Russian River Pliny the Elder

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

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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A: Poured with a large, white, frothy head that hung around for a bit before easing down to 1/2-finger or so. Body is a really nice-looking golden orange color, and hazy. S: Oh yeah, now that’s a strong-smelling IPA! Average hops (actually not overpowering at all) that are very perfumed, with citrus, pine, cut grass, and celery coming through. The pine in particular is quite strong. T: This is a damned smooth-drinking beer. Of course the hops are present throughout the whole time, but the finish is much milder than I would have expected from that powerful aroma. Pine and citrus are very present and in your face, but they don’t push their luck. 8% ABV? I would never have guessed that high. M: One of the smoothest, creamiest beers I’ve had, with a perfect balance of soft-average carbonation with the full-body. T: I was a little nervous about trying this beer... no way it could live up to the hype. But it pretty much did... one of my first (THE first?) DIPAs I’ve had... I’ve probably been spoiled from here on out.

Bottle. Pours amber with nice head retention. Pine and citrus in the nose. Medium full mouth-feel, lots of floral and citrus notes in the palate. Finishes with a pleasant slight-bitterness. Incredibly well balanced

16.9 oz bottle poured into a tulip. Pours a nice golden amber with a creamy 1 finger head. Taste is grapefruit, pine, citrus with a tad bit of bitterness at the end. Excellent mouth feel, so smooth. No trace of the 8%, awesome brew, wish it was easier to find.

Pours a deep gold with real good carbonation, the head fizzles out pretty quick though. The nose is heavy hops, citrus, floral, earthy, lemon, orange and some bananas. Very crisp, and refreshing, a dry finish. Flavors of immediate banana, then lemon. I am not a hop head, but the hops are not overwhelming although they are noticed. Not my favorite style of beer, but this was good for it’s style. I do have to say considering all the hype, I was expecting this to blow my mind, but it was an average drinkable beer, which is good for it’s style.

Aroma- big tropical fruits, pineapple, nice hop profile Appearance- pale yellow with a fantastic white head and superb lacing Taste- big ripe tropical fruits, massive hop bite, more fruit juices, cleansing hops on the backend Palate- nice body with a crisp, refreshing mouthfeel Overall- Maybe the best DIPA that I’ve ever had. It is certainly the most well-blended DIPA that I’ve encountered. Everything right, nothing wrong. Fantastic brew.

Bottle (11 days old). Pours a slightly hazy, golden straw color. Aroma of heavy pine and fresh-mown hay.  The taste is so clear and crisp from the start with a perfect hop balance (not overboard like so many other double IPAs) and a lovely, lingering finish. It doesn’t drink like a DIPA, which is what makes it awesome. I’ve tried Pliny twice before and was never terribly impresses, but this fairly fresh bottle comes a lot closer to living up to the massive hype. 

Bottle. Pours a becoming clear golden, with a big, thick, lightly coloured head. The aroma is very nice fruity, almost perfectly balanced with the sweetness of tropical fruits and honey, yet at the same time the bitterness of lemon and orange peel. A full, fairly thick body, with average carbonation. Flavour has a good hoppy bitterness with notes of orange peel, excellently balanced by a nice, almost fruity toffee. Long bitter finish.

resin, floral, spruce, bread, golden, hazy, minimal head, white foam, medium sweetness, very bitter, medium body, creamy, soft carbonation. Quite light coloured compared to other DIPA’s. Some nice bitterness, but quite balanced. Not as in your face as some other DIPA’s. Good, but maybe I expected too much because of the rage. Maybe it is because it is a couple months old as you can’t get this fresh in the Netherlands.

Draught @ Hamilton’s, San Diego. Nice golden hue. Grapefruit, pineapple, malts, lemon, bitter hops. Some spices towards the end. Decent body, bitterness carries around the palate. To be honest, many of the other West Coast IPAs do much, much more than this one, which I find constrained by tradition, not bold.

The smell is average. The look is average. The taste is sensational. The after taste is an average IPA. Don’t get me wrong its a great brew & slightly refreshing. A must have beverage.

Poured into a ccb pint glass. Golden and translucent, two finger head with lots of lacing. Aromas of citrus and pine in the hops with malt in the background. Taste follows the nose, very hoppy, some malt bitterness is high. it doesn’t seem as complex as the hype around this beer, it’s a great dipa just not as great as all the hype.