced pale ale--nice work Caldera

Serving type: can

06-11-2013 20:32:19 | More by dbossman

TheSixthRing

California

3.86/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

No freshness date, but there's a Total Wine sticker which dates this as arriving at the store on 02/13/13

Appearance - Pours a clear golden orange with a white, 2 finger head and good retention. The head dissipates to reveal a broken layer of microbubbles, while a fair amount of lacing clings to the side.

Smell - Huge honey notes in the aroma; smells awfully close to the localized wildflower honey I bought recently. Light touches of caramel. Slight citrus and floral notes.

Taste - Much less honey in the flavor, though it still contributes greatly to the profile. Floral and spice with touches of citrus. Moderate caramel and bread malt backbone. Nicely balanced. Faint citrus pith near the finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium in body with light to moderate carbonation. Smooth throughout, going down with great ease.

Overall - A smooth, well balanced and approachable pale. Interesting flavors. Not your typical west coast APA, with all that honey sweetness, and it's a nice change from the norm.

Serving type: can

05-25-2013 04:17:24 | More by TheSixthRing

Bosoxfan20

Missouri

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A delightfully surprising beer that I tried at a local bar having never heard of Caldera before. I was given no glass to pour the beer in (This wasn't a classy establishment), so rating is based off drinking straight from the can.

Wondeful fresh hop citrus smell. Juicy, wet hops all over the nose. Grapefruit, mango, orange. The 3 Cs of NW hops brewed well here. Biscuity malts do a wonderful job of standing up to the hop presence. Mid body with nice drinkability. A perfect session style pale for someone who enjoys a hoppy, yet balanced beer while out drinking all night with friends.

A very underated pale ale here that is certainly one of the best i have had.

Serving type: can

05-19-2013 22:12:34 | More by Bosoxfan20

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.81/5  rDev -1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A finger and half of head on a cloudy, medium straw colored body.
The aroma is a nice grapefruit and lemon.
The taste has a lightness to it. Lemon bitterness with a decent malt backbone.
The texture is crisp with moderate carbonation.
An enjoyable APA.

Serving type: can

02-07-2013 04:06:18 | More by Fatehunter

Clydesdale

District of Columbia

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

A: Pours a mostly clear, pale orange color. The off-white head is medium-sized, with a moderately dense texture. Retention is solid, as is lacing.

S: Some pale sugar cookie malt aromas. Hops are vibrant, with big grapefruit/orange notes and some resinous tartness. A bit of tropical fruit and some herbal/grassy hop character also lurks in the background.

T: A bit of caramel malt flavor up front. Mostly pale malt flavor up front. Hop bitterness is moderate. Hop flavors are primarily citric, tropical, and herbal, but there's an unusual vinous note along with the more expected characteristics. Some pine in the aftertaste.

M: Medium-light body. Carbonation is light as well. I'd prefer a heftier mouthfeel. The hops add a moderate dryness to the finish.

D: This might just be my personal preferences getting in the way, but the weird resiny/vinous hop notes in this one don't vibe particularly well with the rest of the beer. I don't dislike it, but it is distracting. The mouthfeel is also a bit more wilting than I'd like from a western pale ale.

Serving type: can

01-26-2013 00:24:31 | More by Clydesdale

vashooter

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from a can , great looking can, poured into a pint glass and it made a nice two fingers of head. When head subsided nice lace on glass sides when taking first taste. Beautiful honey gold color, sparkling clear and clean in pint. Not a heavily carbonated beer which is what I would expect from a nice craft beer. Bready smell mixed in with Cascades hops I believe or Northern brewer, possibly Simcoes. Pine notes are subdued but evident as well as some slight citrus notes. Taste was amazing, what it lacks in nose it makes up for in taste. A very well balanced ale. When the ale is cold it was slightly biting on the sides of the tongue, which is to be expected from the carbonation and cold perception. As the ale warmed it became more complex, less biting, Yeasty notes, still a bit of bitterness but not unpleasant at all. Warming to the mouth but not overly alcoholic or astringent. Light caramel infused with a careful balance of hops. Light on the tongue but leaves your mouth wanting another one. Great example of a well done American Pale in my honest opinion. I have bought it twice now and will recommend it to friends as well as keep in my stable.

