Russian River Pliny the Elder

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

500 ml bottle. My eyes have been opened. This beer could not have been better or more well crafted than it was. The hop character is sharp, citrus, pine, but is incredibly balanced with a mild malt sweetness. One of the most well balanced beers that really hit the palate perfectly. This beer was nothing short of amazing.

Draft. Pours gold with an off white head. Way hoppy aroma with strong piny and citric notes. The flavor is fairly well balanced, with notes of pine needles, citrus, grapefruit, some sweeter tropical fruits, and a light general sweetness. Really, really good.

500 ml bottle. Golden body with a big, creamy white head. Aroma is apricot and grapefruit. Flavor is soft, sweet malt with a strong citric fruitiness. Nice balance between sweetness and bitterness, long fruity bitter finish. Very nice.

This is one of the most over rated beers on the market. It’s a fine double IPA but there is nothing out of the ordinary in the beer... Two row malts...lots of it, hops, lots of them, and the magical hop extract solution...Thats the beer. Aroma:very herbal/floral. Hops you can smell and taste before they hit your mouth. This is a big plus! Appearance:Looks like another other beer...clear, slightly golden hue. I dont think this category does anything to describe the bear. I gave it a three because it looks like any other craft beer. Palate:Rough...hoppy astringent bite. Leaves a long acidic touch to the back of the throat. Hop heads are addicted to it for that very reason. I find the hops and alcohol to be unbalanced and harsh. Overall its a fine IPA but it’s overall build to me is highly one dimensional. Do be warned. The bottles of Pliny are not as good as the draft versions. And draft versions vary from batch to batch. Some batches of Pliny have a lot more balanced malt/hop than others. I suspect that the unstable nature of hops is why it can vary batch to batch. If you are a die hard hop head then the portable pliny bottle will make your out of state travels better :) This is a cult beer for good reason. It is what it is. Don’t feel bad if you don’t care for it. I certainly don’t love it but its approachable in moderation.

This is a perfect DIPA. Perfect! The pour produces a slick, clear gold with a minimal head. The aroma is pops with fresh floral and citric notes, slight booze, butterscotch, and bready malts. The flavour is equally, if not more impressive. Notes of spruce, grassy dry hops, and slight leather. The body is perfectly carbonated, sharp but not overpowering, and the finish is quite dry and long. Hooray beer! Hooray Russian River!

Big thanks to mashmaster for this one. The bottle looks good, the beer in the glass also. Starts very hoppy and strong, intense grasy notes. Also quite woody-earthy, but still well balanced. Intense finish, complex hoppy, still dry. Wonderful!

Bottle from South Bay Drugs. Pours a beautiful orange-gold color with a big rocky off-white head that craters and leaves some uneven lace. I just tried a Blind Pig this past weekend and never thought the aroma could be beaten; well, this equals it. Floral hops lead the charge, with nice orange and grapefruit citrus, mixed fruits, pine, sweet malts, and a bouquet of flowers. The flavor is still outstanding, but nothing could live up to that nose. Sweet caramel malts, grapefruit, bitter hops, pine, and floral notes. This isn’t a hop bomb and the 8% ABV is muted and just the perfect amount. Light-medium bodied, with average carbonation. Dry and resinous. A dry, bitter, semi-sweet finish. The Blind Pig and now this in just a few days- Russian River knows how to brew an IPA, and how to leave me overwhelmed.

On tap at Capone’s. Pours a nice golden color with a little white head. Has the smell of bananas and pine. Has a great piney citrus taste and is very well balanced. One of the best DIPAs no doubt. To bad isn’t more redly available.