Russian River Pliny the Younger

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

Draft at O’Brien’s Russian River night. I tried this brew years ago before I really knew what it was all about, been waiting for a while for it to come back around. Pours a clear deep golden color with a 2 finger white head that left tons of lacing. Enormous nose of fresh citrus and piny hops, good malt balance to back up all those hops. Flavor was sweet, bitter, hoppy.........a lot of stuff......amazing.

sampled a few different times, most recently on tap at Hamilton’s Tavern, south park San Diego. pours a nice hazy yellow with whitish head. super strong piney hop aroma with some citrus too. flavor is hugely hoppy wti floral coming through as well as pine and citrus nots. finsish dry ad bitter, but leaving you wanting more. yum

Nice golden color with unbelievable aroma of citrus and pine. Taste that echoes the region’s famous wine heritage. Highly bitter, but for an IPA lover, exactly what one looks for.

Oh....my....god. I was finally lucky enough to taste this beer at the source, the Russian River Brewery in Santa Rosa, CA. Probabaly one of the best tasting beers that have ever hit my touge, worth every drop.

Poured a hazy gold color with a two finger whitish head. Aroma of pine, resin, citrus and some earthy notes as well. Flavor was well balanced, but an aggressive pine and citrus taste dominate. Great beer. I feel lucky to have tried this.

Nice golden color with an off-white head that retains well and leaves a decent lacing. Absolutely mind blowing aroma. Full of citrus; grapefruit and pine and other aromas I can’t hardly begin to describe are not only blended perfectly, but are powerful enough to greet your tongue from a foot away. Amazing taste of aforementioned aromas with a strong, yet amazing bitterness. The bitterness seemed like it came in waves; extremely bitter, but only pleasant bitterness, not harsh at all. Mouthfeel was medium bodied with a dry finish, leaving you wanting more and more once the explosion of taste leaves your mouth. I would drink the hell out of this if given the opportunity. I should note that this was from a growler shared at DLD 2007, it was not a full glass, but I felt there was more than enough for a review.

On tap at Stone. Intense Hops, citrus, not too spicy. You can’t taste the 11%. Did I mention hops? Good carbonation, with a very dry finish. Tasty.

Thanks to Sparky27 for the tip on this. Tried at Hollingshead Deli along side it’s older brother. Let’s just say that it’s good to be young!!! This rating would be insignificant but it is my 50th rating in the top 100!!! What a beer to mark being half-way there!!! Bright orange peel, lemon zest, and floral aroma with hints on evergreen. Huge 2-inch tight white foam with an amazing blaze orange body. Lacing clinging mightily to the inside of the glass, a fond memory of the sip that just transpired. Flavor is incredible...definitely more aggressive and profound than it’s older sibling. Orchard fresh nectarine, Ponderosa pine, and a bit of grapefruit rind tartness in the finish. Coating yet not cloying mouthfeel. AN INCREDIBLE SPECIMEN!!!