My friend Anthony Anselmi, who is in my tasting group, passed the Master Sommelier exam this month. We celebrated his success at Lou on Vine the other night where someone revealed to me that Russian River Brewing Company's most elusive and rare beer, Pliny the Younger, was going to be poured at Father's Office in Culver City the coming Monday. I immediately began making plans to be there the moment the doors opened.
I was first introduced to Russian River Brewing Company by a Master Sommelier and friend, Melissa Monosoff, during our visit to Sonoma last summer. We cabbed it over during a very brief break in our schedule because there was absolutely no way I was going to miss the opportunity to experience these beers firsthand. They brew soem of the rarest and most sought after beers in the world. I had an amazing time at the brewery. We got the paddle sampler of all the beers they currently had available and each was pretty profound in their own right.
Flash forward to today: I hear that this elusive Pliny the Younger is being poured at Father's Office. Here's the hype: Pliny the Younger is brewed only once a year (in February) and released at the brewery where it sells out pretty much immediately. A handful of California accounts are permitted to buy a 5-gallon keg which also sells out immediately. Surly Goat's sold out in less than an hour this year. Only two accounts get a 15-gallon keg: Father's Office Santa Monica and Father's Office Culver City. Santa Monica had already poured theirs and it lasted into the second day.
I was determined to be there for the opening moments of Pliny the Younger's appearance at Father's Office. Kara and I headed down for a 4:30 arrival time, putting us barely in the first ten people in line. One of our co-drinkers was the first guy in line at Surly Goat the week prior. It was evident that this was a major event in the lives of beer drinkers in California. I was very excited to be a part of it and felt very much like I was going to a general admission concert. Before they opened the doors, there was a line running down the block.
When the doors opened, we immediately began our tab with a couple of glasses of Pliny the Younger. It's a Triple IPA and extravagantly hopped, so we knew it would thrash our palates for any subsequent beers, but we just wanted to make sure we got it. It was pretty amazing, particularly considering that it was making me like IPA, which I sometimes despise: lots of citrus rind, fresh garden aromas, a savory that I could only place as cumin, fresh-cut grass, balanced hoppiness and grapefruit citrus. Was it worth the wait and visit: YES!
Worth the visit? Well - also becasue they had about half of the other Russian River Brewery beers on tap as well. If Pliny the Younger hadn't been there, I still would've been happy since we never see these beers. And I had been dying for an opportunity to get Kara up to Russian River Brewing Company to experience these. Any chance to drink Pliny the Elder, which I have heard many Master Sommeliers state is their favorite beer in the world, is a great day in my book.
The 15-gallon keg of Pliny the Younger was gone in less than two hours. We had since moved on to all of the other Russian River Selections. We ordered some apps and the infamous Father's Office Burger (which was truly profound...). Here are my tasting notes on the Russian River Beers poured on that day:
Sanctification: Brewed with Brettanomyces. Tangy and sweet smell, like a Chinese sweet and sour. Woodsy funkiness. Especially tangy on the palate, so much so that it comes across as lemon and passion fruit. Very cool and interesting.
Redemption: A Belgian-style Blonde. Smells like I would imagine a savory doughnut to taste like. Yeast, flowers and fruit. Ortega taco shells from the market, clean and creamy mouthfeel.
Pliny the Elder: I'm pleases to say I enjoyed two full glasses of this and preferred it, in fact, to Pliny the Younger. Grass, smokey wood, florality, and a creamy mouthfeel. The attack of the fruit comes across as more sweet fruit than their other IPA's, balanced with exquisite hoppiness that shows citrus rind and very cool savory notes. This is super-complex but not overly tiring. My favorite of this flight.
Perdition: The Belgian Dubbel-style. Bread, malt, caramel, a little Brett-y, but lighter on the palate than the nose and color elude to. This is a dark beer that you could actually drink a lot of. A soft citrus tone underlying keeps this darker beer feeling fresh.
Blind Pig IPA: This has a very similar flavor profile to both Plinys, however, there is a dip in the mid-palate and it comes across as a shadow of its better siblings. The lighter intensity of the fruit makes the hoppiness more pronounced on the finish. It would be easier to drink a sixer of than the Plinys, but would it leave you want just one Pliny the Elder...?
Consecration: A sour ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels with currants. Kara really didn't like this one, but it seems she's not a sour beer fan. Lots of tangy, grapey funky aromas. Kind of like a theoretical mesh of Kool-Aid and beer, but in a good way! Imagine Sea Smoke Pinot (heavier, darker Pinot) put into The Fly pods and integrated. This one isn't for everyone, but I totally dig it for its unique character and execution.
They had about 3 more beers we didn't taste on this particular evening. We had to drive back to Sherman Oaks. But we will definitely be back. And just a quick note on the Father's Office Burger - yes! it's worth it! I have never had a burger come out so perfectly cooked to the desired temperature in my life. Spot on mid-rare and freakin' delicious! Highly recommended and especially with a Perdition or Pliny the Elder.
Keep your eyes open for these beers! Depending on how open-minded you are or what styles you like, you may love or hate any or all of them. But even when they go for something outside of your box, understand that they are incredibly well-crafted representations of those goals. Hit up the brewery or Father's Office. I think you'll find it worthwhile.
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