One man’s rare and sacred brew is another man’s widely-available West Coast IPA.  So you could imagine my excitement when a friend passed along a Russian River Pliny the Elder for my enjoyment. I’ve already read several other bloggers hyping this beer up, even ones in United Kingdom and Ireland! By my calculations, that’s much farther from Santa Rosa, California than Richmond, Virginia.

But you see, I’m not easily taken in by the chatterings of others. I’m the type of person that avoids seeing a popular movie or band until I feel the time is right, in an attempt to assess the situation with a modicum of objectivity. Popular opinion does not sway me.

On the other hand, sometimes popular opinion is dead-on no matter what. Pliny the Elder appears to be a beer beyond reproach – the closest thing to a benchmark you could ask for in the beer world. From hopheads to malt mavens, you’ll find people of varying tastes and backgrounds profusely praising the Pliny. And not without reason.

Pliny pours a see-through orange sunburst color with a brilliant white head of foam that’s slow to settle. Cloud-like on top, even. A quick sniff lets me pick up pine with orange citrus notes, and they’re softer than expected. And believe it or not, so is the taste. After hearing hop-heads from all over the country raving about this beer, I figured it would be a palate’s worst nightmare. Apparently, that’s more Pliny the Younger than his father, but still, I’m amazed at how drinkable this beer is. Sure, there’s a formidable hoppiness, but it’s one that you can still enjoy after a few sips.

At the forefront, I detect some resiny hop oil character on the tongue, with that orange citrus playing a greater role than floral or sharper citrus notes, although they’re still in there, too. What’s great about Pliny the Elder is the way the burst of hops subsides to a low roar by the time you get to the finish, leaving enough lingering to delight the tastebuds but not coat them excessively. My theory is the inherent dryness that subdues the hops, with the yeast getting a lot of attenuation to create a refreshing and flavorful beer. But that’s just my cursory glance on the subject.

The label indicates that this was bottled on April 20, 2009. Only a couple months out for this beer, and they most certainly get points for the freshness dating and the repeated instructions to consume this beer as fresh as possible. Behold the Old. Don’t age the Elder. Drink it fresh.