Caldera Old Growth Imperial Stout

An evening trip to the Gypsy aimed at (ultimately unsuccessfully) grabbing a pint of Hopworks Urban brewery (HUB) Organic Ace of Spades Imperial IPA, I noticed a new tap from Caldera Brewing Co, Caldera Old Growth Imperial Stout.

Caldera Old Growth Imperial Stout poured an impenetrable black with red highlights from the tap, capped with a thin, oily film of tan head.  The nose (admittedly somewhat obscured by the smell of food cooking in the kitchen) was predominately mild coffee with an unsweetened chocolate backbone.

Quite a contrast to the nose, Caldera Old Growth Imperial Stout hit the palette with thick and creamy coffee start that was almost immediately overwhelmed by milk chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and a nutty flavor.  I joked with BJ, the bar tender, that it tasted like a dark chocolate almond snickers bar with a bit of coffee bitterness as the palette cleared.  The final notes were reminiscent of chocolate covered espresso bean. 

Caldera Old Growth Imperial Stout  was a surprise to me, being much less aggressive and spicy than other Oregon Imperial Stouts like The Abyss or W'11 KGB Imperial Stout.  It is very dessert-like without being too sweet, and I have to applaud Caldera for making such a round stout that hides a big ABV.

Caldera Rauch Ur Bock Smoked Lager

I have a sideline of more exotic beers I’ve purchased to cut my palette and do something a little different between the standard IPAs, Stouts, Porters, and Bocks.  Today I’m in need of inspiration, so I’m turning to Ashland brewery Caldera Brewing to challenge me today with Caldera Kettle Series Rauch Ur Bock Smoked Lager.

Caldera Rauch Ur Bock Smoked Lager settled clear in the glass with a orange-brown hue, small off-white head, and healthy carbonation trails.  An aggressive aroma of campfire, smoky and meaty, was detectable even as I poured the glass.

Caldera Rauch Ur Bock Smoked Lager opened with a semi-sweet malt background that immediately gave way to an almost metallic, smoky campfire middle carrying some of the initial sweet notes.  Even with the long, smoky fade I could still smell the campfire smell every time I exhaled long after I finished the smoked lager.

I left Caldera Rauch Ur Bock Smoked Lager feeling like I had been sitting by a campfire all night.  It was an interesting experience, for sure, but I wouldn’t put myself through 22oz. of it again.

Caldera Brewing Kettle Lawnmower Lager

I'm taking a walk on the lighter side today, with another local beer crafted by Caldera Brewing as part of their Kettle Series 22oz. bottle offerings.  The beer in question?  Caldera Brewing Kettle Lawnmower Lager.

Caldera Kettle Series Lawnmower Lager poured an extremely pale and crystal clear yellow in the glass; aggressively carbonated with a bold white head.  In the glass, the lager had the distinct smell of cooked popcorn.

Upon drinking Caldera Lawnmower Lager, I was met with a highly carbonated front that was so strong I couldn't discern any distinct flavor.  As the carbonation fizzed out, a surprisingly heavy wheat bread body surfaced with slowly faded into something slightly more toasty.

Advertised as a beer for people afraid of beer they can't see through, I suppose Caldera hit their mark.  While Lawnmower Lager has more character than the typical, mass produced lager it seems to highlight the barley a but more than necessary and doesn't really reach beyond being an easy to drink, low ABV beer.

Caldera Brewing IPA

Caldera Brewing strikes again… this time in their original release, canned format aesthetic.

Caldera Brewing IPA poured a clear, bright yellow in the glass with a loose white head, medium carbonation, and slight orange hues in the center.  The nose was strong… floral and fruity.

Caldera Brewing IPA drank as refreshing as a soda (the can, no doubt, adding a subconscious tactile association), bold and bright up front with ample carbonation to stimulate the taste buds supporting a delicate flower and orange citrus flavor.  The body of the beer was a bit strange… it maintained its thirst-quenching drinkability, but gained a slightly toasted note that gave a dry cocoa flavor to the ale, blending with the sweet orange hops to make almost a liquor-like perfume.  The IPA ended with a slight bitter finish.

Everything about Caldera Brewing IPA screams summer beer; from its eco-friendly portability  to the balance of refreshingness and depth, this beer can sit in equally at ease as a session beer or a sipping treat.  

Caldera Brewing Mogli Imperial Porter

Caldera Mogli Chocolate Bourbon Oak-Aged Imperial Porter, a taproom only offering from Caldera Brewing, cloudy brown in the glass with orange highlights and slow moving, mild carbonation.  There was no head to speak of, and the nose was led by chocolate and light hints of coffee. 

Caldera Mogli Imperial Porter opened with a powdery, dry chocolate start before sweetening up and thickening into a creamy, milk chocolate middle.  The fade was long and sweet, with a chocolate malt finish. 

Caldera Mogli Imperial Porter is well regarded in the tap room, and its almost milkshake-like body and chocolate flavors could likely seduce the most adamant beer-hater.  Despite an ABV of 8.5%, there is no hint of the alcohol hidden within.  To my taste, it was a bit too big and lacked nuance.

Caldera Vas Deferens Ale

Caldera Vas Deferens Ale, a Belgian-style strong ale brewed with orange and Belgian candi sugar as part of Caldera Brewing’s Kettle Series, poured a hazy nut brown in the glass with orange highlights and a sudsy golden head.  The nose was light in Belgian yeast esters, being composed mostly of candi sugar, some citrus, and light hop spices. 

Caldera Vas Deferns opened sweet, with hard candy sugars competing with dark fruit notes.  The orange came through a little soft and undefined, and the combination of sweetness made the ale border on cloying.  The ale coated the mouth in a slightly creamy layer before fading somewhat dry and spicy.

Caldera Brewing Hopportunity Knocks Ale

Now that the boutique "beer-in-a-can" movement has some traction, it's not uncommon to see good beer in an aluminum pop-top (Big Sky Brewing, Oskar Blues, and even Fat Tire from New Belgium Brewing), but Caldera Brewing Co in Ashland, OR has been selling their quality brews in cans for 13 years now.  Their reason?  It's easier (and lighter) to pack out after an outdoor activity and cans are allowed in venues glass isn't.  I've always been a fan of their IPA, which perfectly balances strong, hoppy pine with thirst-quenching drinkability, so after a flight at the Caldera Brewing Tap House I grabbed a bottle of Hopportunity Knocks, part of their seasonal, 22oz. only beers to get my hop on.

Hopportunity Knocks poured a slightly cloudy orange into the glass, with copious small carbonation streams and a medium-sized, white head.  The ale was mostly sweet lime with light pine in the nose, and fairly subdued.

Hopportunity Knocks had a bright and crisp start, successfully bringing plenty of hop flavor without the aggressive bitterness.  There were hints of lime and tropical fruit that came through, and it ended on an earthy note of dried nectarines, plum, and tobacco.  

Hopportunity Knocks is probably one of  the most delicate big-flavor beers I've tried this year.  As such, it's a pleasure getting through the first bottle, but a night full of Hopportunity would be fatiguing.  It's occasionally nice to have a big-flavored beer without a double-digit ABV.