What's the Difference? Share your side-by-side (2023)

Although I avidly follow this thread, I don’t keep a spreadsheet or anything where I track who has done what comparison. I think someone, perhaps @beergoot (?), has done this east vs west coast behemoth matchup. I will search later to see if there are notes to compare.


Dates: Pliny the Elder, 12/08/23; Heady Topper, 12/11/23 (impressive on both, but especially the fresher beer from across the US)

Appearance:
Unsurprisingly, the Russian River beer is clearer, with maybe the lightest of chill haze on its golden body. The Alchemist brew is like a matte version of the shiny golden color from PtY. Heady’s head is a bit tighter after they both form their rings, making it appear a tad more dingy than Pliny’s white top.

I feel like voting today, so this goes to the RR beer by a notch.

Aroma:
I got a waft of dank notes from Heady as I poured, amplified as I got nearer. Pliny’s aroma was more citrusy, with a muted weed-like note. Power and hemp go to Heady, nuance and citrus to PtY.

I’m fine with some aggression today, Heady by a notch.

Flavor:
Deciding to start with nuance, Pliny gives me a grain cracker-like malt opening that has shed much of its sweet side. With some patience and a couple sips, the citrus and pine bitterness that made this a highly sought beer come forward and rake across my palate firmly but gently.

Heady actually reverses course and lands softly, with a mix of dull tropical notes, citrus rinds, and a bit of marijuana threaded throughout. The flavor doesn’t evolve too much in each sip, just a bitter ride from start to finish.

Hmmm… I gotta think on this one, but a tie-breaking nod might go to Pliny today.

Feel:
The Alchemist beer is a bit more full, with a softer carbonation - something I think most who have tried this beer have experienced. Russian River’s beer plays just a little lighter with a carbonation bite level that is a bit higher. I think Heady has a little bit drier finish, as well.

Each sip I pick the one I just sipped, without fail, so this is going to have to be a tie, because they are differently, but equally, enjoyable.

Overall:
Pliny started a little weak, but the full team hopped up and came to life before the second quarter and improved throughout the game. Heady came out strong and maintained solid play for three quarters and brought a little tropical flare. This was necessary, as I was starting to lean towards Pliny, mainly because Heady’s game plan was too dry and bitter - a strong D without an offense to reward the other side of the ball.

The GF deliberated quickly, per usual, and chose Pliny.

Heady is my highest rated beer. But today, I think I have to agree with her. Maybe it’s the extra 4 days of aging (kidding) or that I didn’t drink Heady from the can, but The Alchemist coach will probably have to watch the film to find out what exactly went wrong today. Losing by a last second extra point on the road isn’t a horrible performance, however.

 

I recall a few people weighing in on the comparison @DavetotheB did of the two Alchemist beers (including some unnecessary chiding by me), and you seem to be in the small majority of people who like Focal fresh better (relatively) than Heady. After our trip to VT a few years ago, returning with many of both, I found the opposite true for me.

But each day is a new opportunity to test one’s preconceptions, and given recent events, I might have another day to retest my last post, and one day I’ll retest my thoughts on “aged” Focal vs Heady

Cheers!

 

Ok, time for a blind comparison, including a Blind Pig and an older cousin, Pliny the Elder (just realized I totally mis-abbreviated PtE a few times in my last post… oops!)

These look pretty similar, though the right beer might have a dash of amber (much less than the photo indicates). Taking up the left beer, it has a citrus and pine focus with a little bit of honey undertone. The right beer is a little more muted and dank. I’d initially think this is Blind Pig, but the nose of Pliny was muted last post, so not so sure.


In the taste, the right beer starts a bit grainy with a spike of grapefruit juice that throws me a bit and lands me on a wet forest floor. The left beer starts with a little sweeter citrus in lock step with the grain. A slow build of pine needle grows out of this. After the first sips, the left beer seems structured a bit better for my palate.

The right beer gets itself together while I sip its competitor. It now has a pretty similar opening to the left beer, with a bit less sweetness (more earthy pine), and an herbal and piney finish. The left beer holds its course, a nice mix of citrus, grain, and finishing pine with a swath of pithy grapefruit.

The left beer has a smoother, slightly fuller feel, and that’s what makes me think it’s Pliny. It’s going to be a very interesting couple of pairings if I am wrong.

The GF said she preferred Pliny (a couple days fresher, FEIW), and when I told her my prediction…


Whew! I was right. Though not sure what I was “worried” about - just a healthy (?) desire to be right.

Anyhow, I’ll re-state that feel was the main thing that drive my guess and preference. Though the total composition gap closed, Pliny still seemed a more cohesive beer. I actually don’t think my previous tasting of Pliny gave me any direct hints in flavor, but I like to think I’d have noticed the relative disjunction of malt and hops I got in Blind Pig.

But who knows? We actually have 2 more each of Pliny, Heady, and Blind Pig. Maybe I can convince the family to play my reindeer game of blind tasting and see what they think.

 

Reindeer games…

I did a three beer blind with my oldest nephew, his dad, with the GF and I playing along, though I wasn’t doing it blind, and the GF peeked.

So Heady, Pliny, Blind Pig (this Pliny was 2 days older than the previous). My brother-in-law picked Heady out easily, specifically mentioning how the two Russian River beers were similar; he ended up picking Heady, then Pliny, and finally Blind Pig. His eldest son preferred Blind Pig (I didn’t follow through on extracting a second choice).

The funny part: GF went Heady, Blind Pig, Pliny - essentially reversing all her previous choices this week. I flipped Heady and Pliny from Tuesday to match my brother-in-law. My excuse? I just wanted the softer feel of Heady tonight - maybe as a switch up from my earlier comparison?

 

Quiet little holiday at home for us. Figured I'd take the opportunity to do one of the bigger comparisons I've been meaning to do. There' a bit of an age difference here, so I'm sort of expecting fairly close profiles for two DFH World Wide Stouts - the older one aged in Utopias barrels (regular = this year purchase, code starts with 27; Utopias = two or so years ago, code starts with 24).


The newer WWS beer produced a little more head, though neither covered the surface for long. The regular version also ends with a slightly thicker and slightly lighter colored ring.

First surprise, is that the Utopias WWS actually has a stronger and more enticing nose on first sniff. There is a port-like aroma adding some dark fruit and giving a more acidic (not sour or spoiled) profile than the licorice and slightly charred note of regular WWS.

The regular WWS has a slightly biting feel, but a fairly classic stout flavor profile. The extra ABV adds a little spice to the roasty malts, leaning into something like a rum and coke. I notice a thread of what I am calling "rum and coke" in the Utopias WWS, as well, but there's a dose of sweet dark fruit that plays a major role. Only the lightest bit of ageing oxidation is noted. Regular WWS is definitely more bitter, with Utopias WWS having a little more silky feel.

After my first few sips, my mood was leaning towards the Utopias version. As I sipped through about half the glasses for this write up, my mind was starting to sway. I think the bite in the back of the regular WWS is the only things keeping it from overtaking my choice in this sitting, but some more warmth might fix that.

Cheers, all!

 

Thanks for your input this year. I hope to get in one or two more, too. I have a couple imperial strength beers that I've been meaning to do for a couple months. End of the year seems an excuse to finally find the time / pull the trigger on them.

Cheers!

 

Looks like I will not be getting in another comparison this year. I wanted to check in before thread lock to thank all who participated in the thread. Also, I hope everyone enjoyed reading the thoughts of BAs as they found similarities and differences, small and large, of two or more beers they felt like trying alongside each other.

Have a good end of the year, fellow BAs!