Pliny the Elder (beer review)

The Wait

After a 45 minute stationary bike ride, my anticipation and thirst grew for this IPA I have been waiting to try for a long time.  The bike timer beeped and the 45 mins were up, my heart was racing for more than one reason.  I had been under the weather for 10 days and this legendary beer was waiting for me so patiently in my fridge with plenty of friends; many from Vermont such as Lawson's and Heady Topper, yet Pliny didn't feel embarrassed or ashamed or out of place, perhaps because its the older of the two bottlings, the Elder
and not the Younger, so it shed its shyness long ago.

The Reveal

The bottle is opened, the classic IPA bouquet escapes.  I poured it into a Nebco Gandi-bot tulip glass, my new favorite, the color unfolded into an amber-gold liquid with foamy white head and its appearance was clear and clean, not cloudy or muddled, this is purity.  Sour pineapple, starfruit, some bitterness on the front and back of the palate, but very much in a near perfect balance.  No heavy resin or citrus, but some pine notes.  It tickled the tongue with hints of granny smith apples, but is very crisp and sharp, this beer is pungent.  Some IPAs tend to overload on the sweet malty notes, this has none of that, just an essence of a well-made IPA that does what it is supposed to do, be fresh, be clean,
ample bitterness, some fruit notes, and ultimately just refreshing.

The Conclusion

Anyone comparing this to Heady Topper really must redefine what types of beer Heady Topper and Pliny the Elder aspire to be.  Is the better than Hill's Abner or Double Citra or Lawsons Triple Play or Double Sunshine or Heady Topper?  Not to my palate.  Is this what a "west coast" IPA tastes like?  I do not sense a categorical difference in taste in Pliny the Elder then I do some mid country and east coast IPAs.  Honestly, I still do not even understand what east vs west coast IPAs even refers to in flavor profile.  Is this a 100 point beer as Beer Advocate rates?  I wouldn't rate it that high.  It resembles too many other high quality IPAs on the market to be a true 100.  To me, it is a 95, but is a beautifl brew and I was happy to finally get to set my lips and treat my tastebuds to it.  Thanks Bob.