50 States/50 Beer Reviews-Oregon! ~ Charleston Craft Beer

Caldera Brewing Company- India Pale Ale Beer Review

Taken from their website:

"Caldera Brewing Company was incorporated March 12, 1996. The first brew was July 4, 1997 and the first keg sold was August 28, 1997. Caldera self-distributed its products for the first six years. In November 2003, Caldera partnered up with Gold River Distributing in Southern Oregon and Mt. Hood Beverage Company in the Eugene and Portland markets to expand its business. For the first eight years, Caldera was draught only until June 2005 when the Pale Ale was put into cans. Caldera is the first microbrewery in the State of Oregon to brew and can its own beer. "

"The brewery is situated in a 6000 square foot building in Ashland, Oregon. The brewhouse is a 10 barrel system with fermentation tanks ranging from 10, 20, 30, and 60 barrels. This simply means Caldera brews either single, double, or triple batches to fill the fermenters. Many of Caldera's beers are filtered by a plate and frame filter leaving a clear and bright product. One thing that sets Caldera apart from many other Northwest breweries besides the beer clarity is the incorporation of fresh whole flower hops into the brewing process. Whole flower hops have a cleaner taste than pelletized hops."

The Caldera Brewing Company year round portfolio consists of Lawnmower Lager, Ginger Beer, Pilsener Bier, Pale Ale, IPA, Hopportunity Knocks, Dry Hop Orange, Ashland Amber, Pilot Rock Porter, Oatmeal Stout, and Mogli. They also have seasonal brews and "other brews." The portfolio is pretty extensive and see it all here.

For this review, I tasted their India Pale Ale. It's an "American Style IPA brewed with plenty of body and an assertive hop profile. I picked it up because I thought that the can (label) was really cool. When I got home I looked up Caldera Brewing Company and realized I had picked a winner! This beer ended up being pretty damn good, and I would definitely buy it again.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Clear, copper colored with slight orangish tint. Fluffy head at 1st pour that reduces to a decent head. Leaves a nice lace around the glass.

Aroma: Prominent citrus and flowery hops with a light malty aroma.

Taste: Medium hop flavor with citrus and floral notes. Medium bitterness balanced with a very nice light and toasty malt flavor.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall: Nice and hoppy but balanced with a very flavorful malty taste. Never head of this brewery, but really enjoy this beer. Not quite a Dale's Pale Ale, but fairly close. Will drink this one again I'm sure.