As you might have read in one of my past posts, I was given a bottle of beer by a guy that I've run into a few times at various beer events. This was a special bottle of beer, because I do not have access to it in the state of Minnesota. The man was Rick Duff, and even though we only barely know each other, he was kind enough to give me a bottle of Pliny the Elder from Russian River Brewing. Thanks Rick, I hope you enjoy reading this session!Russian River Brewing Company is located in Santa Rosa, California and was founded in 1997. The interesting thing to note about this brewery is that it was originally founded by Korbel Champagne Cellars in Guerneville, California. That's right, this brewery was started by a sparkling wine company! They hired Vinnie Cilurzo as brewmaster and started winning various awards. Korbel sold the brewery to Vinnie in 2002 when they decided to get out of brewing beer. Since then, he and his wife have relocated the brewery to its current location in Santa Rosa.
In case you don't already know, I'm a big fan of DIPAs (Double India Pale Ales), which Pliny the Elder is. It is 8% ABV and has 100 IBUs. I had read a lot of great things about this beer, but never thought I would get to try it. Now I find myself with the bottle sitting before me, beckoning me to take a taste. I'm excited to be given this opportunity!
I pour the 1 pint, 0.9 ounce bottle of Pliny the Elder into my tulip glass. It is very easy to generate a 3-finger off-white head, which slowly falls into a 1/4" thick blanket resting on top of the liquid. The body is golden with a hint of orange and has a slight haze.
The malt in this beer smells more like English toffee than caramel, which is nice. There is a beautiful citrus fruit aroma, along with the strong scent of piney hops.
Mmmm, tasty stuff! Sweet caramel presents itself first, and is quickly hidden by the hops. There are pine and pineapple flavors, followed by a bitterness that seems to start small, but builds quickly and deliberately. That strong bitter character lingers long past the finish and makes me thirsty for more.
The mouthfeel is thinner than I expected, especially compared to some other DIPAs I've had. However, it is still medium in viscosity, not too light or watery at all. There is a little warming effect from the alcohol, and some beautiful lacing is left on my glass as I drink.
This is a very solid brew, especially if you're a fan of DIPAs. The nice malty sweetness is overpowered a bit by the citrus, pine, and bitter flavors, just as it should be in this style. Yet somehow it still remains very well balanced. This isn't my favorite DIPA, but it is a great example of the style. It was quite tasty and very enjoyable to drink. Thanks again Rick, for sharing this bottle with me. Cheers!
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Here in CO there are several places that get this beer in on a sporadic basis. It's a prized beer that people jump all over when they have a chance. To me, it's fine, but not nearly as good as the hype. There are a lot of great beers here in the Boulder area, but IMHO the best DIPA ever made is Surly's Abrasive Ale, and Pliney doesn't even compare.
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