Caldera Pale Ale - Caldera Brewing Company

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark honey with the slightest suggestion of orange. The attractive, cream colored head looks to be high in hop oils; at least I hope so. The glass residue is so fine and spider web-like that it resembles actual lace. Drinking this beer out of the can and missing an appearance like this should be a criminal offense.

The nose is outstanding (see 'drinking... can... criminal offense' above) and puts a huge number of IPAs to shame. The pithy pungency of the Cascade hops fairly leaps out of the glass, with the overall aroma made deeper and more interesting by a much lesser quantity of spicy Perle hops. Great job Caldera. Even if the flavor is on the pedestrian side, the nose is a world-class sprinter.

The flavor doesn't measure up to those stratospheric heights, but that's not to say this isn't a deliciously hoppy pale ale. Emphasis on hoppy. The brewers made sure their beer would last a good, long while by packaging it in light-rejecting aluminum and by adding an impressive amount of hops. Sweet, spicy and juicy white grapefruit is front, center and back. I love the slight variation on the usual Pacific NW flavor profile that the German hops provide.

APAs don't need to be complex to suit me (this one isn't), they just need to be bursting with pale malt-supported bitter hoppiness (this one is). There's enough sweetness on hand to keep things kinda, sorta balanced from a hophead's perspective, although the pucker factor is still decidedly high. The mouthfeel is light-medium and perfectly carbonated; the better to down a few cans on a hot summer day without a second thought.

Caldera Brewing Company is anything but a household name (unless one lives in Ashland, Oregon or its environs), but this little brewery has just provided me with the best beer that I've ever had out of a can. I was tempted to say 'that I'll ever', but ever is a long time. I do know this, it's unlikely to be topped for a very long time.

Serving type: can

11-15-2005 19:24:11 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I received this one in a BIF recently and it was the first thing I grabbed out of the fridge when I got home on Friday. Served cold and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 07/31/2009.

Appearance - One of the best pours from a pale ale you could possibly ask for. Seriously. Big head of white foam on top that barely falls back down to earth. Wonderful clear amber color that really just looks the part perfectly. Lots of carbonation creeping up the glass throughout And a really nice coating of spider like webbing.

Smell - Aroma is lighter then I would have thought. Nice light grains, a touch of piney hops. As it warms a bit of citrus starts to come though, but again, lighter then I would have thought.

Taste - Crisp, clean, the first sip has a biting touch to it as the pine and citrus start to roll through. Nice grains come in mid palate and then it rolls right back into a nice and dry bitter finish. Clean aftertaste leaves you to come back and look for a bit more.

Feel - Light, airy and well carbonated. I had no issue at all with going forward with this one. The feel matched the overall experience very nicely.

Drinkability - Session able, very nice and clean and easy drinking. Again had really no issue at all with putting this one away.

Overall - Solid. Nothing earth shattering here but very solid. I would not mind at all grabbing a six pack and heading to the beach. Really very well done.

Serving type: can

08-04-2009 01:03:39 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: An amazingly clear, golden pour from can into glass with a fluffy white head that sits on top.

S: Just as a pale ale should be: a refreshing citrus aroma with a mild pine to let you know that it still means business.

T: Again, a perfect example of a pale ale. A nice clean, refreshing citrus flavor followed by a nice bitter bite on the finish.

M: The beer is light and moderately carbonated, but still has a fairly substantial feel on the tongue.

D: This must be what Bud is talking about. These guys sure know how to make a great session pale and IPA. I'm glad to see these beers become more easy to come by in CA.

Serving type: can

12-28-2009 04:56:52 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.73/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to schmoopsbeer for sending this can out my way. Served in a tulip.

Pour yields a transparent golden-hued brew with a good off-white head with some large bubbles of foam. Good staying power and a bit of lacing as it goes down. The nose is light and grassy with some citrusy hops coming through on the back-end. A bit of tangerine, as best as I can describe. The flavor profile is a bit grainy at first, followed by some grassy hops, and then there is a touch of bitterness in the finish. However, there is some grain tannin there as well. Not terribly pleasant. Light body with moderate carbonation. Can't get past the graininess of this. Not all too drinkable.

