Russian River: Pliny The Elder

by Alan

Pliny the Elder, Russian River Brewing Co.

On most Wednesdays, our local Whole Foods gets their small shipment of Russian River. Sometimes we get some Blind Pig, sometimes we get some of their Belgian styles—Damnation, Salvation, and Redemption—but we almost always get some Pliny the Elder. I do my best to make it in for the shipments and get whatever might be new as well as some Pliny the Elder.

I couldn’t find a specific description of Pliny the Elder from Russian River Brewing's site—not that it needs one. Pliny the Elder and Blind Pig both fall into the heavily hopped California ale styles. If you're an IPA fan from California, you probably know this beer fairly well.

My Tasting Notes:

• Appearance—Brilliant gold with a bright fluffy white foamy head, perfectly translucent
• Smell—Fantastic floral hops with some citrus notes, Orange/Peach
• Taste—Some sweet maltiness before the hops smacks you in the face. Wonderful balanced bitterness with great hoppy flavor. The hops bring out some grapefruit citrus notes
• Mouthfeel—Very smooth medium bodied with perfect carbonation. Some light alcohol heat. Very well balanced
• Drinkability—This is a world class beer, I continue to buy this whenever I can get it

The folks at Russian River make some fine brews, and there will be many more reviews as I get my hands on more of them. Hopefully I can make my way up to the brewery sometime to enjoy some right from the tap.