Russian River Brewing Co. - "Pliny the Elder" double IPA

When I announced I would be spending almost two weeks in California's Bay Area, many of you asked if I would visit Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa. My travels focused mostly on the wine country, so I wasn't able to get that far north to visit them (nor Sonoma County Distilling, run by Dickinson alum Adam Spiegel), but I did not forget your suggestions. Russian River is not a huge brewery, but is quite famous for "Pliny The Elder", one of the first triple IPAs in the craft beer scene.

Pliny the Elder is one of those legendary brews known the world over: it's rated #14 on the highest ranked beers of all time on BeerAdvocate.com and is on par with such famous creations as Alchemist Brewing's "Heady Topper" and Founders' "Kentucky Breakfast Stout." According to VinePair.com, the 2018 release of Pliny The Elder brought "12,500 visitors and $3.4 million from around the world to Sonoma County." First brewed for an IPA festival in 2000, the brewery has Pliny-branded merchandise, and some Santa Rosa hotels even do travel packages for any given year's launch party. There's also a healthy black market for Plinies on the East Coast. Wow!

Now, I am always cautious about this kind of hype. Yes, there are some really great beers out there, some which are worth seeking out and waiting in line for, but flight and hotel pacakges? A black market? Seems like a lot for just a beer. Sometimes these things get blown way out of proportion. Skepticism aside, I've never tried it before, and when I saw this for $6.99 at Whole Foods in Novato, CA, I had to grab it.

Brewed with CTZ, Centennial, Simcoe, and Amarillo hops, this double IPA clocks in at 8.00% ABV, a lot less than I was expecting. The label is ringed with various warnings: "Super fresh! Drink immediately! Don't let it age! Don't save for a rainy day! Not a barleywine, don't age! Age your cheese, not your Pliny!"

Ok, I get it.

It pours a light orange, and generates a strong, foamy, bright white head. There's a deep aroma of hops, with a little bitterness in the nostrils, a la Great Divide's "Hercules" double IPA. 

Upon swishing the glass, there's lots of sticky white lace on the side. Pretty color when candled - electric orange!

Huh, interesting. It's far softer than I was expecting, seeing as the beer is 100 IBUs (relatively quite bitter.) I'm tasting some grassy notes, with flavors of grapefruit and a super resinous quality that really coats the throat. My brother Dan, who is tasting alongside me, notes a bit of lemon. I counter that the fruit I'm tasting (which isn't the dominant flavor) is more of fruit meat than it is fruit juice; think the juiced pulp of a grapefruit instead of a whole fruit. There's a burst of bitterness on the finish, quick but high, and that resin note hangs on on the aftertaste.

For the style, it's a rather approachable IPA, actually, and I can see why people like this. There's a particular ease of drinking with this that you don't get with some beers of the same class (or a similar IBU range, like DC Brau's "On The Wings of Armageddon", which just goes to show how important the role of hops is in dictating flavor and body!) Despite being 100 IBUs, I'm not sensing any boozy bitterness, which one could be forgiven for expecting in such a beer. You can still taste the bitterness, of course, it's just not cataclysmically hoppy as one might expect.

OK, so - is it worth the hype? It depends. I'm not completely awestruck, as I've had a few beers like this over the years. The market is flooded with juicy IPAs these days, everything from New England style beers that taste more like orange juice, to India pales made with lactose to simulate the flavor of marshmallows. So similar-tasting beverages can be had. However, historical precedent must be taken into consideration - Pliny's legacy was cemented back in 2000, just as the craft beer scene was beginning to explode, when I'm sure the concept of a grapefruity, strong, but smooth IPA was quite new. The fact that Pliny has remained a cult favorite after almost two decades is nothing to sneeze at, and is almost worth trying just for that. While the flavor alone does not make me want to fly to Santa Rosa each year to buy it, I do think it is quite tasty and enjoyable and worth getting, especially for $6.99. So if you're out in California and in search of a strong - yet approachable - IPA, give this a try.

Taittinger Domaine Carneros - bubbles and a view

One great thing about the wine country is that there are many little wineries, tasting rooms, and chateaus that offer wines by the glass. Some are by appointment only (more on this later) but many are open to the public. On our way through from Novato we stopped by Domaine Carneros, founded in 1987 by famed French wine house Taittinger. 

The building is in the style of a French Chateau and is quite large, with an extensive indoor tasting area. We did a quick stop, and rather than find out if they did tours, we grabbed a seat on the wide veranda - sans reserves - and grabbed a cheese plate and ordered a few glasses of wine. But since this blog is about education first, I should talk a little bit about sparkling wines and what their labels mean.

