Pliny The Elder - Russian River Brewing Company

sbenzzz

California

4.73/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

What can you possibly say about Pliny the elder....this beer is awesome just too hard to find in socal!
Appearance: Golden clear with a bit of crimson and little white
Smell: The smell is amazing an array of different fruit with a distinctive pine hint
Taste: Still very fruity, booze is masked completely, citrus taste with hops....awesome!
Mouthfeel: The best of any beer I have had! Crisp. light, carbonation is perfect
Overall: It is Pliny the Elder what is there to say, this brew is worth the hype and then some truly one of the best brews in existence

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 01:04:14 | More by sbenzzz

mwilbur

Minnesota

4.9/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured on tap into tulip.
A: Pours a clear golden yellow with a tinge of crimson. Faint white quickly dissipates.
S: WOW. By far the best smelling beer I've come across...by far. Peach, apricot, tart raspberry, grapefruit, and a hint of soft pine.
T: Follows aroma well (see above). Excellent complexity and balance. With warming, a note of passionfruit emerges.
M: Light and refreshing. Mild-moderate bitter hop bite well balanced by smooth malt. Pleasantly dry finish.
D: An incredible brew! Excellent complexity in a very sessionable and refreshing beer. Go drink this now!

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2013 00:27:45 | More by mwilbur

gueuzedreg

Colorado

4.85/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Just after finishing a 750ml of White Chocolate... thank God this beer tastes soooo good. Pine, citrus that I am sooo glad I am tasting. If you can get this beer; I would suggest drinking The Bruery BT, WC, CR, or GT prior to bring out the glorification of this beer. Unreal. Sounds counterproductive... I know. It works

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 04:17:14 | More by gueuzedreg

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.81/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

BIG thanks to IanSpindler, a local beer advocate and complete stranger who reached out to me randomly via this website and offered me this bottle for trade. The beer gods have shone their light on me today!
A - a clear bubbly golden, two fingers of fluffy white head retained endlessly, plenty of blotchy lacing as it receded
S - pineapple tropical citrus, light pine and resin, big pale malt aroma rivals the hops, slightly grassy also
T - starts with clean grassy and slightly spicey hop presence, then undertones of resin and citrus rind, robust pale malty backbone with sunflower seeds, with the and oily hop flavour sticking around through the finish, just a exquisite piece of work
M - so fresh and clean, crisp and inviting, significant bitterness that works well with a subtle oily feel, finishes as clean as it start with a touch of dryness
O - so thankful for the opportunity to enjoy this nectar of the gods, the interplay of flavour with its super drinkability make this a true must try for any beer geek out there, this sets a standard for what every DIPA should aspire to be

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 00:21:21 | More by joemcgrath27

Cee-Poe

Wisconsin

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

Bottled two weeks before opening.

A-- Pours crystal clear with a quickly dissipating three fingers of pure white head. Very nice looking beer.

S-- Smells of sweet grapefruit and green apples. The aroma is not overpowering, nice and mellow.

T-- The fresh hops remind me of rock fruit with a mild amount of grapefruit tartness. Although hop forward, the beer is not a hop-bomb. The taste clears off the palette quickly.

M-- The body is very light and not at all cloying. The carbonation is vibrant but not too much and works to clear the palette as mentioned above.

O-- This is a perfect be to pair with a good meal. It is not trying hard to be as good as it is... it just works perfectly. An excellent beer that I wished I had more of!

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 03:19:17 | More by Cee-Poe

Jparker37

Wisconsin

4.51/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

510ml bottle poured into a pint glass. Bottled 01/25/13.

A - Large rocky white head. Flawless clarity to the golden beer. Left a good amount of lacing.

S - Big snap of balanced citrus to pine. Catty. More floral notes as it warms. Mild biscuit malt in the background.

T - Malt comes across with a darker presence than the color would lend me to believe. Hop flavor is more pine here and really dank/resinous. Bitterness is medium to high and is there early and consistent throughout. Finishes bone-dry and leaves a lasting resinous hop flavor.

M - Dry-dry-dry, just above medium body, moderate to light-moderate carbonation.

