Caldera Pale Ale - Caldera Brewing Company

MLegendre

Oregon

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: I don't know how everyone else got such a nice head, my pour got me nothing but a thin white white head that was gone in seconds. Gold in color with a few bubbles rushing to the top. Hardly any lacing.

S: Well what the beer was lacking in appearence it made up for in smell. A very nice balance of bitter hops and sweet malt.

T: Starts off very, very bitter, so bitter it threw me off guard. It's okay because it has a very strong sweet malt to even out the bitterness. The aftertaste is back to being very bitter. This is exactly what I look for in a Pale Ale.

M: Medium bodied, very smooth, good carbonation.

D: Very solid pale ale and one of the best I've had. I thought it was strange that it came in a can, but it doen't effect the flavor in any way. In fact I have been convinced that craft beer in a can is a good thing as it makes it very easy to pack around, this is perfect for summer when you're hiking, rafting, camping, etc.

Serving type: can

07-28-2006 06:23:07 | More by MLegendre

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

djrn2

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

05-27-2013 19:27:10 | More by djrn2

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

mcaulifww

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

05-20-2013 13:15:43 | More by mcaulifww

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

leftoverburrito

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

05-08-2013 02:42:14 | More by leftoverburrito

aakerman

New York

3.25/5  rDev -15.6%

05-07-2013 17:18:48 | More by aakerman

snohojimbo

Washington

4/5  rDev +3.9%

04-13-2013 02:35:34 | More by snohojimbo

NCbeerpirate

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%

04-02-2013 00:26:32 | More by NCbeerpirate

slay

Delaware

4/5  rDev +3.9%

03-24-2013 23:34:47 | More by slay

teamwiggum

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev -15.6%

02-26-2013 05:47:19 | More by teamwiggum

skriv

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +3.9%

02-23-2013 22:40:55 | More by skriv

chugamugofsud

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%

02-20-2013 22:06:15 | More by chugamugofsud

buckyp

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%

02-09-2013 23:43:29 | More by buckyp

Sheils

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +3.9%

02-08-2013 18:40:45 | More by Sheils

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

TheBigBoy

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%

02-02-2013 04:42:38 | More by TheBigBoy

grittybrews

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%

02-01-2013 06:36:53 | More by grittybrews

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

deweese

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%

01-25-2013 03:51:33 | More by deweese

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

freduardo

Alabama

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%

01-01-2013 06:59:05 | More by freduardo

QuamLaetus

Oklahoma

4/5  rDev +3.9%

12-31-2012 22:11:30 | More by QuamLaetus