Russian River Pliny the Elder

Thanks to hophead22 for this one, rating 900 for this beer. Pour is hazy copper with medium off-white head. Aroma is huge citrus hop, mostly grapefruit and oranges. Only small amount of malt detectable in aroma. Very clean scent. Flavor is true to nose with huge hop flavor all over: grapefruit, pineapple, orange, and late pine. Finish is subtly malty with a melange of hop flavors, some bitter, some piny. This beer drinks very very easy for an I IPA. Really is very crisp and refreshing.

Had this on tap at Malt and Vine in Washington State. Amber-orange color with one finger of dense off-white head. Smell is an inviting combination of floral, citrus and piney hop oils. Flavor is an aggressive tornado of hoppy grapefruit, hoppy pineapple and tangerines, caramel-hops, light yeast-hoppiness, and a hint of biscuits with hops baked into them.... The hops just seem to romace every over flavour.... Somehow the finish remains smooth and lingering without being predominantly bitter. This beer is truly miraculous, both powerful/complex and smooth/drinkable. Cudos to the Brewmaster at Russian RIver for creating such a masterful and venerable Imperial IPA.

Sampler tray at Naja’s place. Clear golden with a medium head. weak citrus aroma, much more mellow than the Younger. Good hop bitterness. It tastes just as bitter as the Younger, but the latter punches your nose in a way the Elder would never dream of. A much more balanced approach.

500ml bottle pours a darker orange then the younger with a nice cream color head. The smell is floral and hopy. I love IPAs. The taste is much more complex the younger it’s sweeter and citrusy the hops hit at the end and it’s glorious. The after taste is much longer and I love ever second of it. I wish I had more of this brew its amazing!!!! A must try to all you IPAheads out there!!!

Glass- Tripel Karmeliet Tulip Temp- 49 degrees A- The head is tight and cream colored, about 1/2in. It is a nice golden raw honey color and unfiltered. S- The first thing I get is citrus and pine! It starts out grapefruit and pine needles that transitions into pine and tangerine. Awesome! M- The mouth feel is very nice, it’s not too light, actually almost creamy. D- Great carbonation that has a piney, peppery and hoppy finish. It is a wonderful dry finish that allows you to enjoy this great IPA without the expected heaviness. Ironically this is not my favorite type of beer and happens to be my first review. I am now a huge fan!

16.9oz bottle from Tony’s wines in Littleton, bottled 051309. One of the best-looking beers out there in the glass. Starts with a hint of citrus that are soon balanced by light toasted caramel malt. The taste is then Grapefruit, tangerine, and wonderfl flowery hops...really crisp, really complex, bitter/spicy/floral/sweet/sour at the same time. All the flavors play so well with eachother, and it stays short of the super-bitter IIPA pine needle bomb. I could (and have) drink many of these in a sitting. Top 5 beer for me. ************************************************************************************************* Re-Rate Nov5, 2009 - So, I pretty much don’t pass up Pliny when I see it at home, but the best I can do is about 4 weeks old. Picked up a couple today in Socal @ 2 weeks so thought I’d add a re-rate. The dank, resinous, sticky profile is SO much more pronounced in just that short of a time difference. Oily and deep citus pervades the first sip, with JUST enough malt to spread the grapefruit, lemon and pineapple flavors out. Bitter, dry (?) finish that makes me so want more. This beer, this fresh, has no equal for me. Slight uptick in rating as the aroma and overall effect are just that much better @ only 2 weeks old - next step - days old from the brewery (10,5,9,5,19)

16.9 oz bottle from mreusch, bottled on 02/03/09: lighter amber w/ a lasting off white medium sized head! Fantastic lacing! Lightly hazed, but still a good looking beer! Great hop aroma! Grapefruity, pineapple, grassy, and slighlty floral! Toasty malt, light caramel, but mostly hops! Fantastic hop combo! Very light fruitiness, mostly from hops! Very clean! Well balanced throughout start to finish! Clean hop flavor is citrusy and grassy, green/recently harvested if you will. Toasty malt takes a back seat, but it’s there and well represented. Caramel is also there, but in the background. Finish is on the dry side and most definitely clean, grassy and citrusy hop flavored. Medium bodied, smooth m/f, dry @ the finish, but very clean palate. I can see why this is highly rated! Very clean, very hoppy, but complex with hop varietals and very well balanced between hop bitterness and malt sweetness. Very nice beer with a big hop presence and well balanced flavor.

Appearance – This is definitely one of the best looking DIPAs I have ever seen. Pours a yellowish orange color with a large billowing white head that only has small traces of tan in it. As the head slowly recedes it leaves lacing that every DIPA should strive for; absolutely beautiful. Smell – Hops, hops, hops, and hops. This smells like if there were any malt in it, the hops already took the malt out back and beat the crap out of it. Good job hops! Very piney and floral with just a hint of citrus. The malt gives a little bit of a caramel scent rounding it out at the end, but in no way dominates this hop bomb in any way, shape, or form. Taste – This has a hop zing to it that isn’t overbearing but it lasts the test of time. It lets you know that the hops in this sucker are here to stay and will kick your ass just like they did the malt. It has a very strong piney taste to it. After the pine settles down a little bit the tangerines and grapefruit come out to play and they do it well. After all is said and done the malt is still struggling to make an appearance, but those hops are just relentless. Mouthfeel – This alone makes me want to take gulp after gulp of this amazing DIPA. Thick and resinous with lasting appealing. It feels like it envelopes your tongue like it just took it hostage. Drinkability – I would drink this daily if I could. Russian River really knows what they are doing when it comes to just about any style. Well played RR, well played.