Pliny The Younger - Russian River Brewing Company

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A growler filled at the Union Jack's Inn On The Manatawny. Thanks to Phatz for sharing it.
A- Light amber with ample white head

S - Extremely Hoppy aroma -floral, citrus and heaps of pine abound

T - Kicks and envelopes taste buds with hop acidity, malt sweetness creeps in at the finish

M - Full round and substantial with sharp hop edges

D - Less than average drinkability due to over the top hops, alcoholic strength, but a delightful taste nonetheless

Serving type: growler

02-27-2007 19:03:22 | More by Slatetank

jcdiflorio

West Virginia

4.97/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

poured into a flaired gold rimmed tulip glass from a growler at Phatz's Pliny Project 2.

Light coppery color with a slight haze.Very tiny compressed bubbles as the glass swirls. Once the aroma hit my nose i kinda forgot the check the color of the head. It was very creamy and left a good 1/2" coating through out.

The aroma was very intense Piney/Grapefruity. Fruity,very pineappley with sweet carmell trying to cut through all the hoppiness.
Awesome hop nose,the only way I could describe it is like crushing a handfull of fresh hops in you hands and totally covering your entire face with your hands full of the freshly crushed hops. The hop aromas were crisp and clean,fresh just awesome. The best hop aroma of anything i've ever smelled.

Intense grapefruit flavors lots of pine with a great sweet carmell taste. Just a hint of alcohol for 11% the taste was so good i forgot all about the alcohol. An amazing balance for all the hoppiness my mouth just kept watering for more.

Extra creamy,airy feel,syrupy with slick hop oilyness, juicy, just an awesome mouthfeel
The drinkabily was unbeliveable,enjoyed it so much didn't want to stop drinking it. I can't stop thinking about this beer. I want to thank Phatz's again for giving me the chance to taste this amazing beer.
If you ever get a chance to try this beer don't pass it up. I'm glad i didn't

Serving type: growler

02-26-2007 02:13:04 | More by jcdiflorio

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A growler filled at the Union Jack's Inn On The Manatawny. Thanks to Phatz for sharing it.

A: The ale has a vibrant golden color that nicely blends orange and yellow tones. The head has held up nicely, coming in thick and billowy on each pour.

S: The aroma is this thick with big juicy hops. Aromas include grapefruit, apricot and soapiness. The malts are big too, caramelly and big.

T: This IPA is incredible. The hops are thick and powerful from the first sip to the last, providing apricot, pineapple, grapefruit and lemon rind flavors. The malts don't shy away from the hops either. They are big and chewy, full of caramel and biscuit. The strength of the malts is enough to push this into barleywine territory (but that is another argument for another day).

M: The mouthfeel is intense from start to finish, showcasing an incredible array of hops and a big malty profile.

D: If only this beer weren't 11%... The ale is delicious with a great hop profile that refuses to let go of your tastebuds.

Serving type: growler

02-25-2007 21:30:19 | More by akorsak

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

on-tap at Pizza Port Carlesblad. The more aggressive version of the elder in a side-by-side tasting. Hop attack of the palate, and a lot of malt. Powerful hop attack, common amoung the double IPAs I have had, is not satisfying to me. The elder is much smoother, and now my favorite. White head. You don't detect the alcohol in the taste, but it's there!

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2007 05:53:07 | More by northyorksammy

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.7/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Much thanks to jgaston for the growler!

Pours an ever so slightly hazed pale amber with a big frothy head that qucikly faded to reveal a ton of swirly lace that clung all the way to the bottom.

Smell was, how do you say, HOPS! Must intense frwsh hop smell, almost burned the nose hairs, this is gonna be good.

The taste, everything I expected and more. So bitter it brings tear to the eye, huge pine hops, very fresh tasting, no balance here, none needed. Absolutly intense, slight warming from the alcohol and a very dry finish.

This was right on the money and at 11%abv, its a doozy to say the least. This lived up to the hype for me at least, a true double, dare I say almost a triple IPA, wonderful wonderful brew!

