EXperience: Pliny The Younger

 How far would you go to chug sip a BEER?  

This beer better be heaven sent and DAMN good!! Not, and NEVER in bottles only on draft for a extremely limited time(~2 weeks once a year in February) you can snatch a sip of this mythical brew. 

2013 marks PtY's 9th year of production!

From the micro brewery of Russian River in Santa Rosa, California comes this phenomenal beer.  In History Pliny the Younger (PtY) was a Roman scholar, writer, naturalist; also Pliny the Elder’s nephew and adopted son.  Pliny the Elder is the company's award-wining staple beer, a Double IPA,  so to make a successor beer it's only fitting to name the Triple IPA after his son. It is almost a true Triple IPA with triple the amount of hops as a regular I.P.A. That said, it is extremely difficult, time and space consuming, and very expensive to make therefore limits them to making more of this good stuff.  

Why was this a must do on my list? 

 

3 Very Good Reasons:

1.  I happen to be back in Northern California due to some personal matters thus even giving me a coincidental chance to go up to Russian River and visit the brewery during this limited draft release. 

2.  My significant other is a beer slut fanatic, I mean,  I'm not pointing the finger at her for my own actions but shes the single reason why I even got into beer in the first place.  Now I'm a addict myself and I <3 Craft, Draft, Brew whatever you call it, more than she does.

3. Having moved down to Southern California and traveling to visit Her in nearby San Diego a.k.a craft beer promise land.  I can't wait to brag to some of these beer geeks and snobs down there what I've tried!

 

My Journey:

If I only knew getting a sip of beer was this much work..I would still have done it just a bit more will prepared and better planned next time, maybe next year? On a personal level I have a sentimental attachment to this beer.  You see, Pliny the Elder(PtE) was technically the first 'craft' beer that I've ever tried and trust me I did not like it at all. The first time I tasted(consumed directly out of the bottle).  I apologize ahead of time that the action that followed might offend some of you Pliny extremists; I gave it two big gulps and poured out the rest.  I asked myself why the hell would anyone enjoy this bitter(hoppy) beer.  In that moment I was upset at the time and money spent trying this crap out.

After.. sorry lost count, X amount of beers in my belly and equipped with a new refined beer palate I went back to give my long lost friend PtE a revisit.  This time at Father's Office on tap! Wow? I can't really explain it hoppy is now my happy :) So refreshing and so crisp, I long forgotten the hatred I had for this beer back in the days.

Flash forward to now..

Vibrant quaint downtown Santa Rosa, CA

On Saturday, February 2nd,  My long and strenuous mission begun.  Given the company's excellent marketing and cult followings.  I know this was going to be an epic line waiting, crowd busting, and buzz-worthy experience already.  Little did I know the obstacles that lies ahead. Tagged along with me for this mission was two good friends and beer enthusiast themselves. Vinay S. of Craft Culture and my all time fave drinking buddy Jacqueline R. 

cool white poodle

My house is about 1 hour and 30mins southeast of Santa Rosa. We drove into town around 11:40am

To be confronted by all this mayhem and all these people standing between us and PtY..

Some REALLY good fresh & hot local pizza at a not so great price $30 :/ Thanks Vinay for buying

@1:25pm lunch time rolled around and still very hopeful of drinking PtY today.  We decided to buy some pizza to fill our stomach for this battle of wait and to soak up the high alcohol of the beer later. We devoured the entire pie in minutes!

4 hours later, we moved around the corner, now we are on the same street as the brewery but barely anywhere close to the entrance.

  

 

 

 

@7:15pm My fate with PtY ended in a tragedy today. It was a bittersweet moment to know that I came so close and had to give it up(I made some prior plans for the night that I can't miss) Who knew that it was going to to take 7+ hours maybe just two more I would have been in beer heaven! SOLD my space in line, yes sold(to these folks that flew in from St Louis for this), knowing another chance will be waiting for me in the near future!  I told myself its just a beer, no big deal! Better luck tomorrow.

  TO BE CONTINUED... 

Ending Notes~ I did manage to sneak inside through the hour long growler refill line.  The trip was not at all a waste of time or money.  It was my first time visiting Santa Rosa and both Vinay and I went home somewhat content bringing back some other awesome tasting RR pub only brews.  Erudition and Rejection.

A look inside the pub:

Russian River Brewing Company

725 4th St
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

(707) 545-2337
http://russianriverbrewing.com/

Date visited: Feb 2nd, 2013