Serving type: can

03-08-2011 20:37:34 | More by Thorpe429

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

brentk56

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a modest head that quickly fades (just like the IPA; lacing is a bit better than the IPA but not much

Smell: As with the IPA, there is just something a little funky going on with the aromatics; the pale ale aroma is there, but there is a metallic and cat litter aspect that doesn't do it for me; this one is not nearly as rank as the IPA, however

Taste: As with the IPA, the taste makes up for the poor aroma; opens biscuity, with pithy grapefruit and pine flavors building by mid-palate; after the swallow, the two elements blend nicely and provide a balanced, somewhat woodsy finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Another tasty beer from Caldera; as the aroma of the pale ale is not as off-putting as the IPA, I'll mark it higher on the scale

Serving type: can

03-25-2008 00:05:06 | More by brentk56

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.28/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a hazy, yellow-orange body with a thin, wispy white head.

Smell: Aroma of herbal, citrus hops accompanied by a honey-laden maltiness.

Taste: Mild pale malts with a bit of toastiness and a soft honey-like sweetness. Citrus and bitter herbs. Medium bitterness. Finishes dry.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: A fair pale ale, but I gotta say I enjoyed the Caldera IPA far, far more.

Serving type: can

12-28-2007 04:51:32 | More by ChainGangGuy

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Well balanced between caramel maltiness and citrusy hops, this beer exemplifies the Pale Ale style nicely.

An expected deep golden to light copper color does the beer pour. Froathy head character amounts to an inch or so before settling it's white lace on the glass. Good retention, but great on lacing. A classic Pale Ale appearance.

Caramel, spice, and hops blend in the nose for the impression of graham crackers, orange rinds, and a touch of ginger. Very appealing aroma that doesn't let the hops nor the malt gain precidence.

Sweet maltiness sets the tone for taste with a medium caramel flavor, cracker-like breadiness, and a light grainy or crusty taste that gives a slight bite that ushers in the hop flavor and bitterness. Grapefruit, orange zest, and light grassy notes peak through early, but grow in intensity until the malt sweetness waivers, giving the finish and aftertaste a decidedly bitter ending to an otherwise balanced beer.

Malt sweetness gives a fuller, rounder sensation to the mouth, while the hops and moderate alcohol provide a drying and crispening finish. Though not complete in dryness or crispness in finish, the beer holds onto enough malt character to attempt balance deep in the finish and aftertaste.

With relatively low/no flaws in execution, the recipe formulation leads to a somewhat one-dimentional caramel malt sweetness that wears on the palate and hurts the sessionability of the beer. And with the standard malt/hop balance, there's not much intrigue to keep me comming back.

Serving type: can

01-28-2011 06:03:54 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

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

Thanks to fellow BA Roger for giving me this can the other night,poured into a standard pint glass a lighter pale golden with a thinner white head that left minmimal lace as it settled quickly.Fresh cascade hop aroams pine and leafy with a bit of firm biscuit malt,again fresh hoppy flavors quit citric and subdued pine with that firm lightly sweet biscuit/caramel base.An old school left coast pale here alot of hop flavor with a dose of lightly sweet malt,solid.

Serving type: can

04-17-2008 15:00:05 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Although my can sloshed about (it was short-filled and measured exactly 11 ounces), it didn't seem to affect the flavor or carbonation. I noticed no oxidation whatsoever. It poured a just-slightly-hazy golden body beneath a short head of frothy white foam. The head dwindled down to a creamy surface covering, and then shrank away to a wide collar and whispy surface covering; leaving behind tiny-spotted walls of lace. Bright hops, sweetish malt, and yeasty fruitiness greeted me in the nose, expressing soft citrus, sweetish grainy malt, berries, and cut-grass. It's soft carbonation and medium-light body left it remarkably smooth across the palate. The flavor delivered a rich maltiness upfront that wasn't quite caramelish or toasty, but headed there; followed by an influx of grassy and citrusy hop flavors; and then some berry-like fruitiness at the swallow. The bitterness roses up strong, and although some sticky malt lingered in the mouth, it was bitter, dry, grassy and spicy in the finish. It lingered momentarily with some strength, and then faded to a dull bitterness, leaving me ready for another sip. Quite the little charmer, I say! I love the flavor transition from quaint, sweetish, straight-forward and non-caramelish maltiness, to bold, grassy, citrusy, and bitter hops!!! The apple-ish and berry-like fruitiness is just the icing on the cake that ties the two together. Well-balanced with a very nice complexity and full character, and still not overdone. Worth trying!

Serving type: can

02-05-2007 22:25:06 | More by NeroFiddled

WesWes

New York

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a nice gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a solid pale malt scent with some bisquity notes and a mild citrus hop aroma. There is a creamy/bready character to it. The taste is good as well. It has a good hop bite up front along with a balance of pale and bisquit malts. It's quite a hoppy APA. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium bodied beer with good carbonation. This is a good drinking pale ale. It's crisp and bitter and very enjoyable.

