Beer Review- Caldera Hopportunity Knocks

Hello craft addicts. The high gravity beers from Caldera Brewing Company are now hitting the Nashville shelves thanks to the good guys at Bonus Bev. I hope to review all of them, but I only picked up this and the Vas Deferens (hilarious name) on this beer run. 

Hopportunity Knocks Ale

Caldera Brewing Company - Ashland, OR

Style: IPA

ABV:6.8%

SMITTY'S REVIEW:

Sampled at 50 degrees. Pours a medium orange amber with a light beige head. Pleasant yet assertive floral nose. Medium bodied with average carbonation, with a very slight chalkiness in texture. Flavor has a caramel and Germanesque malt backbone that is countered by an aggressive citrusy hop bitterness, heavy on the grapefruit rind with a hint of orange. Finish is bitter and dry, with a tea like astringency at the tail end. 

Overall, a very enjoyable beer. I am a big fan of Centennial hops, and this beer is loaded with them. I am not a BJCP beer judge, but I would guess this is in the 80-90 IBU range. However, I think this beer would be even better by backing off the Munich malts a tad, or by having another hop variety to added for some complexity. But I am a very very picky person when it comes to this style, so just ignore me. This is worth trying, and if you are after a citrus bomb, this should make you a hoppy camper. Yeah, that was a bad attempt at craft beer humor huh?

Rating*: 8.5 out of 10

Recommended Food Pairing:  BBQ, Cajun Food, Spicy wings, Tex Mex

Value: As far as bombers go, moderate at  $6.99 per 22 ounce bottle. 

Beer Audience: Hopheads

Where To Buy: Midtown, Red Dog, J Barleycorn, Frugal MacDoogal

Low gravity Caldera beers to try: IPA, Pale Ale

* rating system based on aroma (1 pt), appearance (1pt), palate (2 pts) flavor (3pts), comparison to other commercial examples of the style (3pts)

June Brews and Other News

I am busy busy busy. Ever heard the phrase "cramming 10 pounds of sh*t into a 5 pound bag?" That's what I will attempt to do with this post. When I started this blog, I had to hunt for craft beer news in Nashville. Now I can't keep up!

 For starters, SB1224 was signed into law by Governor Haslem. Now we wait and hope Sierra Nevada locates their new brewing facility and restaurant to Tennessee. Sources tell me that they really like the location in Alcoa, TN. Again, thanks to all of you who called and put pressure on the lawmakers to remove the "pilot project" from the bill.

Music City Beer Festival is fast approaching and session B is sold out. I may skip it this year. Crowds and hot weather don't mix well with me.

As for high gravity news...Stone Belgo Anise Russian Imperial Stout has hit the shelves. I am rather excited to try this one. It's an Imperial Stout brewed with Anise, aged with oak chips, and pitched with a Belgian yeast strain. I am hearing great things. For you fruity types, Bridgeport Stumptown Tart arrived at Midtown Wine and Spirits. It gets better! The better beer guys at Bonus Bev inform me that Caldera Brewing high gravity beers arrive next week. Look for Vas Deferens, Hopportunity Knocks, Old Growth, and Rauch Ur Bock.

New Belgium's bike festival Tour De Fat hits Nashville on July 9th. Check out their website for more information.

Nashville Beer Festival will be held on October 1st at Riverfront Park. Tickets go on sale August 1st and are $30. There is also an optional VIP ticket that gets you into a small pre festival event Friday night. As of this post, I have not seen a list of breweries, but I can tell you that the organizers are committed to bringing in some quality brewers. More information can be found on their website, including sponsorship information.

And last the entry for the night is in regards to the Starr Hill beer dinner at Flying Saucer. I am too lazy to type this out, so I will paste the flyer below. Cheers!

Smitty