Considering the amount of time that Russian River's Pliny the Younger spends on tap I believe it to be aptly named. Nobody is getting old waiting for any keg of "The Younger" to become an empty casualty of thirsty hop heads dreams. This years batch proved that theory in the extreme.
I had entertained ideas of taking a day off of work on Friday February 6th to be present for the release of Vinnie's greatest Hop creation at the brewery/pub in Santa Rosa but after hearing the reports of people who were there I was happy to instead be slaving away in my fishbowl cubicle in Roseville.
The past few years the Younger's first appearance was always at The Bistro Double IPA Fest in Hayward. For some reason Vinnie and Natalie decided to mix things up and do a release party the day prior. My assumption was that the $36 price tag to fill a growler was to discourage a massive exodus of Younger from the Pub thus keeping the popular beer available on site for as long as possible.
It didn't work. The line of people and growlers twisted halfway down the block and the pub ran out of Younger that same day. I know several people that were eyewitnesses to the madness and they all told the same stories of over crowding, long waits for a beer and standing in lines.
Fortunately for me a thoughtful friend offered to take my growlers along with him that day and I scored two growlers without having to battle the thirsty hordes.
I wish I had a dozen.
The following weekend I was back in the East Bay and hoping that I would get lucky enough to find some Younger still on tap somewhere. (admittedly I did manage a three ounce sample at the Bistro 2IPA fest)
The first story I heard was The Dublin Sports Pub tapped a keg that lasted the last 4 business hours of one day and was drained the next day before closing.
My next clue came from a text message ....a keg at Toronado barely lasted a half and hour.
We stopped by 1st Street Ale House in Livermore. They had a keg but it didn't make it throught two business days.
Oh my this beer is popular. Not a bad problem to have if your in business to sell beer....and Vinnie has this problem big time. He can't make enough beer to satisfy the demand.
We finally did track some Younger down at the HopYard in San Ramon.
I got to do a head to head tasting with Blind Pig, Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger. What a treat. And we returned the next day to repeat the dream line up.
I know by the time I write this the Younger is long gone from most everywhere.
Obviously it's a fabulous creation and I highly recommend it...er I mean...no dammit...it sucks...you don't want it.... avoid it at all costs...it's too hoppy and expensive for you.
Please leavve the heavy lifting to me.....I'm a professional. Do not try this at home....images in your mirror are larger than they appear.......
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5 comments:
I agree with the Hunter. The Younger is an awful nectar that should be avoided at all costs....at least avoided long enough for Mike to bring back a couple dozen Growlers! Perhaps if all take head next year we will be able find a keg or two of Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus in the clearance section????
Farmer Bob
Haha, nice write-up! I am guessing rumours of the demise of the crazily hopped beer in the USA are greatly exaggerated, if reports like these are anything to go buy.
That's a good thing, I think.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2718087/pliny_the_younger_ten_times_as_popular.html?cat=8
Your resources for it are many. I live in SoCal and my only chance to have it was on a Monday at 10 AM. What do you think the fallout from this is? Obviously, we have already seen a huge explosion of DIPA, but will it continue.
Nice meeting you at Mulvaney's on Tuesday. This is the person I got you confused with: http://sanfranciscobrewcraft.wordpress.com/
In hindsight, the two of you look nothing alike. It's just another of your B's that got me confused: Big Beards.
Jordan
At least you had options. I live in San Diego and the Brewpub I go to tapped a keg of Pliny the younger at 9:00 pm on Valentines day. So, do I drive the 25 minutes there have a glass and drive back braving the cops? No, I waited til the next day after work and it was long gone. No Pliny this year for me.
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