Serving type: can

03-08-2010 19:23:45 | More by WesWes

zeff80

Missouri

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, orange color with gold highlights. It had a foamy, fizzy, one-finger layer of white foam that left minimal lacing.

S - It had a moderately grassy aroma with notes of orange. It also had a gentle caramel scent.

T - It tastes of bitter grassy hops with a snappy, spice flavor. The ale also had a burnt toast maltiness.

M - It was sharp and lively on the tongue. A light bodied pale ale.

D - This is a pleasant tasting pale ale. It's nice to have a sessionable ale in a can.

Serving type: can

05-27-2009 01:14:15 | More by zeff80

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.6/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours golden with 1 finger of eggshell white head. good head retention & lacing

S: Slight lemony & grassy hop notes, plus a bit of breadyness

T: Lemony & grapefruitty hops; plus a bit of honey malt up front. Some grainyness & grapefruit hops as this warms. Finishes crisp with a load of grapefruit

MF: Light/ medium bodied with lively carbonation that really show cases the hops, for better or worse. Skews too hoppy, makes me think IPA more than APA

Drinks pretty easy despite the OTT hoppyness.. still a solid APA

Serving type: can

03-12-2008 06:09:20 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

3.2/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. can, these guys finally showed up in the Southland, another Oregon brewer to try out,

A: Pours a dark yellow, with a finger of white head, solid lace.

S: Earthy hops, one-dimensional. Cascades.

T: Upfront cedar-box and tobacco in the hops, quite bitter and earthy initially. Malt character is very light. Notes of pine oil late.

M: A bit too light-bodied, soft carbonation.

D: My uncle used to live in Ashland, so I've been wanting to try the Caldera beers for sometimes. The Pale was OK, the hop flavours weren't really to my liking, time to move on.

Serving type: can

09-02-2009 21:08:54 | More by Halcyondays

tempest

Pennsylvania

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

Picked up a can at Abe's Cold Beer for a couple bucks and drank it with a Thai curry (good combo). At first seems like a simple, but tasty pale ale. The malts provide a little toast and caramel, while the hops pull in the usual citrus notes. As it warms and I think about what I'm tasting and smelling, a lot more comes out. There are hints of pineapple in the hops, hard sugar candy in the aroma, and peppery spice compliments the orange rind aftertaste. Check this beer out and make sure you let it warm up.

Serving type: can

05-27-2010 00:24:55 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 12 oz can from Liquid Solutions.

A: The pale ale is appropriately pale, a light golden hue that has more yellow than orange in the mix. The light color has a slight haze to it. A finger of head left dry patches of lace around the mouth of the glass.

S: The aroma is mostly malty, sweet with a thick bready presence. Hops are just below the malts with a less assertive citrus body of lemon and grass.

T: The hops are far more aggressive in the taste, showing off a grassy taste that quickly goes citrus. The hops are agressive, coming close to turning this into an IPA. The malty breads are well-balanced against the hops, especially later in each sip. The carbonation keeps the hop profile lively.

M: The hop profile needs some time to come through. When it does, the hops leave a very nice finish.

D: The full hop profile makes the ale taste bigger than it is. Other than that, this is another example of a good pale ale in a can.

Serving type: can

05-23-2009 20:44:32 | More by akorsak

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

barleywinefiend

Washington

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

A: Poured a nice golden color with good carbonation and a white head

S: Floral notes, herbal, light booze

T: Caramel, floral, even some biscuity notes at times

M: Nice feel, crisp and a good drink

D: Very good. Nice taste, very good West Coast take on a APA.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2010 02:34:50 | More by barleywinefiend

Wasatch

Utah

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

Pours very nice dark golden yellow color, nice carbonation, awesome two finger creamy white head, lots and lots of nice sticky lacing follows. The nose is malty, very nice touch of hops, slight citrus, and caramel. The taste is a nice blend of hops/malts, somce citrus/caramel. The finish is dry and bitter. Medium body. Drinkable, this is a very nice Pale Ale, recommended.

Serving type: can

05-11-2008 01:17:24 | More by Wasatch

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

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

12 oz can into a pint glass.

Pours a clear gold with several fingers of foamy cream colored head. 1/4 finger of smooth retention stays strong, leaving some good spotty lacing back. The aroma is very pleasant smelling, being floral and a touch spicy with a steady underpining of citrus and toasted malts.