Serving type: growler

02-08-2007 00:47:20 | More by mikesgroove

dbalsock

Vermont

3.83/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Light amber/golden color and very clear with smallish white head that stays around and provides some slight lacing.

Smell: Floral and citrusy, all I can smell are hops and sweet fruits. The aroma is very intense.

Taste: tastes like it smells, with grapefruit coming in and a pine forest on the aftertaste. The malt base isn't as deep as I expected and this is not as balanced as the Elder, but the amount of hops is quite impressive. This is a hop-heads dream. There's also some alcohol, but for 11% it's covered very well by the intense hopiness.

Mouthfeel: Very bitter, especially as one keeps drinking it. It seems to magnify the bitterness with each sip.

Drinkability: For the amount of alcohol in this, it is way to easy to drink. It goes down the throat and is bitter enough to keep someone gulping. I'm very impressed and although it's not quite balanced enough for my tastes, I can see why this is so highly regarded.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2007 19:57:51 | More by dbalsock

sleazo

New York

4.33/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Liars Club. Served in a 10 oz snifter. This is a true hop heads dream. the smell is strongly of west coast hops, piney, citrusy. The hops dominate the smell as they do the taste. you dont get too much of the malt here but the hops are what you are looking for in a 2XIPA. This just tastes like fresh hops smell. The alcohol is there, but not in a bad way. I could get really drunk by dowining alot of these

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2007 07:13:20 | More by sleazo

SacoDeToro

California

5/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I've had every batch of Pliny the Younger and I wasn't about to miss out on this latest one.

The beer poured a rich golden color with a small white head that quickly turned into a small lace.

The aroma of this beer was bursting with amazingly fresh hops. Pine and heavy citrus (tangerine, grapefruit, and pineapple) were there in abundance. The alcohol was there to help carry the aroma up and away.

The flavor of the beer had an intense, yet incredibly rounded hop profile that blended many hop flavors. A myriad of citrus fruits were there, but tangerine was the heaviest. Many double IPAs have hop profiles that are good, but one dimensional. PTY had a multi-dimensional hop flavor. The malt profile was clean and sweet. Mostly 2 row pale malt with some light notes of caramel malt.

The mouthfeel was medium/light with a rich creaminess that worked so well for this beer. I'm assuming corn sugar and Carapils malts were used in this beer which made it crisp and dry, yet still dextrinous enough to never be thin.

The carbonation was fine and tight.

This beer is a masterpiece. This latest batch seems like the finest to me. The hop profile is a little different and improved from previous batches. I'm fortunate enough to live close to several places that have this beauty tapped. Life is good.

Serving type: on-tap

02-05-2007 23:26:39 | More by SacoDeToro

Bierguy5

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Again, big thanks to mcallister and pixel for having us over and letting me sample this prize. Much of this review compares the younger to the elder. Younger again is gold in color, maybe a bit lighter. Nice thick white head, which held together very well. Great piney aroma, not quite as much citrus as the elder. Very sweet, a huge malt backbone. Piney and citrusy hops, but without as much peach flavor as the elder. Nice full body. Big, but not boozy, the alcohol is very well hidden. This is very enjoyable, and I understand why this is rated so highly.

Serving type: growler

01-28-2007 21:36:42 | More by Bierguy5

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

4.93/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - Pours a brilliantly clear golden orange with a 2-3 finger white head and spotty lacing through the finish.

S - Sweet juicy hops! Citrus, pine, tropical fruits, grapefruit, floral bouquet. Just about every great hop aroma I have come across is in this beer.

T - Intense pine, citrus, grapefruit and pineapple. Very hoppy upfront but I was surprised by the malt balance. That all changed. After each swallow the hops just built and built to a mouth puckering superb hop bomb. The bitterness is also present but sneaks up on you.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and creamy. Hint of oily hop resin present and a dry finish that builds after each sip.

D - Initially I was expecting more from this one but with every sip I took it built itself up to this massive, tasty, beautiful DIPA. The ABV is well hidden and 2/3 of the way through the growler, I can feel it sneaking up on me but it is still a truly tasty and highly drinkable DIPA. I can not wait until I get to CA and taste it straight from the brewpub.

