Pliny pilgrimage

On a recent cool Saturday morning I was on the front line of the craft-beer revolution. Well, not right at the front of the line; that spot was occupied by a spirited group of friends in matching blue Forever Lazys, the full-body “onesie” pajamas for adults. I was actually about a hundred people back from the front, waiting with my wife, sister and brother-in-law for Russian River Brewing Co. to open the doors of its Santa Rosa pub to the fast-growing crowd happily lining up to taste one particular beer: Pliny the Younger.

Why all the fuss? Why would anyone, especially those currently living in Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.’s home town, wait for hours just to drink a beer? Well, for one, according to those who keep track of the thousands of brews now being produced in this brave new world of craft brewing (where nearly 2,000 breweries have opened in the United States since Sierra Nevada helped spark things some 30 years ago), Pliny the Younger is either the best beer in the world, or close to it. Currently, it’s sitting at No. 1 on the top-beers list at beeradvocate.com and No. 6 at ratebeer.com.

And, second, Russian River releases the triple India Pale Ale-style brew (with triple the hops, and much more alcohol by volume than the average IPA) only once a year, for two weeks only starting the first weekend in February, and only on draft at its pub (and in limited quantities at select beer bars on the West Coast and in Colorado).

Plus, the small brewery situated in the fertile north Bay Area craft-brewing region is one of the most respected in the craft-beer world. Two more of its beers are also featured in the top 20 at Beer Advocate, including Pliny the Younger’s cousin (well, uncle, actually), the popular double IPA named for the Roman naturalist who died during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and was (possibly) the first person to write about hops, Pliny the Elder (at No. 4).

So, with all that said, was it worth waiting two hours (or up to five hours for those still winding around the block when we left) to taste the beer? Most definitely.

We were seated within 15 minutes of the doors opening at 11 a.m., and we all giggled when, as a courtesy, the server asked what we wanted to drink. Less than five minutes later we were raising our 10 oz. glasses of glowing (I swear, the beer was glowing) gold-and-orange-hued Pliny the Younger. The fruity floral aroma was intoxicating on its own, and though a bitter blast of citrus peel and pine needles slammed my taste buds with the first drink, it didn’t linger too strongly. In fact, a slightly sweet fruitiness and a good measure of maltiness were nearly as prominent as the bitter hops, and provided a nice full-bodied (with a kind of buttery mouth feel) drinking experience.

Almost immediately, I admitted that it was probably the best IPA I’ve ever had. But while my sister and her husband both really liked it, they each said they would pick Pliny the Elder if given the choice. (And my wife, our designated-driving angel, got the bitter-beer face just thinking about it.)

Even with the high hop concentration and high alcohol (10.5 percent ABV), the beer is astonishingly balanced, not overpowering and surprisingly not boozy-tasting. The brewmasters have refined the process to somehow make a beer that is all things at once—boldly flavored, wonderfully aromatic, full-bodied and very smooth and drinkable.

Saying it’s best in the world, though, across all styles of beer, is kind of ridiculous. The best stout or pilsner is going for a completely different profile of flavors, and isn’t comparable. And if you prefer those styles, there is no way Pliny the Younger would be your favorite.

Of course, Pliny the Younger’s popularity does raise the question, “Why not brew it year round?” The brewery says that it’s an expensive beer to make and that it takes up a lot of time and space at the small brewery.

I for one am glad the beer is released this way. The anticipation of and excitement over the occasion and hanging out with a bunch of happy beer lovers were major parts of what made drinking the beer so memorable. Besides, we can now get the Elder version pretty much year round at many outlets in Chico (Spike’s Bottle Shop, S&S Produce, Mangrove Bottle Shop, Ray’s Liquor, and on draft at the Pour House and Burgers & Brew), which should more than tide us over until Younger returns next February.