Pliny the Younger in CO (2017)

It's generally pretty civilized at Falling Rock. Hops and Pie always get it too. Not sure what will happen to Cheeky Monk's allocation. Good info from last year's release here: https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/pliny-the-younger-in-co-2016.373571/

 

Still one of my favorite beers ever but with all the new glorious stuff coming out, I reckon Russian River would be prudent to make it more available/brew more of it.

 

Here's this years info from Porch Drinking:
https://www.porchdrinking.com/artic...ide-to-finding-pliny-the-younger-in-colorado/

And FRTH info:
http://fallingrocktaphouse.com/pty-2017-update-and-schedule/

 

Has Freshcraft ever hosted before now, and has anyone been? I'm wondering how much earlier than the 5:30 ticket distribution a person should be there . . .

 

I don't think the Pliny events are as nutty as they used to be. It's old news, you can't trade it, we've gotten it for something like 9 years now, everyone else has caught up, etc.
The first couple years were under the radar, then everyone went nuts for it, and now it's back to no big deal. You can probably roll up to most events within the same hour of tickets going on sale.

 

The problem is, nobody in Colorado is making hoppy beer as good as Russian River. I know Odd13, Weldwerks, and Comrade getting better and better, but Younger is still that much better than the rest. Just my opinion.

 

I had Younger again for the first time in a few years and it is nothing special IMO. Years ago they were ahead of the game, but the playing field has shifted significantly just in the past few years. Have had a number of great single and double IPAs from CO breweries that are better. Do I love Elder and Blind Pig? Absolutely. Vinnie still makes great stuff but saying Younger is MUCH better than all hoppy CO stuff just doesn't make sense to me

 

Personally, I feel Comrade, Cannonball, and Mountain Sun are on par for that style of big IPA. Melvin and La Cumbre are as well and we get their stuff fresh enough. Entirely debatable, though. I still go every single year and sometimes I like PtY the best while other years I prefer something else. Last year I preferred one of Comrade's big IPA's (maybe it was just Superpower?) while 2 years ago Pliny was my fave.
I'd consider Odd13, Weldwerks, Cerebral, etc. to be different enough where the comparison isn't valid. Maybe if something like Heady or Congress Street rolled up.

 

I'll second what @Domingo said about Cannon, MS and Comrade. Hype Machine is pretty tasty.

Several years ago I had Pig, PTE, PTY and Fix Your Heel side by side by side by side. FyH was best, then PTE, Pig, PTY. If @biking4beer would just make that beer again

 

Fix Your Heel ver. 2 is still my all-time favorite IPA. From CO or anywhere else. In particular the draft versions that used to occasionally show up at the FRTH and up in Frisco. It was a bit like a bigger Zombie Dust with even more of a fruity flavor and minimal pure bitterness.

Hype Machine and certain vintages of Hop Vivant are probably my other faves from CO.

I think all of those belong in the discussion with PtY even if people won't agree which of them is their personal fave.

 

2x4 simply puts Pliny to shame. I had the two side by side and there is no comparing them. I know it isn't a Colorado beer but we do get it, and it's plentiful as well. Russian River had better keep their eyes open, I am afraid their beers never show up in my fridge anymore and I know I am not alone in that.

 

I don't go out of my way to get Pliny anymore. Especially now that 4 noses and Odd 13 are doing lots of special releases. I can now get my good beer fix in Colorado. I love PtE (don't get me wrong), but I have Melvin Asterisk, DDH bout damn time, Lil Fugger 2.0, Fremont Lush, Odd 13 CC and Odd 13 IPAlien in my fridge right now. I have no desire to go wait in line for PtY other than the social aspect of it.

 

Pliny the Elder bottles still sell out pretty quickly, so I don't think they're hurting. Pretty sure the kegs turn over quickly, too. RR has probably 10x the name recognition of the better hoppy beers in our market and there are a ton of areas they don't distro to. We're a little spoiled that they're even an option for us.

 

2x4, while great in it's own right, is a different animal to Pliny; 2X4 being agressive and boozy and Pliny balanced and nuanced. And el-oh-el at Russian River needing to worry about you. I'm sure they are really worried about a few people not buying Elder while they have 4-5 hour waits out the door currently. Ever tried going to the pub? There's always a wait. There is literally a list of hundreds of accounts that would KILL to carry Russian River. Come on, dude.

 

Well, to keep up with the title of this thread I'll add that Porch Drinking updated their PtY list on their website a couple days ago and it looks like all of the tappings in Colorado have been finalized. As far as Denver goes, there is a tapping every day starting this Thursday through next Tuesday. For those of you interested there should be no problem getting a pour or two or more if you're so inclined.

 

Look at firestone walker. They see the writing on the wall, as does great divide. The beer market is changing, and it's this kind of bravado that would get them in trouble. When I had 2x4 next to pliny, it wasn't the disaster you describe. Pliny wasn't nuanced, the nose was muted, the flavor was muted, the only competition was in the looks department. 2x4 had more hop flavor, more aroma, and about the same alcohol presence. Fact of the matter is pliny is a fucking dinosaur dude, and it, like many other beers, will eventually lose favor with the beer crowds.

 

What you fail to see in your example is that firestone is huge brewery that is competing for shelf space. So staying up-to-date and innovative is part of that game. Russian doesn't need shelf space, in fact, it doesn't have any. They aren't worried about anything (insert laughing all the way to the bank reference). And I don't really care if you think Pliny is a tasteless dinosaur. I mean, you did have it next to a beer that is 25% bigger, so I am not surprised that after your taste buds were wonderfully assaulted by 2x4 that Pliny didn't seem as beefy. Now, reverse the order, and I bet 2x4 would have tasted way out of balance and too boozy. But it doesn't matter, enjoy what you enjoy.

And I don't deny that the beer market is changing, because it DEFINITELY is. But Russian River just doesn't need to go anywhere. Not for financial reasons or beer preference reasons. They are so good at what they do that they will always be relevant.