Pliny The Younger
Russian River Brewing Company

Pliny The YoungerPliny The Younger
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From:
Russian River Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
Ranked #2
ABV:
10.25%
Score:
100
Ranked #16
Avg:
4.69 | pDev: 7.25%
Reviews:
1,037
Ratings:
3,560
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 06, 2024
Added:
Jan 27, 2005
Wants:
  6,804
Gots:
  608
Pliny the Younger, the man, was Pliny the Elder’s nephew and adopted son. They lived nearly 2,000 years ago! Pliny the Elder is our Double IPA, so we felt it was fitting to name our Triple IPA after his son. It is almost a true Triple IPA with triple the amount of hops as a regular I.P.A. That said, it is extremely difficult, time and space consuming, and very expensive to make. And that is why we don’t make it more often! This beer is very full-bodied with tons of hop character in the nose and throughout. It is also deceptively well-balanced and smooth.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by cptierney:
Photo of cptierney
Reviewed by cptierney from California

4.47/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Big ups to eliottJW and juhl31 for scoring me a growler, even when I couldn't make it up to the brewpub. A true friend indeed. Shared with many other friends and poured into a New Belgium tulip.

The color is lovely. Definitely a darker brown hue than Elder. This amber gloriousness was topped with a decent crown of white, clean bubbleage which was appreciated because I was concerned about the lack of CO2 in the hurried fill. the head quickly dissipated and there was minimal lacing as the brew disappeared.

Good God, this is the best smelling beer I have ever gotten my hands on. The hops blast me with that resiny citrus goodness that only a west coast IPA drinker can understand. The citrus is mind blowing with that grapefruit coming quickly to the fore. I have no sense of any malt to this beer, but frankly, I don't care.

Decent mouthfeel. Perhaps some oxidation has led to a letdown on carb bite making for a mildly flat beer. As the beer warms, however, I enjoy the complexities of its flavor with the mouthfeel taking a backseat to the onslaught of flavors.

What a hoppy beast! I allow the brew to warm and the initial the citrus blasts of lemon and grapefruit yield to a nice sweet undertone. So bitter it is balanced, so hoppy it is sweet, PTY is a glorious meddle of contradictions.

Considering its ABV and IBU, Younger is an exceedingly easy beer to drink. The potent hop oils have staying power and can become nearly overwhelming in any sort of a session situation. This beer, however, probably isn't the best choice for a session, and the hop oils mean you get to taste the brew for hours after you drink it. All in all, a pleasant and friendly monster beer that makes me happy that I live in Sonoma County.
Feb 10, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 5 by JPond4 from Nevada

Mar 06, 2024
Photo of flagmantho
Reviewed by flagmantho from Washington

4.15/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I had this beer on-tap in a tulip glass at Special Brews in Lynnwood, WA.

Appearance: medium-light golden hue with just the tiniest wisp of haze and practically no head.

Smell: a light, sweet, almost tropical fruitiness with some piney hop character atop a pretty pronounced malt aroma. Nice.

Taste: richly malty and a bit sweet, but with lots of bitterness backing it up. There’s a little fruity character here, I’m thinking from fermentation, along with some piney/grassy notes from the hops. It’s interesting — a rich flavorful beer, but neither as cloying nor as harsh as TIPAs often are. Worth the hype? Maybe. But certainly a good beer.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good level of carbonation and creaminess.

Overall: I like this beer a lot, and I bet if I’d tried it 15 years ago it would have blown my mind (and my palate). In today’s IPA climate, competition is tough and we as consumers are spoiled. That said, this remains a really tasty beer.
Feb 24, 2024
Photo of Hayesbro
Reviewed by Hayesbro from Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Not sure what else needs to be said about this beer, it's pretty close to perfection for the style. A little on the light side, piney and bitter with a touch of sweetness. Intense flavors and very very smooth.
Feb 23, 2024
 
Rated: 4.6 by Blazer22 from Colorado

Feb 22, 2024
Photo of NeilSilber1
Reviewed by NeilSilber1 from California

5/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Pours golden yellow with slight white lacing crown on special edition (once a year) draught at Malibu Wine & Beer. Notes of honey and crisp perfect hops, slightly sweet with a perfect hop punch. This limited batch hard to get pour drinks like a single IPA but checked in at hefty 10.25% ABV putting it into triple IPA category. CHEERS to Russian River and the perfect IPA.
Feb 21, 2024
 
Rated: 4.41 by VashonGuy from Washington

Feb 20, 2024
 
Rated: 4.5 by dbauer from California

Feb 18, 2024
 
Rated: 4.84 by Casey10 from Maine

Feb 18, 2024
 
Rated: 4.36 by lsudduth from Ohio

Feb 18, 2024
 
Rated: 4.59 by mush from Illinois

Feb 17, 2024
 
Rated: 4 by atlbravsrno1 from Maine

Feb 16, 2024
 
Rated: 5 by paulpratt from California

Sep 24, 2023
Photo of TheIPAHunter
Reviewed by TheIPAHunter from California

4.71/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Intense gummy bear nose. Taste is soft stone fruit, green pear, grapefruit rind, and an absolute blast of pine resin. Prickly mouthfeel. Dry, bitter finish. Phenomenal.
Sep 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4.67 by mcbridec6 from New Jersey

Jul 27, 2023
 
Rated: 4.75 by Virby44 from Wisconsin

Jun 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.71 by mando31 from Illinois

May 21, 2023
 
Rated: 5 by hopley from Massachusetts

May 16, 2023
 
Rated: 4.74 by KCBeerNerd from Missouri

May 16, 2023
 
Rated: 4.46 by tripelhops from Missouri

May 16, 2023
Pliny The Younger from Russian River Brewing Company
Beer rating: 100 out of 100 with 3560 ratings