You may see the words "brut" or "extra brut" on Champagne or sparkling white wine before, and may equate that with strength of the wine. That's not quite it...those words have to do with the amount of sugar in the wine, and therefore, the sweetness. There are several classifications, each associated with a particular amount of sugar. I have created the following list, in order from dry to sweet,  to help you in your travels:

• Brut Nature - the least sweet. Practically no sugar at all, and super dry. I have never seen one of these for sale before as it's probably too dry for the average consumer.
• Extra Brut - one step sweeter, containing roughly one gram of sugar per glass.
• Brut - perhaps the most common, and double the sugar of Extra Brut. Still not that much though - each glass contains less than two grams of sugar.
• Extra Dry - don't let the name fool you; it's sweeter and less dry than most of the sparkling white wines you've had so far. 
• Dry - One step sweeter, and has .75 to one tablespoon of sugar per glass. 
• Demi-sec - Probably my favorite. Translating to "partially dry" in French, it's one of the sweetest, with roughly 8 grams of sugar.
• Doux - this is the sweetest, and I can say I've never seen one for sale. It means "soft" in French, and each glass has two teaspoons of added sugar. 

There are other technical qualities to each of the above classifications, but mostly it's about the sugar. Adding sugar is part of the winemaking process, and in Champagne production this is called "dosage" (French, so dough-sazh). WineFolly.com has a great analogy - it's like adding sugar or milk to your coffee to round out of the flavor. Drinking Brut Nature is like drinking coffee black; drinking Doux is like taking it with six Splendas and a quart of whole milk.

So armed with this knowledge, let's get tasting. The by-the-glass tasting menu was limited and tourist-friendly; mostly the usual suspects like sparkling whites and some assorted reds (with the majority of the whites being Brut). I am not a huge fan of Bruts, generally, since I like it a bit sweeter. Demi-sec, however, is totally my jam, and that's what I went with: a 2013 Vermiel Demi-Sec.

The Demi-sec is a nice greenish-gold color with an off-white foam. Initial flavors are of green apple and white grape skins; not much in the way of tartness, and overall pretty clean and crisp actually. The sweetness mostly comes through on the finish and the aftertaste. It has that white sugar aftertaste and a residual sweetness you don't get with some of the tarter wines. So quite good! I think it was $14 per flute. 

Having had their regular sparkling white wine, I figured I'd see how they did a dry rose. I tried the 2015 Brut Rose:

This was much tarter and more acidic - definitely more of an "edge" versus the Demi-sec. I don't recall which red grapes it was made with; probably pinot noir. Very clean finish, though, and lacks any caustic aftertaste. If you're a fan of crisp, dryer roses, this is the way to go for sure.

Overall, a nice visit. Although it had a large corporate feel to it, the service was quite prompt and the pours generous, plus the vista can't be beat. The Chateau is located at 1240 Duhig Road in Napa, CA, so give it a try if you're in the area.

Field Trip: Lagunitas Brewing Company [Petaluma, CA]

Greetings from California! After an uneventful flight (aided by a spirited game of Civilization V and some barrel-aged aquavit I smuggled onboard) I've landed here on the West Coast and am preparing for 13 days of strenuous beer and wine tasting. Aside from a few days at a cabin in the Point Reyes National Seashore, most of my time will be spent in the wine country, conducting interviews and learning about wine (and trying a lot!)

On Saturday we took a trip up north a bit to Petaluma, California - home of Lagunitas Brewing Co. Founded in 1993, Lagunitas is a prolific brewing company, producing just shy of a million barrels of beer per year. Their beer is distributed across the world - thanks to a recent buyout by Heineken - and I've reviewed their stuff a few times on here, including their "Cappuccino Stout" (and an aged version, enjoyed in a snowdrift) and their "Hairy Eyeball" ale. They also make a really cool, super dank, 11.30% ABV IPA called "Waldo's Special Ale" which it definitely worth getting. And although I've been drinking their beer for years - and have been to the Bay Area about a half-dozen times - I've never been able to make it...until today!

We took a nice trip through Marin and Sonoma Counties, through the scenic Point Reyes / Petaluma Road, past tons of dairy and nut farms. It's been about 15 years since I've been up this way, and it's just as lovely as I remember.

Joined by my aunt, my mother, and my brother Dan, we arrived at the brewery's sprawling property and got situated. It's huge! There's a massive shipping / receiving area, the size of a Costco, and a several outdoor areas coupled with a permanent gift shop (called the "Schwag Shop") and a hybrid indoor bar / outdoor beer garden area called their "Beer Sanctuary". They have live music each night, and are obviously doing a spectacular amount of business. We took a seat outside, and immediately made friends with the Shar Pei at the table next to us.

