Pliny The Younger
Russian River Brewing Company
- From:
- Russian River Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- Imperial IPA
Ranked #2 - ABV:
- 10.25%
- Score:
- 100
Ranked #15 - Avg:
- 4.69 | pDev: 7.25%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1,045
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 17, 2025
- Added:
- Jan 27, 2005
- Wants:
- 6,817
- Gots:
- 612
SCORE
100
World-Class
100
World-Class
Pliny the Younger was first brewed as a seasonal release during the slow days of Winter 2005. As we continue to explore new hop varieties and combinations, each year we build off the previous years recipe with some slight changes. Pliny the Younger is loaded with a fresh hop aroma and flavor with notes of pine, stone fruit, citrus, and lychee. Please keep cold and enjoy fresh for the best hop aroma and flavor! 2025 Pliny The Younger is hopped with Amarillo, Citra, Mosaic, Nectaron, Simcoe, Warrior, and new this year, Tangier hops from Segal Ranch.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by devilmakesthree from Oregon
5/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
There are many triple IPAs on the market these days, and most are undrinkable. Pliny the Younger, on the other hand, is a delight. I would be wary of enjoying more than ten ounces at a time (I had eight), but I absolutely loved it. What a treat!
Nov 17, 2025
Rated by MaldivesPetroulous
4.43/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.43/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
What is there not to love about this, meets all the marks of a great ipa
Oct 21, 2025
Rated by OompaMentor from Georgia
5/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +6.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Had this February 2020.
Jun 09, 2025
Reviewed by StJamesGate from New York
4.5/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.5/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
2025 edition
Bright brass and leggy white film; tangerine ski, lemon balm, yellow Starburst, coconut(?), and pine needle on the nose; grapefruit, dried mango, passionfruit, Skittles, a whiff of diesel, white pine and some dank; lt-med, oily, and so dry!
Amarillo, Citra, Mosaic, Nectar, Simcoe, Tangier, Warrior
4.25 4.25 4.5 4.75 4.75
Starts, like Elder, with narrow but deep citrus oil and hints of tropical but then explodes into a rainbow of candied fruit.
Nectar and Tangier enhance the citrus, I’m told; and to great effect. It ends with discrete and perfectly judged bitterness.
I’m baffled how they balance all these hops with so few malts and end so dry at 10%.
Just so sharp, clean, focused, bright and balanced. Intriguing and incredibly drinkable.
A miracle of brewhouse engineering.
May 22, 2025Bright brass and leggy white film; tangerine ski, lemon balm, yellow Starburst, coconut(?), and pine needle on the nose; grapefruit, dried mango, passionfruit, Skittles, a whiff of diesel, white pine and some dank; lt-med, oily, and so dry!
Amarillo, Citra, Mosaic, Nectar, Simcoe, Tangier, Warrior
4.25 4.25 4.5 4.75 4.75
Starts, like Elder, with narrow but deep citrus oil and hints of tropical but then explodes into a rainbow of candied fruit.
Nectar and Tangier enhance the citrus, I’m told; and to great effect. It ends with discrete and perfectly judged bitterness.
I’m baffled how they balance all these hops with so few malts and end so dry at 10%.
Just so sharp, clean, focused, bright and balanced. Intriguing and incredibly drinkable.
A miracle of brewhouse engineering.
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado
4.48/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.48/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Ultra clear, golden body; dense small-bubble carbonation majestically rising up the glass; fat, white head, dense and long-lasting; molded and rocky top with a creamy texture. Excellent nose; delicate citrus and soft ester notes; very mild malt presence; a hint of herbal tones. Stupendous taste; well-balanced malt and hop flavors; bitterness finely blended with the malt sweetness; interesting meld of pine and citrus with a sort of grassy, woody component near the back-end; slight bit of alcohol presence noted. Medium-heavy mouthfeel; full with a soft and pillowy sensation cushioning a very fine coarseness; light dryness overall.
It is a real pleasure to finally try this legendary beer. Triple India pale ales can be a tricky beer to craft. Many that I've had are just too harsh and somewhat syrupy. Pliny the Younger deftly brings everything together in a balanced and complex manner which makes this a very approachable beer for the style. The higher ABV is noticeable but doesn't go overboard with things. That is the beauty of this beer. It masterfully combines all the sensory aspects of beer into a finally honed creation, ultimately making for a very satisfying beer drinking experience.
ABV: 10.25 %; pouring temperature: 42.6 °F; bottling info: 031925
Source: @mutuelsmark
May 04, 2025It is a real pleasure to finally try this legendary beer. Triple India pale ales can be a tricky beer to craft. Many that I've had are just too harsh and somewhat syrupy. Pliny the Younger deftly brings everything together in a balanced and complex manner which makes this a very approachable beer for the style. The higher ABV is noticeable but doesn't go overboard with things. That is the beauty of this beer. It masterfully combines all the sensory aspects of beer into a finally honed creation, ultimately making for a very satisfying beer drinking experience.
ABV: 10.25 %; pouring temperature: 42.6 °F; bottling info: 031925
Source: @mutuelsmark
Rated by TheeWarPig from Michigan
4.94/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
4.94/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Been chasing this a long time, definitely lives up to the hype. Outstanding.
Apr 30, 2025
Reviewed by Giantnflfan from Connecticut
4.89/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
4.89/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
2025 version has that bite we like. April 9th Was at the Windsor CA. location and did the Pliny the Younger tour with Corey, this guy knows his stuff. I noticed someone mentioned here about grapefruit, ? but that was a question asked on the tour and Pliny the Elder has grapefruit but the 2025 Pliny the Younger does not but oranges are used with the citrus flavor. We bought over 20 bottles.. almost all are gone now.. Draft or bottle this stuff is smooth..
Apr 16, 2025
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