east coaster review of the Pliny

[nathan]

Got to Russian River on Monday. I added a day to my west coast trip to do it, and it was worth it (see hummer convention thread in beer radio board).

Pliny...

Okay, now you west coast goofballs and your hops, it's often just too much. I love the aroma and flavor of hops. I don't like my mouth feeling like I rinsed it with battery acid. So mostly I had a couple drinks of your wacky IPAs and then moved on to other drinks.

This beast, though... she's a sneaky one. There's just no lingering bitterness, none of that overwhelming stuff, just a perfectly (and I mean absolutely perfectly) balanced beer. You can taste the malts and enjoy them. You can taste and smell the aroma of the hops and not be overwhelmed by anything. Then you will find out it is 8% and be SURE they gave you the wrong beer. Surely this gentle and enjoyable beer is not 8%. There are no higher alcohols detectable, and there is no noticeable ethanol flavor. Perhaps it's a lower fermentation temperature, and healthy yeast, but whatever the plan, 8% without being able to tell is a daaaaangerous thing.

I was shocked after 7 days of punch-you-in-the-junk levels of overwhelming bitterness, fusel alcohols, lack of malt, etc., that Pliny would be more of the same, but it's in a class by itself. If that made it to the shelves in any of the east coast towns I've lived in, it wouldn't be there long.

[ddgbrewing]

Got your Pliny cherry popped... good for you... I remember my first time

[Gnome Brewer]

i remember my first time too... I had just moved down to SF from Oregon and was at a local bottle shop, looking for a hop treat. I saw another guy taking his time eyeing over every possible selection and thought he would probably be good at pointing me in the right direction. I had never even heard of Pliny before. I brought home the pint sized bottle and cracked it open, before I even got the beer into a glass the entire vicinity of my desk reaked of sweet lupilin. And after taking a taste, I pretty much just freaked out on the spot, absolutely could not believe it.

[Dirk McLargeHuge]

My first was a bottle shipped by a friend, and I thought it was nice, but too bitter. I hit Russian River on June 16 and had a pint before moving down the "-ation" list. Then I had another pint. I was amazed how good the draft version was. I had a few more pints at Pacific Coast during NHC, and brought some bottles home. I like it better on tap, but it's still damn good. I'm afraid my palate is warped for life thanks to Pliny and Tasty.

[one_dead_soul]

oh i remember i first time.... wait.. no.. shit i still havn't tried pliny. fuck fuck fuck. anybody want to send me a bottle??? please please??

tom

[mediumsk]

idunno, I had always heard that the IPA's were mellow out east and thats what i was prepared for when i recently visited vermont. I gotta say though most of the breweries i visited had hoppy beers that just absolutely killed it. definitely on par with the pliny

[TunaCan]

Ahhh yes, the first time.
I was on a job up in Napa, had some time to kill in the afternoon. Stuck a Pliny and a few hop rods in the motel trash can, filled it with ice and proceeded to consume some deviled eggs from Dean and Delucca, Kettle Buffalo Bleu chips along with that first Pliny by the pool. Goddamn, I can still taste it. Got a little sunburned that day, but it was worth it.

[bcmaui]

Ahhh yes, the first time.
I was on a job up in Napa, had some time to kill in the afternoon. Stuck a Pliny and a few hop rods in the motel trash can, filled it with ice and proceeded to consume some deviled eggs from Dean and Delucca, Kettle Buffalo Bleu chips along with that first Pliny by the pool. Goddamn, I can still taste it. Got a little sunburned that day, but it was worth it.

Did you stay at the El Bonito Motel in St. Helena? We checked out of there and drove to Santa Rosa - I had my first Pliny on tap at RR two months ago.