Pliny The Elder - Russian River Brewing Company

ocmpoma

California

4.55/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured out a buff copper, bronze golden hue into the old Duvel tulip. Thick, slightly off-white head that faded eventually. Strong lacing. A good-looking brew.

Pliny's nose is strong; lots of citrus up front with a good hint of orange rind and a toasted undertone. The hops, of course, also make their presence known. The hops dominate on the palate, too, but not at all in an off-balancing way. The citrus and malt sweep in to clean up the mid-palate and prevent the beer from being overwhelmed, but the bitterness hangs in there for a long, delicious finish.

Mouthfeel is excellent; just the right balance for the bitterness and the alcohol level. A very drinkable beer which deserves the respect that it gets.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2010 01:52:28 | More by ocmpoma

cnbrown313

Illinois

4/5  rDev -14%

05-20-2013 16:09:52 | More by cnbrown313

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4.25/5  rDev -8.6%

05-20-2013 15:23:30 | More by Daniellobo

AL89BR

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +7.5%

05-20-2013 14:51:17 | More by AL89BR

duobob

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev -3.2%

05-20-2013 05:09:08 | More by duobob

JReites

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +2.2%

05-20-2013 03:34:14 | More by JReites

UHCougar12

Texas

4.5/5  rDev -3.2%

05-20-2013 02:58:16 | More by UHCougar12

BtownIrish20

Indiana

5/5  rDev +7.5%

05-20-2013 02:18:53 | More by BtownIrish20

Ctrauty

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +2.2%

05-20-2013 01:25:31 | More by Ctrauty

jloomis

Florida

4.5/5  rDev -3.2%

05-20-2013 00:22:35 | More by jloomis

IPAFan521

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +2.2%

05-19-2013 23:33:00 | More by IPAFan521

taveerin

California

5/5  rDev +7.5%

05-19-2013 23:25:49 | More by taveerin

MockY

California

4.25/5  rDev -8.6%

05-19-2013 22:04:12 | More by MockY

TreeBeard

Ohio

4/5  rDev -14%

05-19-2013 20:35:13 | More by TreeBeard

Heady978

Massachusetts

4.16/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Finally got two bottles in mail bottled on 5/9/13 and consumed 5/16/13. Delicious and quintessential, but no way is it even close to Heady Topper, its East coast rival. I have no idea how anyone who has consumed Heady fresh can possibly prefer Pliny. It's essentially a DIPA for non- hopheads who can't handle real hop bombs. Great beer, but not worth the hype and effort to get your hands on it.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 20:08:50 | More by Heady978

Dyelawn

Maine

4.5/5  rDev -3.2%

05-19-2013 19:10:32 | More by Dyelawn

zackb

Oregon

5/5  rDev +7.5%

05-19-2013 15:53:26 | More by zackb

MJSJr

Ohio

5/5  rDev +7.5%

05-19-2013 15:05:25 | More by MJSJr

ShawnMH

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev -8.6%

05-19-2013 14:52:49 | More by ShawnMH

jakeox

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -8.6%

05-19-2013 00:13:52 | More by jakeox

alanv

California

5/5  rDev +7.5%

05-18-2013 21:22:39 | More by alanv

Petela

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +2.2%

05-18-2013 16:50:16 | More by Petela

eyeenjoybeer

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev -3.2%

05-18-2013 16:42:30 | More by eyeenjoybeer

MNishCT77

District of Columbia

4.24/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

17.25 oz. bottle purchased at Ales Unlimited (gotta ask for it!) in San Francisco, CA, bottled on 5/9/13, poured into a hotel style glass and drank over ~30 minutes. Of note, I drank this back-to-back with RR's Blind Pig IPA, so feel free to see that review for comparisons.

A: 4.75 - straw yellow coloration, less hop haze than Bling Pig (could read blurrily through this one), white half-finger head subdues into subtle glass lacing, moderate alcohol legs for a 8% beer

S: 4.25 - after drinking Bind Pig, I was expecting an even bigger hop bomb, and, unfortunately, I liked the hop aroma on Blind Pig much better; nevertheless, there are similar notes: tropical fruit (mango, papaya), pine, resiny, dank with more alcohol in the background

T: 4 - again, less impressed than Blind Pig; on the front of the tongue, there is a moderate pleasant bitterness that subdues pretty quickly into pine, dank notes with a lingering appreciation; I definitely get more booze in the taste than many other DIPAs, which is surprising considering the relatively low ABV for style; yet, it's dry with a balanced biscuity breadiness that I like very much

M: 4.5 - best aspect of the beer, I think; less carbonation than Blind Pig but bigger and chewier; would go well with a nice cigar

O: 4.5 - I think that this is the third time that I've tried this beer, and unfortunately, it doesn't live up the hype for me; there are not enough hops in this one to warrant world-class status for style; I had older batches in the past but this was only bottled about two weeks ago! Anyway, I would consider this more of a single IPA anyway, and it's definitely excellent for that style; I wonder if this is one of those beers that were really great 5-10 years ago, but, now, there are much better examples

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 01:23:23 | More by MNishCT77

GuzzLah

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A - pours a clear gold with a standard white head. Some lace. Light bubbles.

S - big orange and grapefruit, moderate pine, mild caramel malt and faint floral.

T - is just like the aroma. Juicy, citrusy Centennial and a relatively reserved, piney Simcoe. Excellent balance for the style and really smooth for a highly hopped beer.

M - medium body. Dry for the style. Creamy. Firm bitterness, but very pleasant with a long sustain.

O - a highly rated beer that deserves all the praise it receives. I'm not a fan of sweet DIPAs and this one is far from sweet and not too dry. It's certainly a hoppy beer, but it doesn't destroy your palate. Fantastic beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 22:47:48 | More by GuzzLah