Serving type: can

01-11-2013 05:48:43 | More by vashooter

BucannonXC5

California

2.85/5  rDev -26%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12-oz. can into pint glass on Nov. 27, 2012 (purchased for $1.79 at BevMo (with card) in La Mesa, Calif. (San Diego) on Nov. 27, 2012). Hazy honey orange with about a finger of fluffy white head. Pretty good retention on the sides - wet, foamy and white; pretty thing on the top.

Smelled a strong whiff of cascade fruity hops right away. Also some lime, light pine, mango, honey and sour fruit.

Tasted about what I expected after the smell. Got that sour fruit with a bitter aftertaste. Still think it was cascade hops. Also got grape, mango, more tropical fruit, kiwi and a bit of bitter pine hops.

Light body. Thin texture. Average carbonation. Abrupt bitter finish.

Just really didn’t get along with this beer. I don’t think I’d have it again.

Serving type: can

11-28-2012 04:20:39 | More by BucannonXC5

Dope

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy golden with a huge frothy white head. Fades slowly, leaving a nice island of foam in the center. Lots of fluffy lacing all over the glass.

S: A bunch of grapefruit up front with a bit of resin. Some tropical fruit in there too, mainly mango and pineapple. Sweet caramel malt comes through in a strong way.

T: Hops not nearly as strong as in the aroma (which is fine, otherwise this would be a big IPA). Tropical fruit and grapefruit up front as in the aroma, just a lot more mellow. Nice caramel and bready malt. In the finish there is some resin to round it all out.

M: Medium bodied, quite nice for only 5.5%. A bit of sticky hop oil in there.

O: A hoppy APA for sure. Not overly so, but definitely up there. Nice and mild, easy drinking and goes down well. Really nice APA if I say so, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Serving type: can

10-05-2012 04:31:54 | More by Dope

macrosmatic

Florida

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to dujayhawk for this one! Reviewed from notes. Poured from 12 oz. can into pint glass.

A: Hazy gold in color with a half-finger white head, nice visible carbonation and decent lacing on the glass.

S: Citrus, flowery and some pine hops, and 2 Row malt.

T: The hop profile strikes me as primarily bitterness with some grassy and pine notes. Cracker or light malt backbone. Finish is hop-bitter and grainy, but with a smidge of a tinny off-flavor.

M: Fairly light mouthfeel, good amount of carbonation sensation, no alcohol presence to speak of.

O: I thought this was better than I expected. It's certainly not a complex beer, but nice, simple & easy to drink. I'd pick up a six-pack (or whatever they come in) if this was available in a store around me.

Serving type: can

09-02-2012 17:13:57 | More by macrosmatic

klkatz

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

clear yellow... looks like.... "aaahhh" refreshing... like you'd want one after mowing the lawn...

smell - Good Pale Ale. Good beer. smells like you'd expect from a west-coast american ale... yum... yep. slight floral, grassy,

taste - initial palate welcome is good... will sit well, will stick with me... giving moutfeel a high rating... good bitterness... can't place the spice...

this is my first beer from this brewery, but I'm a sucker for west coast american hops, so I might be biased and give a standard deviation higher than normal...

gotta new can from the picture above... thinking of sending in a pic from me...

Serving type: can

08-30-2012 17:56:07 | More by klkatz

UCLABrewN84

California

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy honey orange with a 1 inch foamy orange-white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, citrus zest, and some herbal hop aromas. Taste is of citrus zest and herbal hop flavors up front with a malt flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is pretty tasty and easy to drink but I prefer the way this one tastes over the way it smells.

Serving type: can

07-27-2012 01:59:09 | More by UCLABrewN84

Uncle_Jimmy

California

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

poured from can in to a glass

A- Pale Golden Color , Fine light yellow head that lingers and decent lacing.

Smell- Lightly floral citrus, slightly metalic and soapy

Taste- Taste citrus lemon definately light but with a maltier finish. I could have mistaken this for a lager or a lighter IPA. Buttery in the finish like a white wine.

