Pliny the So-So

[Inkleg]

There I've said it.
Is it a good beer, yes. Is it a great beer, doesn't live up to my standards in the IIPA category (though some of you who have found me in other forums, know my standards aren't that high ).
Had it last Saturday with my fried Graham who designed my Naked Cat label. It was not a blind taste test to tell the real from the clone, but a side by side to see which one we liked better.
Mine had lost some hop nose since being kegged (a few ounces hanging in the keg can fix that), but we both agreed, mine was a better beer. A little more malt backbone to stand up to the hop bitterness.
The Pliny had a light clean crisp hop flavor to it, but not the hop bitterness that I like. The aroma was descent, but not Ruin Ten or Resin and certainly not Enjoy by. It was a good beer, but did not live up to the hype.

I want to give a big THANK YOU to Ron for going the extra mile, tracking down and sending this to me. I would not have been able to try it otherwise.

Mine is on the left.

Pliny+.JPG (94.57 KiB) Viewed 561 times

And that is a baby squirrel that Graham is nursing back to health after the nest was knocked out of the tree during a storm.

[Beer-lord]

Interesting comparison. From what I've read of Vinnie's recipe, the color and aroma was spot on but the taste was more malty than the real deal. I've only had one of the real things and it's been awhile and I hope to get a chance to try another in the future.
I thought your beer was awesome but can't say how it compared to the real beer. Heck, I'd drink it every day, all day if I could. It's a pity if we make 5 gallons we have to drink it so quickly too!

[Inkleg]

Yeah, Vinnie's recipe that I used makes a GREAT BEER and may become my go to IIPA for the house. A ounce each of Simcoe, Columbus and Centennial in the keg would make it even better.

[haerbob3]

Interesting comparison. From what I've read of Vinnie's recipe, the color and aroma was spot on but the taste was more malty than the real deal. I've only had one of the real things and it's been awhile and I hope to get a chance to try another in the future.
I thought your beer was awesome but can't say how it compared to the real beer. Heck, I'd drink it every day, all day if I could. It's a pity if we make 5 gallons we have to drink it so quickly too!

so.........................brew 10, 20 or even a barrel and share

[philm00x]

I like the color on yours better. The lighter color on Pliny compared to yours makes it look like any old light lager (gasp!). So I guess I'm gonna need a bottle of Pliny and one of your clone to give my input

[Kealia]

That's funny, I never thought of Pliny as being a lighter-in-color beer so it's interesting to see them side by side.
I'm happy to have been able to send you one so that you could try it. Always happy to help out a fellow brewer.

Sometimes there's so much hype behind a beer, it's hard to live up to it. I wonder if some of the East Coast beers would be that way for me.

Cheers!