Canned by Caldera Brewing Company
The first beer can was born in 1935, two years after the end of Prohibition, when Gottfried Krueger Brewing (New Jersey) decided to test the market for a patent invented by American Can Company (Ohio). It was a success, and technology developed from then on — from tin to aluminum, conical to flat; from the need for a “church key” to easy-opening pop tops.
Without getting into the endless “for or against” debate, based mainly on looks, let us simply say that cans are not suited to re-fermented beers or beers you want to age… Orval in a can?
Here we have an IPA from Caldera Brewing Company (Ashland, Oregon), “The first craft brewery on the West Coast to brew and can its own beer.” The arguments: no light, less oxidation, lighter to carry, 100% recyclable. That’s beyond suspicion! 6.1% ABV — 94 IBU — SRM (Standard Reference Method) 10, which means between pale amber and medium amber in color. The malts are Premium 2-Row, Munich, and Crystal. The hops: Citra, Simcoe, Centennial, and Amarillo.
If cans really are bad for beer, then this must be a very high-level beer indeed… And in fact it is. This aromatic IPA releases a complex and powerful flavour. While it may evince too much forward caramel for my liking, this IPA is a model of its kind. An intense brew with average carbonation, bitter and floral, resinous over the end. Really enjoyable.