Pliny The Elder
Russian River Brewing Company

Pliny The ElderPliny The Elder
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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:
15,691
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 Bouleboubier:
Photo of Bouleboubier
Reviewed by Bouleboubier from New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
first had this in PA 3 years ago - struck me as unique: light gold in color, very crisp, very dry, like hopped champagne... fast forward to recently - second and third times trying it: at Monk's Cafe in Philly and at Russian River 3 weeks later - both tasted virtually identical yet quite different from that first time - could've been a hoax, although they had 3 other RR beers that first day which all matched up in later tastings.... anyway.... my thoughts on the recent sips....

A: suntanned orange-peel hue, faint turbid hop haze, looks unfiltered...thick pad of dense, cottony foam, decent cling in broad bands

S: fragrant dried orange peel, orange creme, maybe papaya muddled with mint, fresh cut flowers.... mostly hops.... the esters and alcohol are either absent or woven well within... malt does seem to come in later as a bit angel-food-cakey, but mellow

T: solid, bold, yet smooth flavors, but nothing unique.... just a tight construct that is memorable for just that - the flavors stand out, have more of a refined definition than most contemporaries, not a mess.... the spicy-orange-y hops, just the right balance of pungency and bitterness, neither really aggressive... the alcohol, mellow and far in the background, no heat or even that much warmth.... I happen to be a malt fiend, yet I'm perfectly at ease with the sugar-cookie malt just quiet and in excellent balance, just along for the ride, no syrupy or sweet sugary flavors

M: not as dry as the first time (man, was that wonderful!) - in fact, this came off with a more rounded malt body, though still pretty damn pillowy/feathery.... this just had a faded wash while the other one snapped off taking some saliva with it... really, it curious how a lot of breweries just don't understand that this style needs to be nearly crazy dry.... they do well here

O: I'm sure it was a revelation back in the day, but I can't help but feel I've had more interesting, (personally) enjoyable double IPAs.... on its own though, it's an indisputably solidly-rendered strong hoppy beer.... I'd definitely put it up there with the best and feel inclined to re-test it again and again to further shape my opinion (Bbb, May 2013)
Jan 03, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.39 by animal69 from Louisiana

Mar 18, 2024
 
Rated: 4.61 by SoFistDecayDead from California

Mar 18, 2024
 
Photo of Gthig15
Reviewed by Gthig15 from Virginia

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, 2024
 
Rated: 4.66 by SicemWT from Texas

Feb 29, 2024
Photo of Lexluthor33
Reviewed 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
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, 2024
 
Rated: 4.95 by TeachChefs from Pennsylvania

Feb 24, 2024
Photo of AdmiralOzone
Reviewed by AdmiralOzone from Minnesota

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, 2024
Photo of The_Dean
Rated by The_Dean from Illinois

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, 2024
 
Rated: 4.69 by Tbone10 from Wisconsin

Feb 02, 2024
 
Rated: 4.18 by sbradley41 from Pennsylvania

Feb 01, 2024
 
Rated: 4.12 by Allurex from Kansas

Jan 28, 2024
 
Rated: 4.06 by AmitC from New York

Jan 12, 2024
Photo of MalteredBeast
Reviewed by MalteredBeast

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, 2023
 
Rated: 4.96 by Kdog311 from Texas

Dec 20, 2023
Photo of george_pond
Reviewed by george_pond from Maine

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, 2023
 
Rated: 4.75 by JLaw55 from Missouri

Dec 02, 2023
Photo of JacobusFavier23
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
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, 2023
 
Rated: 4.29 by Jcreek from Illinois

Dec 01, 2023
Pliny The Elder from Russian River Brewing Company
Beer rating: 100 out of 100 with 15691 ratings