Review – Pliny The Elder – Bottle

From Dan of thefullpint.com: My first introduction to Pliny the Elder was in 2006.  I was at the original Liars Club in Mission Beach, San Diego; awestruck by the large selection of California taps. The guys sitting next to me at the bar were “oohing and aahing” over this beer that smelled like “Christmas trees.”  I asked them what was the deal, and they advised me to get Pliny the Elder.  I was pleasantly amazed after the first sip. Since then, I have found this gem of a beer on tap at Lucky Baldwins in Pasadena, Najas Place in Redondo, and Toronado in San Francisco.  As of last summer, Russian River Brewing Co. decided to bottle this awesome beer. I was lucky enough to get this as fresh as possible.

Russian River Brewing – Pliny the Elder – 473 ml bottle poured into my New New Belgium Beer glass. 8% abv. Purchased at Whole Foods Market Arroyo – Pasadena, CA.

Appearance: Light hazy gold and moderate carbonation in the body. Started with a sudsy head that subsided to an 1/8 inch ring of suds. Leaves sudsy lacing as well.

Aroma: Pine needle and pine sap.  Any citrus fruit notes wind up grapefruit or lime zest in this particular session. Also some pineapple and mango.

Taste: Spicy piny hops, lemon. lime and grapefruit flavors. This mixes in with a real strong bitterness as well.  I also taste a present but modest malt profile. It leaves a bitter, sticky herbal aftertaste with just the perfect amount of sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Creamy, refreshing, sticky. I don’t know how I can arrive at such conflicting mouthfeels, but I find myself torn between the three.

Overall: A great transition of a great beer.  As stated on the bottle, get it fresh, keep it cold, and drink it fresh.