OK, down to the goods - let's order beer and food. My aim here is to find beers that I haven't tried before - as is the case with most brewpubs, there are usually special releases available only at the brewery. So I am on the hunt for that!

"Barrel-Aged Aunt Sally" - sour ale

Served with a jalapneo, Monterrey jack, and guac burger, this beer is a barrel-aged variant of their usual "Aunt Sally", a 5.70% sour mashed ale. Today's version is almost double the alcoholic strength of the original and is made with Gewurztraminer grape juice, interestingly.

There's no foam, even when agitated, and I don't see a lot of bubbles.  Initially, the beer presents an interesting and refreshing apple taste - like a nice dry apple cider. As the beer develops, the dryness comes out and the wood sour really presents itself....there's strong notes of oaky wood, a touch of boozy alcohol. It tastes like a really crisp apple cider, with a touch of apple cider vinegar on the finish. Good if you like sours and can't find a Lactobacillus-made Flemish ale to drink.

***

"Super Cluster" - IPA

Here's a new one - a supercharged 8.00% ABV Citra ale made with lupulin powder. Whoa! Very bright OJ notes, but with a strong edge of hops not present in, say, a beer by Aslin or Tree House. The hop bill really adds lively bitterness, balanced out by the juicy fruit from hops. It's clean, crisp, and just hoppy enough to get my attention, but not enough to make it overly bitter, Nicely balanced, and in retrospect it's probably at the hoppy end of how I take my beers. Tasty nonetheless and great if you like citrus and bitterness from hops.

***

"Fudge and Sicle" - imperial stout

After all those hops, I needed something sweeter. My brother Dan ordered this and I tried some, and was glad I did. It's their "Fudge and Sickle", a 10.10% ABV imperial stout with chocolate fudge, toasted oak, and roasted malts. I believe this is a special variant of their usual "Imperial Stout."

There's a faint nose with not much aroma. Has some brown lacing. Upon drinking, the beer presents some baker's chocolate flavors, with a strong emphasis on powdery dark chocolate. There's a long lingering finish of roasted chocolate and coffee, which lasts for sometime. It's not sweet at all, and not as dark as I was expected. It's deeper and softer than their regular stout, and similarly, presents an aftertaste of full, dark, bitter chocolate (coupled with a little bit of dark roast espresso) which is not present in the regular release. Overall quite good and a nice option for someone looking for dark beer without the sweetness. 

***

"Tart Swan" - grape ale

I've had their "Dark Swan", a sour ale, which I assume is related to this variant. The "Tart Swan" is a purple beer, about 6.50% ABV, and fermented with red wine grapes, which gives it its color. 

This is quite fizzy with a really substantial grape taste - more like grape meat than grape skins. Very juicy. It's on the sugary end of things, too, which works pretty well with the texture and weight of the beer. It's very easy drinking and refreshing, with a nice little burst of flaked wheat on the end. This would be great for anyone who likes wine coolers!  

"Crush Sally" - ale

Holy berry explosion! This is fantastic. It's a 5.80% ABV ale made with acai berries, Boysenberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, mint spears, and mint leaves. I don't know how they incorporated the fruit - either in the brewing process or through a firkin - but man, this is super refreshing and bright. Tons of juicy berry flavors and probably the most pronounced mint flavor I've ever had in a beer. The finish and aftertaste is strongly of mint with some sweet fruit notes throughout. Probably one of my top 10 beers, ever - I could drink this all day during the hotter season!

That's enough for today - I'm wrapping up my Napa Valley tours today and will be posting more as I can. Lots to look forward to!

KEG MAN

Port City Brewing / Crux Fermentation Project - "Brett de Vinum" imperial witbier

As I mentioned in my last post about SAVOR, each attendee is given a gift bottle of a special collaboration beer made just for the event as a thank-you for attending. Last year the gift bottle was a Hardywood stout made with cocoa nibs, which was pretty good but nothing fantastic and not worth a separate post. This year's, however, was quite intriguing and definitely warrants further examination. Christine, who you may recall accompanied me to SAVOR, also has a bottle so I'll be incorporating her notes as well.

This beer is called "Brett de Vinum", and is an 8.00% ABV barrel-aged imperial witbier is made with Brettanomyces, and Viognier grapes. It's a collaboration between Alexandria, VA-based Port City Brewing Co. (which I reviewed several years back) and Crux Fermentation Project in Bend, OR.