Serving type: growler

01-28-2007 03:49:12 | More by brewcrew76

mcallister

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Good looking indeed. Nicely carbonated with a large white and fluffy head that leaves some sticky lace behind.

Piney and very fruity hops with a sweet aroma of malt. Good bit of alcohol in the nose with more citrusy fruit aromas than the elder. Sweet and very floral and very hard too pull your nose out of.

Again balanced, but more sweetness and slightly more body and balls. Alcohol adds a dimension not found in the Elder. Not as balanced but more piney hops on the finish which is also much longer yet lacking the lush creamy mouthfeel. Not as drinkable because of the drying hop finish and the alcohol content but quite drinkable and delicious.

Serving type: growler

01-28-2007 00:20:30 | More by mcallister

CharlesDarwin

Rhode Island

4.43/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Originally reviewed on February 10, 2005. Handbottle. Aroma is fuming blast of acidic fresh spritizing strong and sour citrus of grapefruit, fresh spruce and a hint of perfumy essence. Pour is a oranged yellow rimmed clear pour, with a lacy spotted sheets on the class of clean white. Flavor is a sweet fresh grapefruit, lime and cilantro. Savory and gushing with a gentle sweet maltness that superbly comforts and carries the hops as a delicate and sumptumous hop elixir. A true ambrosia. If the malt lent a little more character, and the hops were a little more transformed into that mouth warming bready goodness, this would be a top 10. Nonetheless, it’s an astoundingly drinkable high alcohol brew, with all those flavors carried perfectly, yet not leaving a harsh impression on the palate. Finishes actually quite sweet and floral, as opposed to typical dry grass, instead with lemongrass and a sweet cinnamon candy.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2006 04:38:18 | More by CharlesDarwin

Callenak

California

3.6/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Served on Cask at Naja's Place in Redondo Beach.

This is the second time I've tried the younger, once on tap and once on cask. I've had the elder many times and will be drinking some tonight for MNF. I had to try the younger again before I reviewed it to give it a second chance. So many people say that it's better than the elder I thought it deserved a second go-around.

Pours a pale gold with a big head. Took the bartender a lot of pumping to get this one poured just right. The head subdues rather quickly. Not sure if that's the cask or the ABV.

The smell is of course hops plus a good dose of alcohol. The beer is 11% after all. The alcohol is almost dominant.

The taste is overload. Tons of hops and lots of alcohol burn. I'm sure there is sugar used in the brewing of both the elder and the younger. I like a good, strong beer, but the alcohol is almost to much.

If you are going to compare the Younger to something it might as well be the Elder. I had an Elder right afterwards and reaffirmed my preference. The Elder is perfection. Taste completely unique in a time when every brewer is brewing a DIPA. The Younger reminds me of several other DIPA's I've had. The hops are great in it, but I just don't care for the alcohol burn.

Serving type: cask

09-18-2006 23:22:50 | More by Callenak

Rumrunner

California

4.78/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow! On cask this beer takes a different form. I love it from the tap, but I find it difficult to drink more than one. From the cask, the smoothness allows for many pints. The ABV does not.

I had a few pints of PLY at Naja's Place. The bartenders were working that hand pump.

It pours a beautiful dusky gold. A nice frothy head. The scents are crisp and fresh. A very clean scent. Some nice hops, but not too bitter on the nose. The scents are bold but not overwhelming.

The flavors are extremely clean. A great mix of bitterness, but not so much that there is no barley. There is a nice barley back-bone to this beer. I am very impressed. I don't find this IPA to be very fruity, which I am very happy about. It has more of a sour and bitter flavor. The flavors compliment each other and do not fight for dominance. The bitterness previals, but the malts find a way to exert themselves. This beer has no bad aftertaste.

From the cask this beer is perfect. It is silk and velvet down the throat. What a treat. I cannot convey how the cask has made this beer so succulant and easy drinking. It is smooth like a like pure ice.

From the cask this IPA is a great blend of flavors and smoothness. It is still bold, but the smoothness is just phenomenal. Drink it if you get the chance. Keep them coming Russian River.