O - Great aroma and a beautiful appearance. This beer is deceiving in that it drinks like a regular IPA but in actuality is pretty hefty. Great mouthfeel and quite drinkable. I proud to have finally tracked down the king of IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 22:42:13 | More by Jparker37

flydudehsv

California

5/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

16 oz bomber. Clear light amber body with off-white head. Aroma is medium sweet, grapefruit, pine, some bread. Taste is moderately sweet, grapefruit, pine, some caramel. Medium-full body, some syrup. Clear amber body with off-white head. Aroma is medium sweet, grapefruit, caramel. Taste is moderately sweet, pine/grapefruit, caramel. Hops are strong but not overpoweringly bitter. Medium body. I like hoppy beers and this is one of my favorites!

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 08:02:19 | More by flydudehsv

mnphish

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottled on 2/19/13 - thanks to Hamburgers! Appearance is crystal clear, light gold/amber body. Not hazy, no sediment. I cannot wait.

Smell is typical of a world class IPA - tropical fruit: pineapple, citrus, peaches, mango, and a malt background.

Taste follows the nose perfectly. Very tropical - tons of fresh fruit hit the palate, followed by a nice malt base. Impressively balanced.

Mouthfeel is light, crisp, drinkable, perfectly carbonated.

Bittersweet, potent, tropical, balanced. Everything i'm looking for in an IPA. Gimme the freshies.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 05:36:00 | More by mnphish

MCain04

Illinois

4.61/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

From BostonRyan, thanks, 500ml bottle from 12.20.12. Poured into a 12 oz Spiegelau snifter. Here we go...

A: Golden color, a little opaque, 2 finger pure white head with great retention and lacing.

S: Surprisingly subdued, may be due to it being a few months old. Much like Blind Pig, a combination of tropical fruits, orange, grapefruit, unripe mango, and some pine and floral notes, with a hint of malt sweetness.

T: Nice hop taste following the nose, a good amount of bitterness throughout without being overwhelming. The malt backbone is just perfect. In one word: Balance. Not a hop-head's dream beer, and not the biggest maltiest syrupy DIPA, but just really, really, well constructed. A little more hop taste for me and it'd be perfect.

M: This and Heady Topper are the only IPAs I can give a 5/5 to on mouthfeel. I don't know how they get the smooth, creamy texture so well, but it's just awesome. Full-bodied but not heavy, carbonation spot on, dry but not puckeringly so.

O: Damn near perfect. A top 3 DIPA for sure. Probably even better fresh. I would probably drink this every day if I lived in Cali. Worth seeking out just to try, but you may be saddened after finishing it if you don't have more left.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 04:12:15 | More by MCain04

Abbbp

Texas

4.9/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

At this years Abbbp Beermageddon, actually the first official Abbbp Beermageddon of its kind, this was a lucky, lucky score for us. Along side the Westevleteren we had this proved to be in the as advertised, lived up to its legend calling.

Being in Texas, I've scoured the globe for this noble brew, its rating is well deserved, thank you RR....

From the opening smell you know it's going to be great. We were lucky enough to have a fresh one, less than a month old, so obvious advice reigns true, if you get your hands on this guy, chill it, then drink it!!! Drank in a sifter, The taste was pine cone fresh, crisp, and clean. Perfect, perfect carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 05:47:31 | More by Abbbp

Elementkng20

Texas

4.93/5  rDev +6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Just had my first one since I cannot get it here in Houston. I had my fiance ask her cousin in San Diego to ship some here. Overall, the best beer I've tasted so far. Smell is fantastic and taste is superb. Wish I could get PTY. I've heard it's very hard to get sometimes...

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 22:50:10 | More by Elementkng20

DenverLogan

Colorado

4.26/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've had this many times in the bottle and on tap over the years...it's considered a standard for the double IPA category.
On tap at Cheeky Monk...ours a yellow gold with small head.
Significant carbonation and mouthfeel.
Aromas and taste of pine resin, white grapefruit, flowery hops, modest alcohol, black pepper, straw, grapefruit rind. All and all a very flavorful and satisfying brew

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2013 16:51:32 | More by DenverLogan

HopAttack3

Virginia

5/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Made it Russian River on 1-30-13, 2 days before Younger was released, the most well balanced beer I've had, it was so dank on tap, I'm in love with it and have some being shipped to me now...thank god for friends that love beer as much as I do...trying to see if I can get to Philly to try younger...

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2013 12:54:11 | More by HopAttack3

hankthetank97

4.89/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Probably the best beer have ever had.

A: Golden color. Head pours as heavy as the user wishes.

S: Incredible hop smell to start. No secrets about this beers intentions

T: Hops explode from start to finish. Incredibly balanced considering the overwhelming hop flavors; certainly no malt character to hang your hat on, but there's just enough to keep the hops from completely overtaking all senses.

