The bottle.

Don’t let them tell you that Pliny the Younger can’t be found in the bottle.  Well, that’s where the story really starts.  I knew that Russian River was tapping Pliny the Younger at Lucky Baldwin’s (Pasadena) down the street.  I had one problem…I had to work.  So, despite the anticipation, I was stuck not being able to taste it.

Having come to terms with it, I called up  friend who I knew wanted to give it a whirl.  She told me that she and some friends were planning to go around 8 p.m., and I immediately advised against it, telling her that it would be gone.  They changed their plans and headed to the pub to get in on the action.  Incidentally, the beer sold out in twenty minutes.

It was nice that they were able to try it, so I was happy for them… then the text came: “We got one extra, when’s your lunch break?”  I knew that lunch wouldn’t be coming until 6, so I couldn’t go get the beer.  If I had anticipated it, I would have made it a point to send them with a beer bottle, my capper, and a bottle cap.  I gave them thanks and told them not to go to any extra-ordinary effort in regards to the beer, mentioning that that it was a thoughtful and generous gesture.  After a few texts and a brief conversation, Anya and Michael were determined to figure something out (thanks, guys!).

Well, here I sat with this plastic water bottle of Pliny the Younger.  I kept it cold and prayed there would be a bit of carbonation left in it, a risky proposition indeed.  I’m happy to say that I got the beer home, opened it (it was in pretty good shape, all things considered), and drank it.  That’s how I got a hold of this hard to find beer.  Was the serving situation ideal?  No, but what is?  Here is what I think about the brew itself.

The Pour: The carbonation level was less than ideal, that much I can say definitively.  You simply can’t ask The Younger to make such a perilous journey and be fully carbonated.  You simply can’t have it all.  Other than the carbonation, the pour was lovely.  A clean golden orange body was sitting beautifully still in the glass.

The Nose: Must I really say what the nose of a beer which is dry hopped 4 times smells like?  Well, it was on the hoppy side.  It was piney, perfumey, and resinous.  I noticed a bit of the 11% ABV on the nose, which I’m sure helped to emphasize the hops.  A bit of tropical fruity hop aromas came through as well.  Maybe just a tiny touch of caramel, but who can say for sure?

The Taste: Must I really say what the taste of a beer which is dry hopped 4 times tastes like?  Well, it was on the hoppy side.  Actually, it was pretty drinkable, and I’ll say from the outset that I like it more than Pliny the Elder.  A decent mouth-feel, despite the lack of CO2, helped prop the brew up.  After all I’ve heard about the beer, I was surprised at the degree of balance it had in its extremes.  The hops certainly had aspects of pine, citrus, and tropical fruit tones.  There is little more to say about the beer than talking about the hops, but it did have a touch of residual sweetness and a small, grainy, caramel pop.  Don’t make any mistake, this beer is all about the über (American) IPA style, so expect a ton of hops.  However, the beer was surprisingly fresh and refreshing.

The last aspect that I want to mention is how truly sharp and relentlessly tongue buckling the bitterness it.  It’s massive.  From the middle of a sip forward, it’s simply huge on bitterness.  I think Dave from The Drunken Polack maybe said something about how it took the enamel off his teeth.  If he didn’t say it, credit that to me.  It’s a razor.

Overall: Normally, I make a criticism about big IPAs not having enough body.  I might have in this case, but it would detract from the freshness of the brew.  Often I dislike things that are too extreme (especially IPAs).  However, I have to say that I think this beer is pretty good.  The more I think about it the more I think about how hard it is to balance a beer like this.  Perhaps the tiniest bit more malt backing would be okay…but not too much.  Let’s keep it fresh.  If you get a chance to try this beer, even from a water bottle, give it a sip.

Mike’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction:  

Among other IPAs:  

Among other Double/Triple IPAs: