Pliny The Younger released today!

[vernonator]

Russian River Brewing Company's Pliny the Younger was released today at the pub. It will be on tap for two weeks but you'll have to brave the looooooooonnnnnnggggggg line to get it. People are in from all over the country and world.
One of the best beers ever made. Any here going to get some? As for me, I'll let the crowd die down and go in a week or so.
Cheers!

[Klurejr]

One of the best beers ever made.

Highly debatable. But if you think it is one of the best more power to you. I waited in line for it last year and found it to not be worth the wait.

[vernonator]

I hear you. It does vary from year and I have to say that last year was not my favorite. It has gotten way over hyped the last 3 years or so. None the less, it is still ONE of the best if your a hop head and like the higher alcohol beers.

[Slow Danger]

Highly debatable. But if you think it is one of the best more power to you. I waited in line for it last year and found it to not be worth the wait.

Did you travel to the brewery on top of it? I've never even seen Pliny the Elder in person. I'd be happy with that. I tried Salvation and Damnation. Nice beers, but there's almost always 10 beers sitting on the shelf right next to them that I'd rather have.

[jtmartino]

Did you travel to the brewery on top of it? I've never even seen Pliny the Elder in person. I'd be happy with that. I tried Salvation and Damnation. Nice beers, but there's almost always 10 beers sitting on the shelf right next to them that I'd rather have.

Younger is distributed to select accounts outside of the Bay Area in Feb. SoCal gets some and so does a few other places in Oregon, Washington, Philly, etc. Portland will have it and last year Platypus in Bend had it on Tap.

[willapajames]

Russian River Brewing Company's Pliny the Younger was released today at the pub. It will be on tap for two weeks but you'll have to brave the looooooooonnnnnnggggggg line to get it. People are in from all over the country and world.
One of the best beers ever made. Any here going to get some? As for me, I'll let the crowd die down and go in a week or so.
Cheers!

I'd love to try that stuff some day, but I can get Heady-Topper any day, so I'm plenty happy.

[Slow Danger]

Younger is distributed to select accounts outside of the Bay Area in Feb. SoCal gets some and so does a few other places in Oregon, Washington, Philly, etc. Portland will have it and last year Platypus in Bend had it on Tap.

Yeah, I read an article about Bend having a keg of the Younger. As I recall, only a select number of people were able to taste it and they were only given a small amount. At least if I remember correctly. I'd settle for the Elder. No lines, and a full pint. I never see it in stores. Another poster mentioned Heady Topper. I never see that one in Oregon stores either, though I'm sure I'll bump into it someday.

[Carl Hungus]

I'd love to try that stuff some day, but I can get Heady-Topper any day, so I'm plenty happy.

Heady Topper is incredible. You're damn lucky. I'll put Heady, Hill Farmstead's IPA's and Lawson's IPA's up against any IPA's around the country.

[Carl Hungus]

Did you travel to the brewery on top of it? I've never even seen Pliny the Elder in person. I'd be happy with that. I tried Salvation and Damnation. Nice beers, but there's almost always 10 beers sitting on the shelf right next to them that I'd rather have.

Damnation and Salvation are great beers but they shouldn't be used as the measuring stick for Russian River beers. Elder, Younger, Supplication, Consecration, etc...those are the beers you want to seek out.

[Slow Danger]

Damnation and Salvation are great beers but they shouldn't be used as the measuring stick for Russian River beers. Elder, Younger, Supplication, Consecration, etc...those are the beers you want to seek out.

I will watch for them. See if I can afford them. How come it is only the pedestrian beers are always available. Am I to assume that breweries chose to brew more barrels of their least tasty beer? I kid, but you beer guys need to enlighten me. Is it because the tastier beers are just harder to produce? I could understand if there was some kind of complicated aging process, or if ingredients were in short supply. But why isn't, say, The Elder available all the time? Or is it always available, but just never gets outside California.

[Carl Hungus]

I will watch for them. See if I can afford them. How come it is only the pedestrian beers are always available. Am I to assume that breweries chose to brew more barrels of their least tasty beer? I kid, but you beer guys need to enlighten me. Is it because the tastier beers are just harder to produce? I could understand if there was some kind of complicated aging process, or if ingredients were in short supply. But why isn't, say, The Elder available all the time? Or is it always available, but just never gets outside California.

The answers are complicated in many ways. Some beers are just harder/more costly to produce based on the expense of raw materials (the amount of hops used, time in the barrel, etc.). Some beers, when the production numbers get ratcheted up, the quality seems to suffer. There is also the issue of brewery size/production capabilities. For as nationally known as a brewery like Russian River is, it is still quite small when you really look at it. I can tell you, as a life time Northern Californian resident, the scarcity of Pliny the Elder has increased exponentially over the last 5 years so it's not just you that can't get it.

[willapajames]

Heady Topper is incredible. You're damn lucky. I'll put Heady, Hill Farmstead's IPA's and Lawson's IPA's up against any IPA's around the country.