The taste is citric with some buttery bread and a dab of caramel. This tightens into a firmer bitterness towards the back of the swallow. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with an easy and creamy overall feel but I was pleased to find a bit of firmness underneath as well that adds some gravitas to the body.

Very solid Pale Ale here with a nice tight profile that is solidly drinkable. I'm digging the portibility of this in cans as well. I'm definitely looking foward to more of these.

Serving type: can

02-10-2009 18:04:32 | More by Kegatron

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.73/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Standard lighter yellow pale ale here, good foamy head. Nice soft floral hop arrangement, if you like caldera, you'll be all good here.

Plenty of taste in a pale, relative hefty amount of hops for style, light, ever so light toasting of the malt allows the hops to shine without making them exist in a ridiculous amount. Bitterness is sturdy, minty and metallic, but not a distraction or covering up the more delicate aspect of the beer, would say it leans to the grapefruit side of hop taste, cascade, chinook seem to be all over this one.

Serving type: can

08-17-2011 00:02:49 | More by Beerandraiderfan

corby112

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a hazy dark golden yellow color with a frothy three finger off-white head that has excellent retention, only slowly fading into a lasting cap. The glass is left coated with large rings and chunks of soapy lacing.

Earthy aroma with floral, piny hops as well hints of grass and straw all balanced by a sweet citrus presence. Pale malt underneath.

Medium bodied with a crisp hop bite up front that is slightly dry and not overly bitter. Earthy and floral with hints of pine needle balanced by some sweet citrus, especially grapefruit and orange peel. Slightly creamy presence with hints of earthy grass and straw as well as a pale malt backbone that balances things out nicely. Fuller bodied and more complex than the average pale ale while remaining light and very quaffable.

Serving type: can

05-09-2011 05:36:45 | More by corby112

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

At one point, I wondered if I could ever find 100 CANs, then 150, but now that the CANQuest has breached the 200 mark, I realize that the sky is the limit. People are sending me unsolicited BeerMails for trades for new CANs. Keep 'em coming, folks!

After a seemingly steady diet there for a while of AmeriCAN macro lagers, it is nice to see and smell something decent glug-glug-glugging its way out of the CAN and into my glass.

I caught two fingers' worth of rocky, bone-white head with decent retention that was already beginning to leave a nice lace in its wake, following my pour. Color was a slightly-hazy honey-yellow. Remember, kids, clarity is overrated! Nose was grapefruit-citrusy. Pale Ale, bah! In many of our Central-Southern states, this would have been their IPA. I began to weep at the thought of previous recent CANs like Lone Star and Stack - rubbish in a CAN! Recovering, I took a sip and got a mouthful of full-on Cascade hops! Zounds! Yoi and double yoi! If this was simply their Pale Ale, it struck me as to why I loved their IPA in a CAN so much. I may have found a new favorite brewery for CANs... I allowed myself to luxuriate a little more fully in the second sip. It was very citrusy on the palate and even a little grainy, as though the liquid were saturated by hops. No matter, because on the swallow, it was so dry that I could not help but reach for another sip. More, please, sir.

Serving type: can

01-23-2010 17:57:38 | More by woodychandler

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.4/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz can picked up at Brewforia on the way home tonight... paid $1.89... poured into my Delirium goblet.

1" white head drops leaving descent lacing... the brew is pretty clear golden...

Nose is lite pine and a bit more citrus hops... pale malts... ehhh.. okay.

Flavor mirrors the nose with some biscuity maltiness.. body and carbonation are both where they should be.

Overall.. this is descent pale ale.. but I doubt I'll pick it up again unless I was going camping or hot springing..

4/3.5/3/3.5/4

Serving type: can

01-03-2010 02:27:35 | More by JohnGalt1

ccrida

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. can poured into a nonic, the Caldera Pale Ale is a golden yellow with a moderate size, very tight white head that's long lasting and leaves thick hunks of lace. This is honestly the first time I've ever not drank this beer from the can, and I'm pleasantly surprised with how pretty it is, particularly the paler golden color and chunky lace. I couldn't ask for anything else from a Pale Ale. Served at fridge temp.

Smell is bright, flowery, lime scented cascades and toasted biscuit, perhaps a bit soapy.

Taste is malty, caramel and biscuit, with tart citrus hops, classic grapefruit providing a bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is very creamy but dry and crisp, with a heavier body.

Drinkability is pretty good, cascade fans will enjoy this, a bit thick for my taste, but bonus points for the can, which has made this a trusty friend on those cold Mt. Hood chair lifts!

Serving type: can

04-05-2008 06:11:11 | More by ccrida