Russian River Pliny the Elder

Brewed by Russian River Brewing
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Santa Rosa, California USA

Bottle from Total Beverage, pours out a light yellow with little head and a small amount of lacing, this is one of the most complex and amazing DIPA’s I have ever had, It didn’t hit me over the head with a ton of hops but it was very complex and balanced. I love this beer and if I could drink it everyday I would.

500ml Bottle. Pliny pours out straw colored with no head at all. Aroma is noticeable even as the beer is being poured. The nose on this beer is as impressive as any Imperial IPA I’ve ever tried. Heavy floral citrus that blows you away initially and is still present at the end. I would guess that it has a bit of Amarillo in there. I don’t notice as much pine in the nose as others who have rated this one. Flavor really allows the hops to shine as the subtle undercurrent of caramel malt doesn’t detract from the beer or make it overly sweet. Bitterness is present, but not overpowering the way the nose would lead you to believe. Body is on the thin side with a very mild carbonation which again is perfect for a beer intent on showcasing the flavor of hops. Finishes dry with a lingering bitterness. Alcohol is virtually unnoticeable throughout. An exceptional IPA!

On tap at hulmeville inn in pa, the reason i went to that bar, was a very good ipa, was not disappointed in the trip.

A hazy amber beer with a small off-white/orange head that leaves lace. The aroma is the finest part of the beer, mostly fruity (apple, grape, grapefruit and other citrus) and piney hops with some floral notes. The flavor is not as aggressively bitter as most DIPAs, but has all the hop flavor up front, almost (but not quite) covering up the caramel maltiness. Delicious beer!

I tried this on tap at Hopmonk Tavern and it was lame compared to the brewpub. Cloudy deep gold body with a yellowish khaki head. The aroma was massive grapefruit with some pine resin. There was also some walnuts and wood. The taste was very strong grapefruit with pine. this is a total hop bomb. At Hopmonk, this beer had no balance. At the brewpub, it was balanced with a a big body. Dry and woody. While the brewpub version was very good, I was not blown away.

Bottle: the best beer we had for new years 09 with ramenen. excellent double IPA , hoppy piney well balanced and full bodied. great.

I’ve had Pliny the Elder twice before now. Both occasions were at successive GABFs, and while it may have been the agony of an overwrought tongue or the sensory overload from so many scents, screams and suds, I didn’t like Pliny the Elder at all. Both times. It didn’t seem like anything special - just another battering ram for hops. When I returned to Colorado this holiday visit to see the family I noticed that Russian River was distributing Blind Pig, Pliny the Elder and Damnation. Of course, the memories of Pliny weren’t particularly glowing, but I thought it only fair to give it another chance, straight from the bottle, and toped in a low-key, quiet environment. Sitting down even. And miraculously it became a whole different breed of beer. There’s absolutely no head, the Pliny a clean shaven brew except for a decorative wreath of white bubbles. A sweet, rich and gripping aroma slinks out from the glass, dripping with honey, floral notes and enticing me to take a sip. I can’t remember an IPA doing this before, and with such a soft touch. Typically I enjoy Imperial IPAs, but only because they really knock you around with sugar and hops. But this was so restrained I thought it was a regular IPA. The palate strikes me as a bit loose, with rich flavors like these usually accompanied by a more syrupy vehicle. The sweetness remains in the flavor, but only under a thicker layer of bitter but savory hops bitterness. Not too much grapefruit in the eye, but just enough to tickle the tongue. The flora aspect is weighed beautifully against the other flavors, and generally the whole brew seems like it was meticulously measured and engineered to insure that no flavor element is louder than another, and that is poetry. I still am not, nor will I ever be, enamored with the IPA style or hop bombs, but this has been, to date, the most elegantly brewed specimen of the style I’ve had, and I’m happy to report it is a far greater beer than it was in the past.

Bright yellow orange with medium white head. Aroma is like walking naked through a pine forest. Full bodied, taste of pine, almonds, flowers, and overall hoppiness. Bitter throughout with a long finish. Superb.