Pliny The Younger
Russian River Brewing Company

The beer comes in a light to medium gold color with a light chill haze, medium head with great lacing and medium minus sustain.

The aroma offers dried pineapple, peach jelly rings, cantaloupe, rich green weed, green grass, potted soil, and cat pee.

The flavor hits upfront with that candied melon and tropical sweetness, with a layered earthy soil and weed base tone through the entire experience. Bitterness is medium to medium plus with earthy notes. Drinkability and smoothness is insanely high without any caramel sweetness and a hit of alcohol on the back and on the way down.

This is relevant to many dry West Coast brews. Boneyard is my closest comparison. It's definitely not worth the hunt and the almost decade it took me to review this, but it sure is aromatic, drinkable, and dry.

February 15, 2020 - 10 oz draft pour at San Diego Tap Room (Pacific Beach, San Diego, California).

Appearance: Light blonde orange pour, mild carbonation, bubbly bright white cream, head leaves bubbly lacing. 4.5

Aroma: Sharp pine aroma, sweet. 4.0

Taste: Sharp pine taste, light dryness, sweet, citrus, nice. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Dry, lightly bitter, light carbonation lingers throughout. Easy for the high ABV, crisp clean pour. 4.25

Overall: Overall, very chill WCIPA, more mellow than Pliny the Elder. 4.25

2/15/2020 - Live in WBAYDN #2674, recreated in NBW #305 (5/25/26)

Pours bright, golden hued; chill haze like with sustaining white head with above average retention.

Vibrant nose; fruit punch like paired with classic notes, bright zesty citrus oils; orange and tangerine come to mind; a dash of pine and a little vegetal dankness, more so as it warms.

Taste is all that, just amped up a huge amount, just in your face flavor; big hit of classic malt character then a huge amount of orange colored citrus present, some overripe tropical fruit, earthy dank character, and masked pine on the finish.

Body is big, but it drinks very smooth for its weight; one could drink this beer quickly and then realize their mistake, there is some throat heat but its not evident at first and is easily forgotten; smoothly carbonated with a sticky bitterness; if 10% is drinkable, this beer is it.

Pliny the Younger (2026) from Russian River Brewing. 17.25 fl oz bottle, received 18/05/26, in a ninja strike from @2beerdogs. Stored at 40 degrees F at home. Reviewed 23/05/26, review 3733. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Side of label stamped “Bottled on 031826”. Served at 42.8 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 51.8 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.25
First pour – Pale Gold (SRM 4), clear.
Body – Pale Gold (SRM 4), clear. Under direct light, same. When rear-lit, same.
Head – Average (Maximum 2.4 cm, aggressive center pour). Stark White, high density, average duration; the head drops to a 0.7 – 0.9 cm crown, and a complete, rocky cap.
Lacing – Good. Multiple three-dimensional bands of near-microscopic to tiny bubbles connected by columns remain as the beer level drops. These bands quickly become lacey.
Aroma – 4.25 – Melony when the cap is popped – quickly becomes resinous as the Simcoe and Warrior hops take over.
Flavor – 4.5 – Bitter. Weakly citrus and resinous with hints of pine, but the nose melons have left the building. No alcohol (10.25 % according to the label). No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Mild gastric warming.
Palate – 4 – Medium: Creamy: Lively carbonation.
Style: Follows the BA style description.
Final impression and summation: 4.25 Uncredited label art. Very aggressive but pleasing flavor combination – distinctly an IPA.

The pour is a nearly transparent golden wheat amber with a near white head which leaves plenty of lacing.
The aroma, according to my friend, is citrus and piney and floral. At least those are the terms closes to what he said he was smelling. He thought it was amazing.
The taste is a mélange of piney hops, citrus peels, honeydew flowers and rustic white bread. And that's a very clumsy description - this is really good!
The feel is light, almost crisp. How they got the flavors that are in there without weighing down the feel is beyond my ability to understand.
OA, amazing beer. I would very much like to try it on draft at some point, just to see if it could possibly be better that way.

 

It was light, good tasting, and potent. Definitely worth the hype!

 

 

Happened to be in CA for the release and needless to say had my first Younger and didn’t disappoint! Was excellent!

Took a drive into Maine to finally try this elusive IPA. On my one visit to Russian River about 20 years ago they had no Pliny on tap whatsoever.... Was able to snag two 12oz pours at York River Landing, at $13.50 per (ouch!)....

Poured a rich golden, with a smidge of haze within. Had a thin, wispy, white layer of fine foam, mostly clinging to the rim. Lacing was present though light. Aroma was piney and dank, with lots of citrus....LOTS! Body was a solid medium-plus, and the feel was rather smooth.

Taste had a touch of toasty malt, but was dominated by hops. It was resiny and rindy, dank and piney, with hoppage coating the palate nicely. I quite enjoyed it, though I personally don't think it's the be-all, end-all of DIPAs.... Prost!!

4.35/5 rDev -7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2523

 

 

 

 

My first ever review for BA. ✅ Perfect pour from BRU in downtown Philly. Light golden champagne hue. Not too hoppy as I anticipated. Just right. Ten years of hunting for the Younger paid off at last when I had my first one at Monk’s. Totally worth the wait. Definitely lived up to the hype. Get yours.

on draft, served in snifter glass

bright yellow in color, clear, with foamy white head. nice floral hop aroma. a hint of the higher abv. perfect level of bitterness. medium bodied.

 

Long time Elder drinker; first time trying Younger. One can certainly taste Elder in the Younger. Younger, however, is deeper, chewier, and has more weight. Elder may still be my favorite, but Younger is the best.