You may have come across the word wit or witbier before, or perhaps have confused them with similar terms weiss and weizen. These three terms are all used to describe different kinds of beer and are not interchangeable. Weiss is the German word for "white" and usually refers to Bavarian-style white beers (including sour beers, like Berliner Weiss.) Wit also means "white", this time in Flemish, and describes Belgian wheat ales called witbiers. Finally, weizen means "wheat" in German, and references Bavarian-style wheat beers. Don't worry, there will be a quiz at the end of the post.

I am really excited. I am generally a fan of the white beer / wit / whatever, and I love Belgian yeast, so this has me jazzed. As noted, it's made with Brettanomyces, a strain of wild yeast commonly used in beer, so I also expect some funk flavors. The addition of Viognier (a white grape that makes fantastic wine) is also pretty neat, and I'm trying to think if I've had any other beers made with white wine grapes. Don't think so.

The 750mL bottle is quite handsome and is topped with a thick coating of red wax. Let's crack it open.

Not so fast, actually. This thing is sealed. There's got to be at least three layers of reinforced wax on there, and it took me a good five minutes to cut down to the bottle. In fact, I was even considering using my culinary torch to make the job easier. Once I finally chiseled off the wax, I pulled off the bottle cap underneath to reveal...a cork. Seriously?

OK, finally. Jeez. In Christine's words - "Holy Fort Knox."

The beer is a golden honey color, with some moderate white foam. It projects a strong aroma of funky, sour wood. There's also some moderate fizz to it, with lines of little bubbles rising to the top.

OK, wow, that Viognier comes through quite nicely and is quite noticeable immediately. It's sort of what you'd expect if you have white wine - some dryness, crisp pear / apple tastes, with a strong oak flavor.

As the flavor develops a bit, one can definitely pick up on the witbier flavorings, as well, but initially, they take a back seat to the one-two punch of oaky wood and dry white wine notes. The Brett, despite being the "headline" item (since the beer is named after it) doesn't make an appearance until late, after I've swallowed the beer. I can detect a bit of yeasty funk especially after exhaling. The finish is mostly of dry white wine.

The beer itself is very refreshing, with a medium body to it, as expected. A good balance is struck between pronounced flavors (white wine, some yeasty funk, and clean witbier flavor) and body. Sometimes it's easy to overdo the sour in a beer, so I'm glad to see that's not the case here. Christine echoes some of these notes, although concludes it was a "nice beer but not worth the triple protection system to get inside." I tend to agree, while it was quite tasty, I was perhaps expecting something a bit more...unusual, given the amount of work needed to get into it. Still - it's not a bad beer! Tasty, refreshing, and great for those who enjoy white wine.

Brasserie de Silly - "Silly Sour" ale [Belgium]

We're back to the Belgian well again, it appears. But don't let the name fool you - there's nothing silly about this beer. Made in the town of Silly in the Belgian province of Wallonia, this is a 5.50% ABV authentic Belgian sour ale by Brasserie Silly. This was recommended to me by Jesse at Irving Wines & Spirits, and being a huge fan of Belgian beers, I had to try.

What's most interesting to me about this beer is the fact it's actually a blend of two ales - it's 13% dark saison and 87% "soured" ale. The dark saison part is really neat - I seem to recall gulping down Atlas Brew Works' delicious dark saison "Saison Des Fetes" a couple of years back - but I have a hunch the soured ale part is going to be the most interesting element. Whether that means the ale itself is soured or it's a sour ale, I can't be certain.

Pours swiftly into my Brewer's Alliance tasting glass. Root beer color when candled, it projects a somewhat clean, slightly vinegar aroma. Very nice. It generates no foam aside from a tiny little white ring around the edge of the glass. This dies away almost instantly.

The "saison" name is not quite accurate, I'm afraid, so don't be fooled. Strong and fresh, green apple flavors dominate this beer. It's really not sugary or astringent - just very apple-y, with a good backbone of malt. No hop bitterness to be seen, although it retains a little bit of that lactic funk to it, especially on the finish. Remarkably, no spicy Belgian yeast at all.

One of the more mild sours I have tasted, and in my opinion this would be great for someone looking to try this genre of beer. It's very approachable, and the lactic sourness is present and noticeable but not nearly rivaling that of, say, "Ichtegem's Grand Cru". So you're going to get a sampling of the sourness without it being overbearing, which I happen to like, but novice drinkers may really find objectionable. I like that balance, and it's not something I've often seen done correctly.

Unfortunately, it is rather expensive: $16.99 for four 11.2oz bottles. That's roughly equivalent to $27 per 12oz six-pack. So definitely above my normal price range for beer, but a tasty, authentic Belgian brew. I've also seen it in singles, and in 750mL formats, and also there's a "Stupid Sour" out there that is barrel-aged. So at this price point, perhaps finding a single beer might be the best route to try this - and then buy in quantity if you like.