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Pliny The Elder
Russian River Brewing Company
- From:
- Russian River Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- Imperial IPA
Ranked #3 - ABV:
- 8%
- Score:
- 100
Ranked #37 - Avg:
- 4.64 | pDev: 7.76%
- Reviews:
- 3,973
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 18, 2024
- Added:
- Aug 24, 2003
- Wants:
- 7,659
- Gots:
- 4,835
Pliny the Elder is brewed with Amarillo, Centennial, CTZ, and Simcoe hops. It is well-balanced with malt, hops, and alcohol, slightly bitter with a fresh hop aroma of floral, citrus, and pine. Best enjoyed FRESH! That is why we make it in such limited supply. Actual bottling date is printed on each bottle!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by LukeD23:
Reviewed by LukeD23 from Delaware
4.92/5 rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
4.92/5 rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Thanks to a friendly beeradvocater I am getting to try this beer here on the east coast! Thanks so much!
Pours a very nice pure golden color with a bone white head.
Aroma of pine, fresh cut grass, and tarragon are smelled upon cracking the bottle. The hop aroma is so close to a fresh hop vine it is hard to believe. I get a slight grassy note, with grapefuit and a backround of pear.
Flavor - ok let me tackle the malt first..malt character is a subtle sourdough and caramel malts, obviously this beer is not about the malt, but, it is a very nice backround to the beer. On to the hops, I am utterly amazed at the hop flavor in this beer. As a homebrewer this beer is as close to eating or drinking a hop cone as I have come, there are lots of herbal notes coming through and a small amount of citrus lime peel, and finishing with a spicey punch. There is alot of that dankey hop flavor coming through...I hear this beer is calculated at some 250+ibus, but the bitterness is amazingly subdued, It tasted like a 90 ibu beer, but the hop sweetness is so full so rounded, I am blown away. (subnote, just gave my fiancee a taste of this beer and she said it was nice and balanced! Im so proud!!!)
Mouthfeel is so solid, it supports the hop flavor. It is medium bodied and finishes dry. Not very dry, but dry. I could drink multiple pints of this stuff, dangerous at 8%. mmmm
overall- I would say this is by far the best double IPA I have had, it has so much hop flavor and aroma, yet is drinkable, I have had alot of double IPas that leave me reaching for water to try to cleanse the palate, not with Pliny. As an east coaster I am blown away, I live next door to Dogfish Head, so I love hoppy beer, but this one is like 90 through 2 or 3 randells. Thanks Vinnie!
May 19, 2010Pours a very nice pure golden color with a bone white head.
Aroma of pine, fresh cut grass, and tarragon are smelled upon cracking the bottle. The hop aroma is so close to a fresh hop vine it is hard to believe. I get a slight grassy note, with grapefuit and a backround of pear.
Flavor - ok let me tackle the malt first..malt character is a subtle sourdough and caramel malts, obviously this beer is not about the malt, but, it is a very nice backround to the beer. On to the hops, I am utterly amazed at the hop flavor in this beer. As a homebrewer this beer is as close to eating or drinking a hop cone as I have come, there are lots of herbal notes coming through and a small amount of citrus lime peel, and finishing with a spicey punch. There is alot of that dankey hop flavor coming through...I hear this beer is calculated at some 250+ibus, but the bitterness is amazingly subdued, It tasted like a 90 ibu beer, but the hop sweetness is so full so rounded, I am blown away. (subnote, just gave my fiancee a taste of this beer and she said it was nice and balanced! Im so proud!!!)
Mouthfeel is so solid, it supports the hop flavor. It is medium bodied and finishes dry. Not very dry, but dry. I could drink multiple pints of this stuff, dangerous at 8%. mmmm
overall- I would say this is by far the best double IPA I have had, it has so much hop flavor and aroma, yet is drinkable, I have had alot of double IPas that leave me reaching for water to try to cleanse the palate, not with Pliny. As an east coaster I am blown away, I live next door to Dogfish Head, so I love hoppy beer, but this one is like 90 through 2 or 3 randells. Thanks Vinnie!
