Pliny The Elder - Russian River Brewing Company

brewsclues

Pennsylvania

4.93/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On-tap at Apex in Portland, Oregon. Thanks to JA for buying - I'll get the next round, brother.

Didn't think I'd get a chance to have PtE anytime soon, let alone on-tap. As the 2,768th person to review this beer, not sure how much I can add to the discussion, but I won't let that stop me.

Insanely drinkable. For some reason I was expecting this to be a behemoth, monstrosity of a brew with hop-tentacles coming out of the bottle when I opened it, but the bitterness is incredibly balanced and palatable. Lots of pineapple on the nose - that's a distinguishing characteristic that sets it apart from other IPAs I've had. Crisp, and refreshing for 8.0% IPA - mouthfeel is awesome, leaving almost no trace of resin-y after-effects. It's really a light, sessionable ale without sacrificing any of the backbone that a ballsy beer like this should have.

[(Respect the sidebar) - IPA brewers, take note: a beer can be world-class without slaughtering you over the head with a hop blast that will melt your face. Just saying.]

Hype? Plenty of it. Be it known that there are many, many delicious IPAs out there, but it's unlikely that you'll find too many better than this one. An OG (Original Gangstah, not Gravity) on the scene - lives up to the hype, and then some. Shipping a couple bombers back to the East Coast with me.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2012 02:43:00 | More by brewsclues

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District of Columbia

1.75/5  rDev -62.4%

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New York

4.5/5  rDev -3.2%

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4/5  rDev -14%

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5/5  rDev +7.5%

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California

4.5/5  rDev -3.2%

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4.5/5  rDev -3.2%

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California

5/5  rDev +7.5%

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California

4.75/5  rDev +2.2%

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New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev -3.2%

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Greywulfken

New York

4.66/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Bottled on 5/27/13

A: into a tulip, clear deep gold beer with a few fingers of dense, off-white head; some lacing clung to the glass

S: rich bouquet of hops, from piney to citric, herbal to floral; suggestions of sweet vanilla and honeyed malts underneath

T: more complex than most DIPAs I can recall - sweet and grainy malts suggesting juicy fruits, both orchard and tropical, met with a bevy of hops, bringing grapefruit pith, pine resin, lemon zest, and musk to the fore; bright, yeasty (?) tang and bitter, drying finish

M: medium-light body, very crisp and clean, slight chew, slight zing, bittersweet finish

O: well-deserving of its rank - an epic DIPA. A different vibe than, say a Heady Topper, and certainly not inferior.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 00:24:23 | More by Greywulfken

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California

4.75/5  rDev +2.2%

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California

4.75/5  rDev +2.2%

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Delaware

5/5  rDev +7.5%

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Colorado

4/5  rDev -14%

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4.75/5  rDev +2.2%

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5/5  rDev +7.5%

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4/5  rDev -14%

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3.5/5  rDev -24.7%

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4.75/5  rDev +2.2%

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Florida

5/5  rDev +7.5%

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4/5  rDev -14%

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4.5/5  rDev -3.2%

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4.25/5  rDev -8.6%

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Illinois

4.5/5  rDev -3.2%

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