M: Perfect texture- unrivaled by any beer I've ever had.

O: Hard to beat- incredibly balanced for a beer that offers such a hop experience.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 11:26:05 | More by hankthetank97

Justin_Neff

Ohio

4.84/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Bottled on 2/19/13, bought from Fred at Beverages 4 Less. Big thanks Freddy. You're the man.

A: Pours a deep golden yellowish, light orange color. Completely translucent. 2-3 finger head that begins as a fizzy consistency and quickly turns to silky. Fades into nice ring and laces the glass wonderfully.

S: Hop forward for sure. A little malt character, but it's definitely faint. Slightly bitter. Very fruity - grapefruit rind, mango, and some wofts of what almost comes off as papaya.

T: Follows the nose exactly. Very hoppy, without much malt taste at all. Not overly bitter, but some bitterness that comes off like citrusy grapefruit bitterness. Some citrus sweetness as well.

M: Surprisingly light for the 8% ABV. High carbonation. Very crisp and refreshing. Extremely drinkable.

O: I am not sure how it could get much better than this one. If it were possible to have a bunch of bottles of this laying around, it could get dangerous. It's amazingly smooth, crisp, and refreshing. I love the hop character without being very malty or bitter. I'm can sometimes be a cynic when it comes to overly hyped beers, but this one lived up to the hype.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 18:27:43 | More by Justin_Neff

Mertzy81

Maryland

4.99/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A...pours clear, honey yellow with a white fluffy head. Lots of vey sticky lacing down glass.

S...wish I could rate the smell higher than a 5. Lots of floral smell at first, like a bouquet of fresh flowers. Then there is wonderful pine resin scent in here. I just want to push my nose right into this brew it smells incredible.

T...wow! I didn't think this could live up to the hype but it does. Hop head paradise. Every bit of that great nose is in the taste and then some. Lots of hops right up front that have a punch in the mouth bitterness without the over done malts like a lot of DIPAs. It gets a peppery tingle in your mouth before letting into an earhty pine flavor and finishes quick and crisp.

M...perfectly done. Carbo is just right and gives it a light mouthfeel even with such a full taste.

O...this is right on the money. It is hard to be better than this. I thaught I would be let down after finally tracking down this exceptionally rated brew but, I was not. Every bit as great as I would have hoped. I love this beer and can't wait for my next chance to drink it.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 08:40:28 | More by Mertzy81

dougfur

New York

4.69/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Finally writing a review for Pliny. poured it into a pint glass from bottle. Bottled about a month ago and thanks again to the Pliny fairy in CO!
First thing you notice: this beer is CLEAR! A darker straw color with absolutely no haze and a pretty small head. The smell is hoppy, but not really in your face. Very much towards the citrus side of things, which I appreciate!
Taste is just like the smell, hoppy with a lot of grapefruit/pineapple and a bit of pine. The balance of hops to malt is spot on. Feels great in your mouth, though I think it could use a tad more body to it (just my personal tastes).
Overall, it's extremely impressive. I'm not quite sure why it gets compared to Heady Topper so much as they're very different. Heady is hazy, resiny and just blasts you with hop aroma and taste. This is more subtle, but no less good. It's about a lot of great flavors mixed together with incredible skill and subtlety and I could drink this one with regularity. Great DIPA!

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 00:59:32 | More by dougfur

Jeffwildcat

Arizona

5/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had this at the Urban Tavern in the Hilton Union Square in San Francisco a few weeks ago. Very easy to drink. Hints of pine and citrus with a perfect balance. This I felt was a medium body work of art. Appearance is a fire orange. A must have if you can find it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2013 04:58:28 | More by Jeffwildcat

Claytonbrewsby

Virginia

4.61/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

I've tried several Plinys now, and not one has been bad. Great IPA. Has a great, refreshing smell to it. Pours a light white/yellow head. Very citrusy and bubbley too, also has a really clean, crisp taste. Light orange in appearance. Beautiful lacing.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 02:21:33 | More by Claytonbrewsby

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.54/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16 oz bomber into a tulip glass. Acquired a few of these from two different trades on the same day. Thanks h2k2c and frizzzle for hooking me up! Bottled 1/25/13, less than a month ago. Allowed to warm as I drank it, served fresh out of the fridge.

A- Pours a crystal clear golden body with minimal rising carbonation, a small 1/2 inch head rises and falls quickly and reduces to a few foamy bubbles surrounded by a white ring.

