The first IPA I had that really blew my mind was from Russian River Brewing Company. Pliny the Elder. It's the type of stuff people write songs about. And wear t-shirts to declare their love. I had it in Philadelphia when we lived there almost 10 years ago. They have an amazing tap room in Santa Rosa California, that we visited out of love for Pliny. Here I am, all these years later, and I wondered...is Pliny REALLY that good? Or did I just have fond memories because it wasn't easy to find great IPA then. I decided to find out. Pliny is not easy to get outside of California. It isn't available in WA but it IS in Oregon. To Oregon we go. Whole Foods has a limited supply, and you can only buy 2 bottles at a time. But we did it. Oh the anticipation. Is it going to be worth all this? Were our memories going to be ruined? We shared the 16 ounce beer, and....savored every last drop. Amazing beer. It's a classic PNW IPA, hop forward and bitter. It's traditional and delightful. I might write a song and get a t-shirt...it's that good!
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