M- lingers on the palette slightly with a great deal of fiz. Refreshing not unpleasant.

O- I would say this is a good lawnmower beer for a craft ale fan. The can suggests a lot of activities that would accompany this beer I think all of them would be perfect.

Serving type: can

06-30-2012 15:01:04 | More by Uncle_Jimmy

avalon07

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a can to a pint glass. Had a yellow color and a clear consistency. There was an inch of foamy, fairly long-lasting head. Great lacing.

S: A strong citrus aroma, with some hops and malt in the aroma.

T: Tasted of hops (a fair amount), a good deal of citrus (grapefruit), and a little malt. A very solid, sharp, focused, well done flavor.

M: A high amount of carbonation with a crisp finish. Light-bodied.

O: While this isn't an overly complex beer, it's still very enjoyable and drinkable.

Serving type: can

06-20-2012 00:51:21 | More by avalon07

atomicbeer

New Mexico

3.1/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clear yellow-gold with a large rocky ecru head. Few bubbles rise. Citrusy aroma: grapefruit, orange, papaya notes Entry follows aroma followed by grapefruit skin and aspirin-like bitterness (Cascade hops, IBU 55). Single hop Cascade not my favorite but not a bad quaff, especially for a canned product. Needs some food - think that would make it better. Still have a few in the fridge to pair with a burger.

Serving type: can

06-17-2012 21:17:10 | More by atomicbeer

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Can from Beer Deluxe. From notes.

A - Poured bright with a golden colour. One finger of fluffy white head. Good carbonation, great thick lace and a film of retention.

S - Citrus, grapefruit, honey, touch of pine, mango.

T - Mango and citrus. Nice light citrus and honey note. Pine was fairly prominent. Toffee was there too. Really nice. Hop forward but balanced.

M - Very mildly bitter making the balance nice. Good carbonation, light to medium body.

O/D - Body and flavour make it good. Light body works well, making it go down smooth. Flavour hops were strong and not much bitterness. Good stuff.

Serving type: can

06-04-2012 04:22:32 | More by tbeckett

Samp01

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz can. Pours a hazy orange amber with a medium long lasting beige head. Good lacing and head retention throughout. Aroma and Taste is of caramel malt, yeast, very fruity nose, citrus with some floral citrus hops. Palate is a medium body with moderate carbonation. Finished with a sweet caramel malt, yeast and citrus fruity notes with some good citrus and floral hops bitterness for balance. Overall a good balanced and solid all around pale ale

Serving type: can

05-23-2012 19:56:45 | More by Samp01

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass from a 12oz can.

Pours a nice slightly hazy copper color with some golden hues and some nice orange edges. There is a nice 1 inch off-white head that pops up and has some nice dense bubbles. Some sticky lacing can be seen clinging to the edges of the glass.

Grassy and herbal. Citrus notes a plenty intermingled with some nice fresh biscuity malt. Nice bready undertones and some earthy grain are also perceived. Some slight dank pine.

Taste-wise. Very impressive PA. Nice and refreshing citrus notes. Some tangerine and orange peel. Herbal and flowery with some nice pine resin in there as well. THis is well balanced by some bready and toasty malt notes. Very bready finish with some slight pale malt sweetness as well. Very delicious. This thing has been under my nose for a while now. Great crisp clean body with a nice bitter finish.

Really good PA. Great flavors and well balanced. Up there with the best of them as a true APA.

Serving type: can

05-22-2012 00:45:11 | More by JoEBoBpr

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very malty on many ends on this one. On the flavor profile, I get a lot of twig and wood tones, but not wood as in barrel; wood as in trees. But not trees as in "trees", but as in trees. 420 nerds, you'll get that last part. Anyways. this seems to come up a bit short honestly. I'd hope for some more bite and vibrance coming from a beer out of Oregon that utilizes hops. That aside, it's an alright ale, I suppose. Wish they'd put some dates on the bottom of these cans.

