Episode Notes

Episode 76: Pliny the Elder Double IPA by Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, CA

It’s the Two Minute Beer Review!

I’m Andrew Burkum and it’s that time again where we take on that massive craft brew aisle to find the hidden treasures waiting for us there.

This week we’re taking a look at Pliny the Elder Double IPA by Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, CA. Is this exclusive and elusive beer really all it’s cracked up to be? Let’s find out!

Pliny looks like, well, an IPA in the glass. It’s a pretty gold color but it’s pretty unremarkable in this aspect. Looks like this one’s going to have to prove itself elsewhere. The scent is nice and strong from the get-go. It’s juicy up front but there’s also a ton of evergreen in the background. Well-balanced and inviting. Ok, now we’re doing better!

But what about the taste? This is a good old fashioned IPA. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a great thing! That incredible pine forest taste really shines in the crisp and clear flavor that hits you up front when you take a drink. Then, toward the end of the sip, just a little tiny bit of tropical fruit sneaks in around the edges. All of this ends with a strong punch of good old fashioned bitterness that lasts long after you swallow that sip. There’s nothing watered down or boring in this beer, and everything is in perfect balance. If you love a good IPA, you are going to adore this beer.

Now, here’s the thing. This is, as I hope you can tell from my description, a great IPA. But this beer literally has had people line up around the block just to get their hands on it. So the question really is, does it live up to that legendary status in a modern market that is simply flooded with top-notch IPAs? I’ll leave that up to you to decide. If you can get your hands on a bottle, let me know what you think either by emailing me at [email protected] (using the number 2), tweeting me @2minutebeer or responding on Facebook where you’ll find the live video of this episode. I want to hear what you think, and make sure to share the episode so others can weigh in as well!

That’s all for this week, but I hope you’ll join me next week as we take a look East Brother Brewing’s Russian Imperial Stout. East Brother was kind enough to send this new addition to their catalog directly to me so I could give it a try. And what’s the verdict? We’ll find out next week.

Look for links to this week’s beer and brewery in the show notes and don’t forget to subscribe to the show in your favorite podcast app and follow us on Facebook so you never miss an episode!

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That’s all for now but I’ll see you next week as we continue on our quest to taste all the beer!

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