Serving type: cask

09-18-2006 07:27:24 | More by Rumrunner

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

4.47/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served on-tap at Monk's Cafe in Philadelphia in a 10-ounce tulip-type glass.

Poured a clear and shiny brass color. Not too much head but was an incredible amount of layered, wedding cake-like lace. Nose is full of pungent and wet wood and hops.

Flavor was hop bitterness but not bitingly painful. More of a sour citrus suchs as grapefruit flavor. Little hint of vanilla. Where is the heat from the alcohol--very nicely concealed. Slightly dry but there were lots of oils from the hops. Amazingly simple but still complex DIPA. They don't try to do too much here but create a solid beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-08-2006 18:49:34 | More by MuddyFeet

NoLiberty

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I was lucky enough to have this delicious beer at the Grey Lodge in Northeast Philadelphia. Props to them for bringing in the goods. I must admit that I had a pint of the Younger immediately after a pint of the Elder, so my palate was certainly well worked over. However...

The appearance is beautiful, it pours a deep golden orange. Clear and thick with low lacing and a mild to no head.

The aroma is warm or alcohol and herbacious with hops. Sweet and spicy but not as piney as the Elder, more floral.

The taste hits you up front with a big hop bite and strong alcohol tingle. It's big, deep and rich in the middle and incredibly well balanced for the alcohol content. It has a deeper, subtler flavor than the elder with almost erverse characteristics.

The mouthfeel is thick with alcohol, slightly syrupy but pleasant all around. Good carb and nice mouthfill.

This is a big beer but could go for two in a row, sure another one!

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2006 21:21:48 | More by NoLiberty

DarkerTheBetter

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is based on notes from The Drafting Room and The Grey Lodge.

This beer came a very foggy simple copper and gold with a wide collar of head.

Smelled of a beautiful honey and oats with a slight marshmallow. There was also a slight candied apple, dehydrated pineapple, and grapefruit. The blend of smells here is exquisite.

Tastes of a sweet pizza dough, powdered sugar and honey which is engulfed in a long lingering dry crisp pine that stings my tongue. Where malt ends and hops begin, no one knows. I'm impressed.

The mouth feel is heavy and viscous with a tiny smooth carbonation.

This is a really impressive beer, but I wouldn't want more than one.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2006 21:25:05 | More by DarkerTheBetter

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear orange with a thin, cream coloured head. Spotty lacing was evident from the fine bubbles, which showed excellent retention. The aroma was all hops - powdery, floral, tangerine, pine, and grapefruit, not necessarily all at the same time though. There was a lot of malt sweetness up front, but a very strong bitterness hits at the same time. Floral and citrusy hop flavour fills the midsection, with mild pine, orange and tangerine. Spicy alcohol appears towards the end and grapefruit bitterness really lingers. Full bodied served with moderately low carbonation and significant alcohol warmth and numbing. Drying hop finish with slight stickiness. This is really good, really powerful. Highly drinkable for such a big beer. Everything is just turned up on this beer - a lot. I think I prefer the Elder as a beer I could drink on a regular basis - this one seems to be fit more for special occasions. I'd be a happy dude if I could get either on a regular basis...

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2006 03:22:55 | More by DrJay

Imstillthegman

Delaware

4.2/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on-tap at The Drafting Room. My glass was filled with a golden copper color liquid with a thin white head. Some lacing was left but not like the amount left by the Elder. The aroma was filled with pine and citrus from the hops and a sweet caramel / tofffee scent. The flavor followed the smell. Hops were there but so was the sweetness. Somewhere in between a 90 min. and a 120 min. with the sweetness. Very smooth and not as bitter IMO as the Elder. The abv in this one (11%) limited me to only two glasses but they were tasty. Great brew, but I think the Elder comes out on top.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2006 17:21:07 | More by Imstillthegman

memory

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap. Appeared copper color with a grapefruit smell and taste. The alcohol wasn't overwhelming at 11 percent and I considered it very drinkable. .
Advertised as a triple, I wasn't blown away though. There are local tripals in my area of SE Pa. that are on par with this in my opinion. I don't think it is that far above them. However, this is very nice to drink. Is it possible to give a review after drinking just one?

