An Awesome Beer to Try: Pliny the Elder

Pliny the Elder by Russian River Brewing Company is a spectacular DIPA due to being smooth from start to finish with 100 IBUs. Citrus fruits and piney flavors are flawless to produce a memorable beer. This article covers a review and relation to Nick Saban as a sports reference.

Technical Details for Pliny the Elder DIPA

• Beer Name: Pliny the Elder
• Beer Style: DIPA
• Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company (Santa Rosa, CA)
• Brewery website: https://www.russianriverbrewing.com
• Purchased: https://www/sovereigntywines.com
• Tasted: 8/5/21
• Glass Used: 14 ounce Rastal Teku

Pliny the Elder DIPA Scoring Categories

Beer Review Russian River Brewing Company’s Pliny the Elder DIPA Scoring Categories:

• Bottle Design: new stop sign that I can get used to and will always stop for now
• Appearance: clear straw yellow/gold 5/6
• Aroma: fresh grapefruit and newly cut pine needles, lemon-lime notes on the back end 23/24
• Flavor: fresh citrus fruits, lite grapefruit juice, resiny pine sap, bitterness is present from start to finish but incredibly smooth, dry finish with lingering earthy notes 39/40
• Mouthfeel: light, crisp, smooth and no sign of 100 IBUs 9/10
• Overall Impression: top notch DIPA that drinks like an IPA, makes me forget about hazy IPAs entirely and reminds me why I love craft beer on a daily basis 19/20
• Total Score: 95/100
• Exceeds the hype, a white whale beer worth tracking down, stock up with as many bottles as possible and enjoy it fresh with fellow beer geeks

Brewery Background

Russian River Brewing Company is located in Santa Rosa, CA and opened in 1997. Second brew house and restaurant opened in Windsor, CA in 2018. Founded by the husband and wife team of Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo. Beer portfolio focuses on hoppy (pale ales, IPAs, DIPAs, TIPAs) and barrel aged sours. Pliny the Elder was named the “best beer in America” each year from 2010-2016 by Zymurgy magazine. Two Hearted Ale from Bell’s Brewery took that title in 2017.

Distribution sales started in California and have slowly expanded to Oregon, Colorado and Pennsylvania as of 2021. Russian River Brewing is very active on Instagram and Twitter with beer release information and special events at both brew house locations.

I stood in a long line at the 2014 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO to get a one ounce pour of Pliny the Elder. Vinny poured the glass, Natalie said “thanks for stopping by” and my palate was incredibly happy after tasting one of the best DIPAs I’d ever had. Exact same reaction happened when I tried a new bottle of Pliny for this review posting.

Pliny the Elder DIPA Background

Russian River brews the following Pliny batches:

• The Elder DIPA – 8% ABV, Untappd rating 4.51
• The Elder DDH DIPA – 8% ABV, Untappd rating 4.45
• For President DIPA – 8% ABV, Untappd rating 4.38
• The Younger TIPA (2021 batch) – 10.25% ABV, Untappd rating 4.63

The annual release of Pliny the Younger is always a big deal and beer geeks line up outside the brewery for 20-24 hours to get a taste of the first pour.

Sports Comparison for this Libation

• Nick Saban, head football coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Started his head coaching career quietly at Toledo in 1990, before heading to the NFL as the defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns for four years. His tenure in Cleveland was working for an unknown head coach, Bill Belichick. Led Michigan State from 1995-1999, making four bowl games. Caught his first big career break when he went to LSU in 2000, which led to a national championship during the 2003 season. Headed back to the NFL for 2005-2006 as head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Both seasons were inconsistent before he landed his dream job at the University of Alabama in 2007. Alabama was in shambles thanks to Mike Shula’s lack of leadership. From 2007-2020, Alabama has won seven SEC championships and six national championships (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020). Saban hasn’t just built a football factory, he’s constructed a football dynasty that continues to get better each year. Players used to knock on his office door to play on a winning team. Now they text him wanting to play at the next level (NFL) after playing at Alabama. Saban’s coaching tree is prolific at the college level and will be compared to Belichek’s for eternity. His team is ranked in the Top 5 in the country and always peaks prior to the SEC championship game. You have to tip your cap to the best college football coach in history, who continues to improve the game on a daily basis. Pliny the Elder has done the same thing to the craft beer industry. Consistently getting better each batch, sought out by beer geeks and tasty all season long. Roll Tide!

Are you interested in finding this beer? Check out this article that tells you how to locate great beer near you.

Cheers and keep it classy everyday!