It is indeed fantastic. As are HF's and Lawson's. Pretty sweet to live right in the middle of all of them.
I drink quite a few Heady's, and I have yet to get tired of it. Each batch is a little bit different, and that's pretty cool to experience as well. Last batch was one of the best I've had. Mmmmmmmmm

[vernonator]

Uh...not in Washington anymore, doh! RRBC had to pull out of WA due to difficult liquor regs and short supply of its precious beers.

[willapajames]

Another poster mentioned Heady Topper. I never see that one in Oregon stores either, though I'm sure I'll bump into it someday.

Be patient. They've recently doubled production. They can barely keep up with local demand, let alone ship it as close as Boston. Currently local distribution is all done by them. Once they have enough to ship out of the area, I think someone else will be dealing with it. It will be a bit before they have regular distribution as far away as Oregon, so just hang on. In the mean time, see if you can find someone to trade with. It lives up the hype.

[Carl Hungus]

It is indeed fantastic. As are HF's and Lawson's. Pretty sweet to live right in the middle of all of them.
I drink quite a few Heady's, and I have yet to get tired of it. Each batch is a little bit different, and that's pretty cool to experience as well. Last batch was one of the best I've had. Mmmmmmmmm

Where are you located in VT willapajames?

[willapajames]

Live in Stowe, work in Montpelier. Drive by the Alchemist twice most days...

[Carl Hungus]

Live in Stowe, work in Montpelier. Drive by the Alchemist twice most days...

We were there in October. We drove through Stowe on our from Greensboro Bend to Burlington. Looked like an idyllic little town. Pound for pound, Waterbury might be the best little beer town in the country. I still dream about the tap list at Prohibition Pig.

[willapajames]

We were there in October. We drove through Stowe on our from Greensboro Bend to Burlington. Looked like an idyllic little town. Pound for pound, Waterbury might be the best little beer town in the country. I still dream about the tap list at Prohibition Pig.

Prohibition Pig is good, but I like the Reservoir (a couple doors up the street) even more. Also, the Three-Penny Taproom in Montpelier is pretty awesome too. In any case, it's a good area for beer-lovers.
And yeah, Stowe is a pretty cool little town. Definitely some gorgeous scenery, great riding, great hiking, great skiing, great fishing, good boating, etc. It's got the usual ski-town mix of snobby rich folks, ski bums, and everything in between. Gets a bit busy at times, but it's pretty cool to live somewhere that other folks come to for vacation. Bit expensive, but most of Vermont is...
Sorry to hijack the thread.

[moschika]

got some yesterday. got there early to get some before the SB. was in as soon as the doors opened. by the time the SB started and by the time we left, there was no one in line. i normally won't wait, but my nephew was visiting from out of town and we really didn't have much better to do that morning. best to go the 2nd week, mid-day. hardly ever a wait.
it was good, not as "sweet" as last year for better or worse. I liked last year's and this year's. wasn't impressed with the one 3 or 4 years ago. made some new friends too as they made us share a table because of the crowd, so it was all good.

[moschika]

Highly debatable. But if you think it is one of the best more power to you. I waited in line for it last year and found it to not be worth the wait.

any beer that claims to be "best" is debatable. there are still lots of people who think Sculpin, Coors, Bud Light and MGD64 are great beers.

[vernonator]

Thanks for the first hand report! Glad the lines have gone down too. I'll be in the with the family next week...can't wait.

[Klurejr]

any beer that claims to be "best" is debatable. there are still lots of people who think Sculpin, Coors, Bud Light and MGD64 are great beers.

Did you really just put sculpin in the same list with Coors, Bud Light and MGD64? For shame.

[moschika]

Did you really just put sculpin in the same list with Coors, Bud Light and MGD64? For shame.

Hahahaha! I knew that would get someone's attention.

[YETI_NH]

I have always wanted to try it!!!!!!

[francois]

We made the annual trip. There is a trail there three miles from the brewery called Annadel State Park. It is one of the finest trail systems in Norcal and we banged out a 4 hour ride.

We then waited in line for an hour but our crew got us a pizza and carnitas tacos. We then had ridiculous amounts of Pliny.

Walking tour of the city and it was up to the designated drivers to get us home safely.



We finished off the day by having dinner at the Lagunitas Tap Room.

Pliny the Younger 2013 is one of the best IPAs in history. It is also the most wicked with its 11% alcohol.

A blogger's description of 2013 is here:

"Pliny the Younger 2013. This year’s version weighed in slightly higher than last year, at 10.8% a.b.v. The hop bill changed, Vinnie dropped Columbus, reduced the Tomahawk and stepped up Warrior, using it as the primary hop in the 30 day dry-hopping. Overall, Younger used Amarillo, Centennial, Chinook, Tomahawk and Warrior. He also changed the fermentation temperature, the dry hopping schedule and used even more hops. The result was an even smoother taste, amazing balance and terrific hop character. Big and bold. Vinnie believes it’s the best Younger yet, and it’s hard to disagree."