Russian River Pliny the Elder

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

UPDATE. 500ml bottle, FRESH from south bay, bottled 10/8/09. Pours a gorgeous, golden peach color with a full, one-inch, soft, fluffy, pure white head and perfect lacing. aroma is simply amazing with huge, FRESH, fruity hop notes of pink grapefruit, peach, apricot, prickly pear, passion fruit, and lime zest with lovely spicy notes of douglas fir needles and gin botanicals with by sweet touches of rose petals, vanilla, and light caramel malts. flavor is nothing short of a perfect mirror image of the aroma with a fruity hop note cornucopia filled with pink grapefruit, mandarin orange, apricot, peach, pineapple, stonefruit, and key lime with one of a kind spicy, sharp, notes of fresh cut pine needles balanced by slightly sweet, doughy, caramel malts. palate is medium bodied and elegantly bitter with perfect carbonation and not a trace of alcohol. i had this rated a 4.9 but that’s simply to low for such a superb rendition of an imperial ipa. simply put, one of the best of the best.

Quite a strong grapefruit aroma. Orange-yellow color. This has a strong grapefruit flavor but without being fruity. A truly excellent beer.

Bottle. Pours a solid amber with full white head. Strong nose of fresh hops, citrus, and caramel malts. Flavor is possibly one of the most balanced IPAs I’ve had to date. Predominantly hop flavor but the malts add a full and sturdy flavor that really allow the piney hops to bring this beer to life. Great IPA all around

2008-12-19. Crisp golden-amber body with a good sized creamy white head. Strong hoppy aroma, grass, resin and straw. Flavour is exceptionally well balanced, modest resin throughout, bitterness is restrained, alcohol is barely noticed. Palate is on the light side of average but refreshingly so. Very good, eminently drinkable. I normally like more citrus in my IPA, but this was rather good. <i>Bottle c/o trade with acrdz, many thanks!</i>
"One can only hope that this nectar will never reach the hands of you ticking pillocks. I would hate to see bottles spoiled whilst traveling through the post, just so a bunch off tosspots can sip thimble’s full" - LyttonSprings on Pliny Sadly I forgot to drink mine out of a thimble...

Bottle from Total Beverage, pours out a light yellow with little head and a small amount of lacing, this is one of the most complex and amazing DIPA’s I have ever had, It didn’t hit me over the head with a ton of hops but it was very complex and balanced. I love this beer and if I could drink it everyday I would.

500ml Bottle. Pliny pours out straw colored with no head at all. Aroma is noticeable even as the beer is being poured. The nose on this beer is as impressive as any Imperial IPA I’ve ever tried. Heavy floral citrus that blows you away initially and is still present at the end. I would guess that it has a bit of Amarillo in there. I don’t notice as much pine in the nose as others who have rated this one. Flavor really allows the hops to shine as the subtle undercurrent of caramel malt doesn’t detract from the beer or make it overly sweet. Bitterness is present, but not overpowering the way the nose would lead you to believe. Body is on the thin side with a very mild carbonation which again is perfect for a beer intent on showcasing the flavor of hops. Finishes dry with a lingering bitterness. Alcohol is virtually unnoticeable throughout. An exceptional IPA!

On tap at hulmeville inn in pa, the reason i went to that bar, was a very good ipa, was not disappointed in the trip.

A hazy amber beer with a small off-white/orange head that leaves lace. The aroma is the finest part of the beer, mostly fruity (apple, grape, grapefruit and other citrus) and piney hops with some floral notes. The flavor is not as aggressively bitter as most DIPAs, but has all the hop flavor up front, almost (but not quite) covering up the caramel maltiness. Delicious beer!