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A Pliny the Younger tale
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 2:20 pm
by Beer-lord
Read this on another forum posted today:
I live almost exactly two hours from Russian River Brewing company in Santa Rosa. I figured that the middle of the week would be a good day to do. I realized that we would be standing in line for probably an hour or so anyway, but I was prepared.
I wasn't prepared for how wrong I was. We arrived at 1:15 and the line was all the way down the block. And moving SLOW. At about 4:00, an employee came out and said that he would run out of the day's allotment of Pliny the Younger roughly a few people behind where we were. He said there was a chance we wouldn't get any, but in all probability we would be able to have some.
We finally got in the door at about 6:30. That's a 5:15 wait. I have never waited in line for anything so long in my entire life and I probably never will again. Looking back on it, it went by incredibly quick but standing on a sidewalk all day just plain sucks. There is no way it doesn't.
I immediately went to the bar and ordered up three Youngers for myself, my good friend, and my girlfriend.
It was served in a 10-ounce as it clocked in at about 10.25% ABV. This is not a chugging beer. The hop presence was immediate and powerful. You didn't have to stick your nose in the glass to smell it, but I did anyway.
There was virtually no head. It's a little darker than I imagined. The color is pale but there is a definite orange tint to it. As you bring the glass to your lips all you can smell are hops. It's citrusy and just plain hoppy.
It tasted like a 10.25% beer that needs time to age. It was boozy and a little harsh. Some aging time would benefit the booziness but at the expense of hop flavor and aroma, no doubt.
The hop flavor and aroma is just off the charts though. I don't know if it's the intense aroma from the triple dose of dry hops or the massive amounts of late hop additions to the kettle or both, but there is just so much hop flavor in this beer.
Shortly after we started our first round, the last keg of Younger for the day kicked. Effectively, I waited in line for five and a half hours to drink 10 ounces of beer.
I'm going back again before Younger ends on 2/20 and getting up a LOT earlier. I am not standing in line for that long again for so little reward.
On the upside, I have a growler of Pliny the Elder in my fridge and two amazing sours that I am saving for a rainy day.
Re: A Pliny the Younger tale
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 2:27 pm
by Inkleg
Wonderful description, but this boy ain't standing in line that long for it.
Re: A Pliny the Younger tale
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 2:35 pm
by Brewbirds
So I guess people do this because there is no clone available?
If that beer is so popular why don't they just make more of it? I can't imagine that the employees are enjoying greeting people who have stood in line for 5 hours day after day.
And then your guy gets 10 ounces of a beer he doesn't give a very good review of.
There is a place in Austin called Franklin's that is a BBQ joint where they line up all the way down the sidewalk that's on the news all the time
I couldn't bring myself to do that, there is going to be someplace (or beer) that is just or almost as good.
Re: A Pliny the Younger tale
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 3:21 pm
by jimjohson
we got a bbq joint like that you'll waste your whole lunch standing in line. you'd think it was the soup nazi's place.
Re: A Pliny the Younger tale
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 3:33 pm
by Beer-lord
I have lots of homebrew and there's no line at my house.....not even for the bathroom!
Re: A Pliny the Younger tale
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 3:39 pm
by Inkleg
Beer-lord wrote:I have lots of homebrew and there's no line at my house.....not even for the bathroom!
And exactly when is crawfish season?
Have mobile rig will travel. Do you have a 220 plug somewhere?
Re: A Pliny the Younger tale
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 3:56 pm
by Beer-lord
I have 220 but its not in a spot that can ventilate the moisture or is even convenient to brewing. But come anyway.
I can get crawfish anytime.
I remember last year when Vince was talking about an e-BIAB system that I really felt it was worth more to me to buy it complete than build it. I really liked this one:
http://www.highgravitybrew.com/productc ... v0wnLTciA8
But, I can't see that in my near future though I can dream. I definitely don't have the patience to build one myself. I go as far to to build my own computers and that's it. Don't even change my brakes anymore (though I do change my oil).
Re: A Pliny the Younger tale
Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 6:02 pm
by Kealia
I saw that post, too. This hits close to home since my buddy and I are thinking about heading over there tomorrow or Saturday - but only because we will be in the area for the other beer tour we are doing. The reality is, that nothing is going to taste like unicorns and rainbows after waiting for it for 5 hours. I understand that there is a camaraderie built for something like this, but I can't see waiting THAT long for it.
Then again, we are going to be out of town, staying at a hotel so it's either sit and watch TV or wait inline for a beer that's only available once a year. I guess we'll see what we feel like when we get there.
Re: A Pliny the Younger tale
Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 1:13 am
by mashani
I couldn't make myself stand in line that long no matter what the beer is.