Russian River Pliny the Elder

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

(hand?) Bottled. A golden beer with a thin beige head. The aroma is sweet hoppy and malty with a lovely fresh grapefruit note. The flavor is sweet malty with notes of fruit - especially grapefruit - leading to a good bitter finish.

(On tap - Toronado) Clear, pale amber golden with a small, white head. Very fresh piney aroma. Medium body with a dry malt base and an extremely dry hopping - a bit too dry for me. But a very lovely and complex hop structure. Astringent bitterness in the finish. 290307

Sampled draught at O’Briens, San Diego.
Bronze colour, small creamy head. Grapefruty hop aroma. Rich, boldly malty and salty with fairly soft mouthfeel. Rude, salty, very bitter finish.

From tap at OBrians. Pours almost clear and golden orange with a creamy and lacing white head. Dense fruity hops and smooth caramel malt showing through. Extremely smooth mix of caramel and dense hoppy oily flavours, yet in no way overempowering. Smooth peachy and light fruity hops finish with a little persisting caramel malt presence.

Bottle 50cl. @ home.
[ Courtesy of SecretSanta ]. Clear medium orange color with a average, frothy - fizzy, good lacing, mostly diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, light heavy hoppy, pine, grapefruit, orange - citrus, fruity - peach. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and bitter with a long to average duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20090814]

Bottled. Golden colour, small white head. Aroma is lots of fruity hops, some wood, alcohol and also mild herbal notes. Flavour is hops (peachy, tropical fruity and grassy bittery), with also some alcohol and mildly caramelly notes.

Bottle. Clear golden coloured with a white head. Aroma of hops and pine needles. Sweet flavour of hops, caramel and pine needles.

Date: November 30, 2005
Mode: Draft
Source: Nija’s
Appearance: clear yellow, thin white head
Aroma: sweet piney aroma
Overall: big balanced sweet malt and bitter hops, long bitter finish

Date: December 04, 2007
Mode: draft
Source: O’Brien’s
Score: 3.2 to 3.5
Appearance: clear gold, fine dirty white head, lots of drippy lace
Aroma: hot sweet caramel and pine aroma
Flavor: hot sweet crystal malt flavor, lots of sweet pine and tangerine, big bitterness adds balance but the hop flavor keeps in control

Date: August 19, 2008
Mode: bottle
Source: south bay drugs
Score: 3.5 to 3.8
Appearance: cloudy orange, wispy off white head, streaks of drippy lace
Aroma: huge explosion of sweet pine and caramel aroma, lots of citrus with tangerine and orange
Flavor: big sweet and fruity flavor, lots of citrus hops, nice balancing bitterness rises out of the malt to leave a long bitter finish, no trace of alcohol
Overall: the bottle is as good or maybe even better than draft

Date: October 19, 2008
Mode: bottle
Source: south bay drugs
Score: 3.8 to 3.6
a lot drier and with more citrus and bitterness,

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4