Serving type: can

05-09-2012 06:15:14 | More by RblWthACoz

laymansbeerfan

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter. Got this from a great BA, thanks Scotchboy!

A: Pours a nice gold-orange color, with a thin layer of head.

S: Gives a nice caramel-malt hint, as well as a faint smell of floral hops (I think).

T: Has a nice malt flavor, with a little bitter hop pinch. Very good!

MF: Very nice carbonation, a little on the dry side but not excessive.

O: Very nice pale ale. It almost feels like an ipa, but easily one I would enjoy again and again. Thanks to Daniel for hooking me up with this one!

Serving type: can

04-26-2012 00:26:59 | More by laymansbeerfan

Andrewseher

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at Pints Urban Taproom at 412 NW 5th Ave in Portland, OR.

A: Yellow. A golden ray of sunshine in a glass with a frothy white head and beautiful lacing.

S: Subtle and citrusy. Mostly lemon, orange, and grapefruit.

T: Delightfully citrusy and well-balanced. A great summer beer.

M: Light-bodied and dry finishing, it goes down easy.

O: One of my favorites, the Caldera Pale Ale is the perfect beer for a sunny day.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2012 03:23:40 | More by Andrewseher

tony223366

California

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A: This beer is definitely a looker. I've got two fingers of white dense head with atleast two fingers of rocky head floating above the glass. The color is a straw/orange mix. Clarity is pretty good but not perfect. All in all it's a really attractive pale ale.

S: It smells awesome too. Huge citrus from the hops as well as some sweet, rich caramels are both abundant. Some pine as well as something a little grassy too.

T: Flavors fall well with the nose. Citrus plays a little back on this beer. But it's definitely there. Past that I get sweet caramel malts as well as some graininess on the finish. It's a decent flavor but the finish falls a bit flat. I just want there to be more there. In that same respect though the finish is very clean, leaving you with not much lasting flavor.

M: I think this beer just needs a little more carbonation to make the finish not seem so flat. Medium body.

O: Certainly a decent pale, but it's a little assuming. It starts great but the finish isn't great.

Serving type: can

03-26-2012 04:47:57 | More by tony223366

HopHeadRyan

Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Possibly a slightly old can...some of the hop aroma has dissipated and the flavor turned a bit maltier than typical...

A - Slightly hazy golden yellow...minimal head and lacing...

S - Nose is mostly malt as the hops have mostly disappeared, sweet, caramel, grains...

T - Sweet malty bitterness...some minimal citrus flavors...very little hop presence...disappointing...

M - Clean, crisp, a little creamy/oily...good carb level...mouthfeel fine...

Overall - - I would love to try this fresh...as a "past its prime pale ale" its pretty good..not as cloying and sweet malty as it could be for an old brew...still pretty drinkable...I will try it if I ever see on tap...give it try and see what you think...I know there IPA is the same way...great if its fresh...

Cheers!

Serving type: can

03-15-2012 19:27:38 | More by HopHeadRyan

Bung

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. Dark straw pour, good carbonation throughout. Layer if white, half a finger maybe.

Aroma, herbal, citrus, pine. Some grainy malt.

Taste, Citrus, herbal piney hops up front. Toasted nut, herbal finish. Very nice.

On the lighter side, drinks very easy. Good level of carbonation. American Pales have gotten so much more interesting now that they aren't hop bombs.

Serving type: can

03-15-2012 01:27:07 | More by Bung

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Crystal clear golden color with a beatiful eggshell colored covering. Very thick retention which leaves many rings throughout the tasting. Alot of bubbling action going on here.

Subtle aroma's in all aspects. Soft pine notes with slight citrus at first. A big following of dough and biscuit come in for the finish.

Whatever was lacking in the nose makes up for with the taste. Nice grainy taste invades the mouth a that nice heavy doughiness. A big hop punch delivers some heavier pine notes that linger for quite some time.

Medium bodied,excellent carbonation. Nice thickness not too watery in the mouth.

All and all well done here. Now this is a style that most people really dismiss anymore. If people want to know a solid Pale ale I will point to this one.

Serving type: can

01-26-2012 22:13:56 | More by TheFightfan1