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Gthig15 from Virginia
4.68/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.68/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Nice color, aroma of citrus, hoppy flavor with nice malt finish intermingled with bitterness. Great beer. Lighter than I expected in both color and flavor for an imperial IPA.
Mar 06, 2024Reviewed by Lexluthor33 from New York
4.61/5 rDev -0.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.61/5 rDev -0.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Golden orange with a small head and light, bubbly lace.
aroma of mango, pine, hops and fruits.
taste is hoppy, fruit flavors followed by intense hops.
great balance overall.
Some malts in background.
Feb 27, 2024aroma of mango, pine, hops and fruits.
taste is hoppy, fruit flavors followed by intense hops.
great balance overall.
Some malts in background.
Reviewed by AdmiralOzone from Minnesota
4.64/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.64/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours clear honey gold with a thick white head that leaves generous lacing as it slowly fades. Aroma is bold, fresh citrus and tropical fruit with some pine. Flavor follows the nose, slightly sweet fruit up front with a real punch of bitterness in the finish. Feel is light bodied with ample carbonation. Overall, a real fine beer.
Feb 21, 2024Rated by The_Dean from Illinois
4.85/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
4.85/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
World class, poured from the bottle into a plastic hotel room cup in San Jose. Paired with In-N-Out DD. Wonderful.
Feb 13, 2024Reviewed by MalteredBeast
4.01/5 rDev -13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.01/5 rDev -13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
The quintessential west coast ipa. Hoppy and bitter which lingers. Had both on tap and in bottle. So much has been said about this one already. To be honest, as much as I liked it, I guess with its massive reputation, I was expecting a bit more. This one suffered from too high of expectations.
Dec 21, 2023Reviewed by george_pond from Maine
4.2/5 rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.2/5 rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
I found this at Nocturnem Draft Haus in Bangor, Maine. It was very good but maybe the hype caused my expectations to be set too high. I have yet to find a beer that equals the robust flavor of Eldridge Pope’s original Thomas Hardy’s ale.
The color was bright and clear; the flavor crisp and balanced. I’m sure I won’t get too many arguments if I say it is an excellent beer.
Dec 11, 2023The color was bright and clear; the flavor crisp and balanced. I’m sure I won’t get too many arguments if I say it is an excellent beer.
Reviewed by JacobusFavier23 from Texas
4.36/5 rDev -6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.36/5 rDev -6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Had on tap for the first time ever at a bar in Denver.
L-Golden colored beer with lively carbonation. Lacy thin head that stays around for a while.
S-Strong notes of floral, and fruity notes. Lots of apple and some strawberry, pineapple and blueberry. Fresh hop, earthy and piney resin, slight sweetness that follows.
T-Minimal yet bitter bite, slight crisp sweetness. Grainy and floral flavor throughout. Peppery bite. Some strawberry, blueberry and apple as well. Fresh.
F-Crisp, light and bubbly mouthfeel. Very light. Refreshing.
O-A damn good and perfectly crafted ipa. I can see how this is world class. Incredibly fresh and refreshing from end to end. Articulate flavor profile. Rewarding to drink. It started it all, and everyone is trying to recreate it’s greatness. It did it first. Glad I got to try it.
Dec 02, 2023L-Golden colored beer with lively carbonation. Lacy thin head that stays around for a while.
S-Strong notes of floral, and fruity notes. Lots of apple and some strawberry, pineapple and blueberry. Fresh hop, earthy and piney resin, slight sweetness that follows.
T-Minimal yet bitter bite, slight crisp sweetness. Grainy and floral flavor throughout. Peppery bite. Some strawberry, blueberry and apple as well. Fresh.
F-Crisp, light and bubbly mouthfeel. Very light. Refreshing.
O-A damn good and perfectly crafted ipa. I can see how this is world class. Incredibly fresh and refreshing from end to end. Articulate flavor profile. Rewarding to drink. It started it all, and everyone is trying to recreate it’s greatness. It did it first. Glad I got to try it.
Pliny The Elder from Russian River Brewing Company
Beer rating:
100 out of
100 with
15691 ratings
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