Drinking beer: Caldera Brewing Company’s Pale Ale

Who: Caldera Brewing Company
What: Pale Ale

Stats:
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.6 percent
IBU: 55
Beer Advocate rating: 86
Draft Magazine rating: 93
Untappd rating: Three and a half out of five stars
Rhinos Sports Pub rating: Four out of five pint glasses

Paired with: Pizza from Papa John’s (it was topped with chicken, bacon and green peppers, in case you were curious).

Sample No. 7 in month No. 2 in the six-month beer-venture was a welcome accompaniment to a festive evening of Christmas tree decorating and viewing of “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”

Fahoo fores dahoo dores
Welcome Christmas come this way
Fahoo fores dahoo dores
Welcome Christmas, Christmas day

Seriously, who comes up with this stuff? Dr. Seuss, that’s who, and whose animated feature ranks No. 2 in my Christmas holiday special power rankings. That’s a good spot. Feel free to contest in the comments section.

As for the tasty beverage, we can happily say that it was delicious, befitting of the reputation already set forth by its brethern — the IPA. This brew pours to a nice tan. Color is important in beer. I wish I could say that I could taste the hints of pine, but apparently my palate isn’t yet completely trained in the beer tasting arts. There are also light floral aromas, biscuit malts and lemon. It also blends hops with a malty, bready backbone splendidly. These are all things I need to train my palate to identify with ease. For now, if a beer gets a “mmm, this is tasty” response, then that speaks for its quality.

Cheers!

Drinking beer: Caldera Brewing Company’s IPA

Who: Caldera Brewing Company
What: IPA

Stats:
Style: American IPA
ABV: 6.1 percent
IBU: 94
Beer Advocate rating: 89
Draft Magazine rating: 94
Untappd rating: Three and a half out of five stars
Rhinos Sports Pub rating: Four out of five pint glasses

Paired with: Steak salad, with crispy oven-baked potato wedges

Sample No. 6 in month No. 2 in the six-month beer-venture might have been the best of the bunch so far — of course, we did say that about Evolution Craft Brewing Company’s Lot No. 3 IPA about a month ago. This IPA, unlike EVO’s Lot No. 3 IPA, came in a can. Caldera Brewing Company is big on storing its brews in aluminum, rather than bottles. Caldera’s head brewer (is there a more awesome title in the history of professions than that? Can’t think of one at the moment, really) Jim Mills is big on cans, and it’s not just because beer in cans is a trendy thing. There’s a method to Mills’ madness over at Caldera … you see, cans chill quicker (that’s good for those of us who want cold beer immediately after making a purchase at the local market) and stay cold longer (also good for us consumers who like our beer cold and our wings hot). Aluminum cans also eliminate light and oxidation. That’s a good thing.

Caldera Brewing Company’s IPA is a real treat. It pours to the beautiful bronzy, rusty, amber color associated with IPAs, which was a tad of a surprise coming from a can (seriously, most beers in cans are lagers such as Pabst Blue Ribbon, Stroh’s, Hamm’s, Blatz and the like). Caldera’s IPA strikes a balance sublimely between hoppiness and maltiness. It is not an in-your-face India Pale Ale. There are hints of grapefruit, tropical fruit and caramel flavoring. Seriously, we attempted to savor this fine beer and found that challenging since it was so tasty.

Cheers!