Pliny the Younger...Finally!!

Yesterday I made it over to Eulogy Belgian Tavern for their tapping of Pliny the Younger, a triple IPA from Russian River Brewing Company.  I had tried Pliny the Elder (double IPA) a few times before, but I had yet to get my hands on it's elusive big brother.  After waiting in line for nearly an hour, I eagerly sat down at the bar and was finally able to order my first (and second) glass of Pliny the Younger.  From the overall citrus, pine punch in the face to the lingering hop presence, this brew was unbelievably tasty down to the last sip.  It was as if someone mashed together grapefruit, unripe mango, loads of incredibly fresh resinous hops, tropical fruits, and more hops!  The complex, layered taste resonated in my mouth long after the final sip.  Tastiest burps too!  My only minor complaint was that it seemed a bit boozy towards the bottom of the glass as it warmed up.  Considering Pliny the Younger comes in at a whopping 11%, the fact that the alcohol is masked so well during the majority of the glass is very impressive.  Overall, I found this brew to be perfectly balanced, representing the qualities of a basically flawless IPA.   

   

Currently, Pliny the Younger is rated as the #1 beer in the world on Beeradvocate.com (http://beeradvocate.com/lists/popular).  Is this actually the best beer in the world?  Probably not.  Is this the best beer I've ever tried?  Definitely one of the best, but not #1 on my list.  Is this the most memorable, delicious beer I've tried in recent years?  Absolutely!  Pliny the Younger was certainly worth the wait and I look forward to another glass of it sometime in the near future.  

Thanks to Eulogy for hosting this event!  http://eulogybar.server101.com/

[Proceeds from Eulogy Belgian Tavern's Pliny the Younger event were contributed to the Philadelphia Asian Arts Initiative.]