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2006 04:42:16 | More by memory

ggaughan

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Tria in Philadelphia, served in a 13 oz tulip glass. The beer poured a vibrant copper color, clear and with a thick off white head that disapated slowly and gave way to a nice ring around the end and a swirly island in the middle. The aroma was a strong pine and citrus nose that was similar to the Elder but kicked up a bit and more pure and extreme but enjoyable. The taste was very similar to the taste. There was the initial hoppy, piney taste with some citrus, grapefruit and a touch of sweet caramel. The mouth feel was very smooth with a nice alcohol burn on the way down that tells you this is a 11% beer. What a smooth ride the Younger was. I was expecting this to be hard to handle but found this very enjoyable and drinkable. I had 2 in this sitting and will go back for more wherever I can find it. Another RR hit and it has been a long time that I have waited to try this.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2006 01:21:01 | More by ggaughan

egajdzis

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a bright golden color with a medium sized, creamy, white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of piney hops, citrus fruits, tons of resin, caramel malts, and light alcohol. Strong pine in the taste, more citrus fruits, bitter grapefruits, with some sweet malts, and alcohol in the finish. Much more enjoyable than DFH 120.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2006 02:14:19 | More by egajdzis

benito

Oregon

3.8/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Despairing over not being able to get this on tap at the RR brewpub, I was overjoyed to find it on tap at Toronado in San Francisco.

A: An unmoving copper with a thin head. Still waters run deep, right?

S: Earthy hops--grass and cedar with a touch of sweeter fruit, maybe strawberry. This is certainly one of the strongest hop bouquets I've ever smelled.

T: An ode to the hop. The overall flavor is strong enough on malt and hops that it could pass as a barley wine (especially if Avery were making it), but it emphasizes on bitterness, from start to finish. The molasses like malty flavors up front give way to a dry and bitter finish, with hints of pine, grass, and alcohol.

M: I suppose that the quality of mouthfeel depends on how much you love the hop. The 'balance' is about as good as one might expect from a so-called triple IPA (which I will insist is not truly its own style); nonetheless, the residual bitterness is a little too much for my palate.

D: For sipping. 'Nuf said.

Overall, this is an ambitious and aggressive brew, significantly stronger than its (wonderful) uncle Pliny the Elder. It seems that RR isn't going for a beer that's going to please anyone other than the most die-hard of hop heads; while that may mean the beer won't be universally acclaimed, it's probably that kind of an attitude that helps make forward progress in the US craft brew industry.

Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2006 16:54:07 | More by benito

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this on tap at Naja's in Redondo Beach. It was presented in a tumbler, and had a pale orange color with a thin foam comprised of big bubbles. The beer was very clear which I guess I didn't expect.

The aroma is massively hoppy, and of course the flavor also. Actually I compared this with the Pliny the Elder and I prefer the Elder because it seems a little more complex, kind of more malt in the flavor it seems to me. But that's just what I took out of it.

Drinkability is pretty high, even though this is pretty alcoholic. I think the hops weren't so excessive as to kill my tastebuds.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2006 22:44:39 | More by TurdFurgison

mentor

Colorado

2.88/5  rDev -38.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to Redwoodgeorge for the opportunity...I was part of the unauthorized bottling project he undertook. Pours a one finger white head over a nearly clear orange amber liquid. Smells clean grapefruit pith. Sugar sweet and cherry. Underlying caramel accompanied by buried apricot esters.

Tastes buttery (blech). Caramel. Acidic. Mostly piney hops with some softer citrus. Cotton candy. Brutally woody dry with a taste of fresh 'morning cobwebs' in the forest. Fruity esters are lost under the hops.

Md thick mouthfeel and moderately carbonated. I swear I could feel the hop oils on my tongue. What I didn't like was a prominent and unpleasant diacetyl (buttery) that I found completely distracting. Ruined the beer for me, and it's reflected in the 'taste' portion of my rating. I found this same flavor in the samples I had at GABF last year (2005). In front of the brewer (knee-jerk reaction), I actually spit the beer out and said 'pediococcus!'.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2006 07:49:14 | More by mentor