RateBeer
   Home Sign Up or Login Advanced Search
   People Ratings Events Places Forums Shop Magazine
      Top By Category  RateBeer Best  Latest Ratings  Top 50    

Russian River Pliny the Elder

Russian River Pliny the Elder - Imperial/Double IPA

* picture credits
copyright may apply

 Percentile 
100
overall
Brewed by Russian River Brewing
Style: Imperial/Double IPA

Santa Rosa, California USA

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
Find this beer

Add Distribution Data
send corrections | shelftag |

 Ratings  Average  Score  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
10344.23/5.04.22/5.08%99.6Snifter, Tulip
View Statistics  P 

Commercial Description:
Pliny the Elder was a Roman naturalist, scholar, historian, traveler, officer, and writer. Although not considered his most important work, Pliny and his contemporaries created the botanical name for hops, "lupus Salictarius", meaning wolf among scrubs." Hops at that time grew wild among willows, much like a wolf in the forest. Later the current botanical name, humulus Lupulus, was adopted. Pliny died in 79 AD while observing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. He was immortalized by his nephew, Pliny the Younger, who continued his uncle's legacy by documenting much of what he observed during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Pliny the Elder, the beer, is brewed with 40% more malt and over twice the amount of hops as compared to our already hoppy IPA.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 Hopper (271), San Antonio, Texas, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/104/58/104/517/20
Jun 26, 2009  
First of all what a beer. The aroma is wonderful, like a bowl of fresh fruit. I could smell this beer all my life if I could. The taste is such a perfect balance of malt & hops. Right when the bitterness kicks in the malt backbone smooths it out perfectly. If there was one beer I had to drink the rest of my life this would be it. I wish it was easier to get.


 shawnm213 (882), South Bend, Indiana, USA
4.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/105/58/104/518/20
Jun 25, 2009    Updated: Jul 21, 2009
Bottle BIG thanks to Hophead22. Beautiful floral hop aroma. notes of fruits and flowers on a nice spring morning. They should make pliny the elder cologne. Also a little grapefruit, big juicy hops. This is such a nice beer. Perfectly balanced sweet caramel malts and some grapeffuit. I want to drink this every day for the rest of my life. Considering a flyout to RR just for pliny the younger next time it’s released.


 AtlAggie (131), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/57/105/517/20
Jun 23, 2009  
Bottle. Bright golden color, big foamy white head. Unbelievably huge nose, can smell it from across the room, but a lovely aroma so it’s all good, grapefruit, citrus, other background flora. Flavor is big grapefruit, juicy citrus, some pine, and malts to back up the hop explosion. Dry, clean finish, remarkably little lingering bitterness--smooth, refreshing, and really drinkable. Best IPA I’ve had so far (and I’m not generally a big fan of the style).


 BuckeyeSammy (454), Cleveland, Ohio, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/103/58/105/517/20
Jun 22, 2009  
On tap at Fathers Office in LA. First impression: serious nose of strong piney hops. Amber color, light head. Great lacing on my glass. A piney hop blast on my palale with a fair ammount of malt to counteract. Nicely balanced until the finish. Long bitter tail end, not overwhelming. Great citrus/ pine hopped balance. Great IPA!


CapnJazz (35), Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Jun 22, 2009  
Bottle shared with Ketih. Enjoyed this one at room temperature. It was very good nonetheless. Not an overpowering aroma like some hop-bombs, but refined and balanced. Good pine and citrus aroma. Such balanced flavors in this one. The grapefruit really stands out, but it’s one of the more balanced and drinkable IPAs I’ve had. I’ve had the Younger one time, and this is probably better in pure drinkability. Awesome job.


 RollinHard (748), Fort Worth, Texas, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/59/104/518/20
Jun 22, 2009  
Pours deep gold. aroma of grapefruit and orange and this thing just really HITS the nose. Tastes of plants, herbs, grapefruit, orange, and with more caramel and white bread flavor than Blind Pig. Finishes with toast, butter, earth, and light grapefruit. Bitter, but more flavorful. So perfectly made you may very well cry.


 GranvilleTim (465), Granville, Illinois, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Jun 22, 2009  
Thanks Zythum. Bottled 5/13/09. Light amber pour with nice white head. Nice citrus hop aroma. As I was pouring, the deliscious smell came out at me. The taste is hoppy, very hoppy. Nice malt backbone to go along with the extreme hop experience. The hops give off a little spiciness. Nice lacing on the glass.


 italarican (157), Astoria, New York, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/103/59/104/518/20
Jun 20, 2009  
Bottled on 5/26/09. Pours a orangish gold, slightly hazy, with a bit white head that quickly dissipates until a 1mm head stays stuck to the surface. Awesome aroma of orange juice, pineapple, and hops. Flavors of orange juice and pineapple are prominent. The hops are wonderful, and there’s a surprising amount of malt flavor as well. Punches you in the throat with bitterness but quickly fades; a very pleasant rush. Nice and crisp with a bit of wonderful bubbly goodness. I’m surprised how easy this is to drink. I will have to make this a regular pickup when I’m in California.



CONSIDER FREE RATEBEER MEMBERSHIP



Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community. Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings. Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!

SIGN UP NOW »

View Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104

What's Your Opinion?
Tell us what you think of this beer. Start your free RateBeer account now.
» Click here.

More Imperial/Double IPAs

Russian River Pliny the Younger (4.26)

Three Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA (4.25)

Russian River Pliny the Elder (4.22)

Bells Hopslam (4.16)

AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer) India Pale Ale (4.12)

Valley Brew Uberhoppy Imperial IPA (4.1)

Alpine Beer Company Exponential Hoppiness (4.06)

Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA (4.06)

Stone Ruination IPA (4.05)

Bells The Oracle DIPA Ale (4.02)

Great Divide Hercules Double IPA (4.02)

Pizza Port Hop 15 (4.01)

Goose Island Imperial IPA (4)

Pizza Port Lou P. Lin (3.97)

Marin Eldridge Grade White Knuckle Double IPA (3.96)


About RateBeer | Add A Beer | Add A Brewer | Edit Personal Info | 100 Beer Club | FAQ | Log out | Feedback? | Copyright 2000-2009, RateBeer LLC