S- Super fruity and juicy upfront. Smells like I Just stuck my nose into a can full of tangerines. Grapefruit, orange, citrus, tropical fruits dominate with a slight resinous hop oil aroma in the background. The aroma is pungent and forward - the second I opened the bottle my personal space was saturated with the delicious aroma. I wish I could bottle it.

T- Upfront I'm hit with a nice balance of juicy, tropical, piney hoppyness and a solid but not too heavy malt backbone. This develops into a subtle stickyness that sticks on the tongue for a few moments.

M- Medium carbonation, medium body. Easy to drink.

Wow.. my first PtE. My first thoughts were that this is a very impressive DIPA - I can see why it is ranked what it is. At the same time, it is gaining some pretty fierce competitors. First example: Lagunitas sucks, a beer with a very similar hop profile and a clear filtered character, which is more readily available and less hyped up (which is probably why it has lower ratings). Another example would by heady topper, which in a side by side test would defeat PtE in my opinion. It's raw, unfiltered character gives it the one-up on PtE. Don't get me wrong, this is an EXCELLENT DIPA worth trying and I'm jealous of those who can get it on the regzzz.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 00:10:27 | More by gcamparone

fields336

North Carolina

4.46/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle 1-25

A: light amber, caramel color, very clear.

S; pine, citrus, and grapefruit, caramel

T: bitter,grapefruit, lemon, earthy hops, piney goodness, gamut of hops with a sweet caramel backbone.

M: bitter and dry. but sweet at the same time.

O: glad i got to try this, im willing to trade for more.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 22:15:23 | More by fields336

UnderPressure

South Carolina

4.9/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottled 3 weeks ago. Served at 50 degrees F.

Crystal clear straw colored beer. Thick, snow white head. Retention is great, as well as lacing. Head fades slowly, and some remains throughout the duration of the drinking experience.

A balance of malt and hops in the aroma. Hop aroma is a blend of typical American hop varieties. Floral, fruit, and citrus. I expected a more pungent hop-forward aroma, but I'm not complaining. It has a certain subtle soft sweetness that's very, very good.

Absolutely perfect blend of malt and hops in the flavor. Soft and sweet at first, then spicy and bitter. Slight alcohol, but not what you'd expect for 8% ABV.

Mouthfeel is spot-on! Soft, pleasant carbonation. Medium bodied, spicy, bitter, lingering finish. Perfect.

I obtained this fantastic beer from a great trader on Reddit. This is my first time trying Pliny. I feel like it definitely lives up to the hype. The balance is what really makes this beer better than the rest.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 19:25:46 | More by UnderPressure

dertyd

California

4.78/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a 510 ml bottle to a pint glass

A:poures a deep golden color with about a 2 finger head with verry nice laceing a beautyfull beer

S:sour citrus hoppy,little bit of grapefruit but not as much as I exspected

T: same as it smells but not sweet at all verry smooothe for an dipa. Nice hops a lil grape fruit citrus. But verry smooth and u get a lil bit of hop bitterness at the end what a damn good beer :-)

M:mouth watering good every time I drink it I want another drink so good

Overall I think it meets all the hype got this from my buddy at my beer shop pulled it from the back just for me I was so happy and its so fresh barley 13 days old what a damn good beer I will drink this one again its so good

Live life drink beer!!!:-)

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 02:30:59 | More by dertyd

timc100

Illinois

4.46/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

2 days shy of a month old and I can tell it is a bit less vibrant.

A: Crystal clear gold with a substantial foamy white head. Great retention and lacing. Just gorgeous

S: Biggest components: juicy sweet grapefruit, big pine, decently resinous. Assortment of other ripe fruits and caramel sweetness.

T: Not as intricate as the nose, but still delicious. Mildly bitter, sweeter than expected. Grapefruit, pine. Very dry

P: Incredibly smooth and refreshing. Light to medium body with fitting carbonation. Leaves a great fresh hop taste in your mouth. Very dry

O: So glad I finally got to try this iconic and historically important beer; but, judging as just a beer it is excellent, plain and simple. Would love to have a few 500ml bottles in the fridge at all times, but so is life.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 00:46:19 | More by timc100

derekrick420

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I was lucky enough a couple weeks ago to try this for the first time along with several other world class beers at the same sitting (2010 kbs for instance), and it delivered the goods.

The aroma was sublime.

The taste was flat out delicious

This experience was so good that it makes me sad that I will be moving from Philly.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2013 00:32:59 | More by derekrick420