Pliny The Elder

The Beer: Pliny The Elder
Type: Imperial IPA
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 8% ABV 100IBU
Brewer: Russian River Brewing Company
Web Site:http://www.russianriverbrewing.com/index.html
State/Country of Origin: Santa Rosa, CA USA.

Review


Bottled on 06/29/11

Appearance: Golden amber color with hints of yellowish gold. Pliny appears to be slightly transparent with a head approximately two fingers in width that's slightly off white. Head retention is very even and slow leaving behind a nice lacing.

Smell: Super hoppy, piney, flora,l citrus and sweet honey. Perfect aroma that tingles the nose. The ingredients smell fresh and bold. 

Taste:FUCKING AWESOME!! The flavor is perfect. Balanced from beginning to end with the right taste at the right time. The bitterness from the hops isn't overpowering because of the malts, citrus, grapefruit and passion fruit among other various flavors. The bitterness doesn't leave a heavy bite but a sweet refreshing taste that leaves you wanting another sip.

Mouthful: Overwhelming with hops, yet, still a bit sweet as you take down the sip. Perfect medium carbonation allows smooth drinking.  

Overall: This is an AMAZING brew the folks at Russian River have perfected the IIPA. This beer contains a perfect balance of malts and hops. I recommend this beer to anyone whose goal is beyond a drunken stagger. Although at 8% ABV. this is a good possibility. On a serious note though try this beer. Amazing all around

Rating: 9.5/10

New Belgium Ranger IPA

The Beer: New Belgium Ranger IPA
Type: American IPA
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 6.5% ABV 90IBUs
Brewer: New Belgium Brewing Company

AVAILABILITY: YEAR ROUND

Web Site: http://www.newbelgium.com/home.aspx
State/Country of Origin: Fort Collins CO, USA.

Review:

Appearance: Ranger Pours a nice peachy amber color almost resembling apple juice. 
This image above allows you to see right through the glass. Very transparent.  When 
poured a thick white head about the width of two fingers appeared. Very nice head
retention and a nice lacing.


Smell: This beer has a hoppy aroma with a hint of pine and undertones of citrus. 
While the citrus is noticeable, it doesn't take away from the hops, a perfect 
complement.


Taste: Ranger is a two layer beer, first you taste the bitterness that comes from
the hops along with faint citrus. The second layer comes from the malt leveling 
out the beer and giving Ranger a really nice balance. There is a hoppy kick at the
finish.


Mouthful: Nice smooth and clear with medium carbonation. The smoothness of
Ranger makes this beer refreshing and fairly easy top take down, even for those
who aren't fans of IPA's. The beer feels clean and nicely balanced.


Overall: For those who are expecting an aggressive in your face IPA you'll be
mistaken. New Belgium's Ranger IPA is a really good beer, just more subtle than
one would expect. This beer is perfect for people trying to venture into the 
realm of IPA without having their taste buds ripped out due to bitterness. With
6.5% ABV. approach with caution because you can hardly taste the alcohol. I 
highly recommend this beer to people who are open minded to trying IPA. For 
those who are fans of IPA and are looking for something less aggressive you've 
found your beer. 


Rating: 8/10

Sierra Nevada Summerfest 2011

The Beer: Sierra Nevada Summerfest 2011
Type: Czech Pilsner
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 5% ABV 28IBUs
Brewer: Sierra Nevada Brewery

Availability: Seasonal 

Web Site: http://www.sierranevada.com/index2.html
State/Country of Origin: Chico CA, USA.


Review


Appearance: Very clear and transparent light yellow body. Clear white head about the width of a finger. The head leaves a slight lacing on the glass that recedes rather quickly. The head is full of smaller bubbles with a constant flow of smaller bubbles flowing from the bottom of the glass towards the top.


Smell: Classic pilsner scent with an floral aroma with a hint of hops. The scent is rather faint yet, there's a subtle sweetness.


Taste: Amazingly light! The flavor is nearly identical to the scent but dragged out into two segments. Summerfest is clear and smooth with a taste of malt and floral hops with a hint of honey. The taste lingers on the back of your tongue creating a lasting taste on your pallet following consumption. 

Mouthful: Light and crisp with light to medium carbonation making summerfest easy to down.

Overall: Summerfest is a typical pilsner with a Sierra Nevada twist. This beer is definitely the lightest of Sierra Nevada's portfolio. A very fitting name, perfect for a warm summer day. RRRefreshing!! Easy to drink but lacks character. Can't take much from this beer other than getting a nice buzz going, however; I do enjoy this beer and it's light yet complex flavors. 


Rating: 7/10