Beer Review: Pliny the Elder from Russian River Brewing Beer Sessions

This double IPA from Russian River Brewing Company has earned a reputation for being a world-class beer and for being notoriously hard to find outside California state lines. This is a beer that people seek, covet, and crave. I finally got my hands on a bottle last week.

Beer Details: Pliny the Elder from Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, California (Double IPA, 8.0% ABV)

Appearance: Rich golden color and slightly hazy. Super sticky head of creamy foam.

Aroma: A perfume of fresh flowery hops and crisp pine aromas.

Taste: The fresh hops wash across the tongue in a creamy cascade of pine, grapefruit, lemon pith, and juicy orange. Prickly in the middle with a dry tannic softness around the edges.They're held up by a solid foundation of honey-biscuit malts and rounded out by notes of tropical fruit.

The end was my favorite part: soft and fuzzy on the palate with just a lingering memory of hops. It just made me want more.

I was expecting a tongue-bruising hops bomb based on its reputation, but this beer turned out to be remarkably smooth and gentle. Don't get me wrong - Pliny the Elder is all about the hops. But they're balanced and nuanced. Every sip seems to reveal another layer of flavor.

Food Pairing: Definitely take some time to appreciate this beer on its own before adding anything else into the mix. Once you've had your fill, I think a nice plate of salumi and rich cheeses would make the perfect accompaniment.

Have you ever had this beer? Do you think it deserves its reputation?

(Image: Emma Christensen)

Comments (9)

In general, I tend to shy away from double IPAs because they are just too darn hoppy. But I did have one of these at lunch a few months back with a roasted tomato BLT and I really enjoyed it. Luckily, I live in Northern California (Sacramento) so despite its cult status, it isn't that difficult to find around here but I haven't had it since that one time. In my opinion, it's good but not great.

My brother-in-law introduced Pliny to me a couple years ago and I'm absolutely hooked. I live right outside of San Francisco and often drive up to Santa Rosa on the weekends to visit the brewery. While an acquired taste to some, I love it's assertive profile. It's also very clean and stands up well to hearty food.

I love this beer and I get very excited when I see it in one of the local beer bars here in Los Angeles.

This was the beer that convinced me that not all western style IPAs were over hopped. It's floral but strong. An elegant balance and one of my favorites.

rosebud, I live in Sacramento also but have found it very difficult to track down Pliny with the exception of a few lucky times. Can you help me out and let me know where you have found it? Thanks!

My boyfriend and his friend are huge fans of Pliney. He went so far as to call the local store that his coworker had researched to find out they occasionally carry it, and then when he went to the store when they got some bottles in, he was taken into the back where all two bottles were stored, and snatched them up to buy! It was like a secret mission or something, but we were surprised that it was still really affordable, despite the rarity. I guess if you contact the brewing company, they have a list of places they distribute to, but you kind of have to keep an eye on them to find out when they get any in.

Russian River Brewing's website has a list of the stores in each area that they distribute to. Since I live in the Bay Area, I take it for granted how fairly easy it is to get, but the hype has risen to high levels, as some stores get it in on a Thursday and sell out by Saturday. It's one of my favorite beers, but not the best DIPA I've ever had.

This beer is my favorite. I lived in Sebastopol for awhile and never had to worry about where I could find to drink it. Now that I live in Portland it is so hard to find. Even if a bar does get some, it is sold out so fast.

Living in SF I never knew Pliny was so hard to get. I love this beer and I promise to never take it for granted again.