Beer Review: Pliny The Elder

Reviewing the infamous Pliny the Elder from Russian River Brewing Company. This is universally hailed as one of the top ten beers in the world by beer connoisseurs and is only sold in California. This is my first experience with the brew and the brewery. Thank you BeerAdvocate user LieutenantSours for hooking me up with this one!
Score: 97

Bottled 12/15/11, served in a brandy snifter glass, and enjoyed 01/09/12.

Appearance: Pours a gorgeous, "bright" and transparent honey-orange color with one and a half to two fingers of frothy off-white head that settles into a quarter finger layer. Excellent lacing sticks to the side of the glass. 5/5

Smell: Bright, zesty citrus. Not as in-your-face citrus as Heady Topper or Zombie Dust, but still a really fresh tropical fruit aroma. Tons of orange, grapefruit, lemon, mango and a fresh piney hoppiness. A little floral too, with a scent of freshly cut grass. Getting some smooth maltiness in the aroma with deeper whiffs. 4.75/5

Taste: My first impression is that the beer is a lot less hoppy than anticipated given the citrus/pine hop aromas and imperial IPA label. Flavor is a very smooth, malty citrus throughout without much bitter hop bite. Malty sweet citrus on the mid-palate. Finishes with a prickley pop of citrus/pine hops flavor on the tongue. Definitely tasting some fresh pine/grass flavors before the finish too, but they are more "complementary" to the flavor profile than most imperial IPAs that I have had in the past. This bottle is nearly a month old and I hear this is one that is optimally consumed within three weeks of the bottled on date, so perhaps some of the beer's hoppiness or intensity has faded. Once I get over the "it's nothing like Surly Abrasive" expectations gap, however, I find myself really appreciating the nuance this brew has to offer. Few imperial IPAs strive for this kind of drinkability and flavor balance, aiming for the aggressive. The beer gradually grows more zesty, bitter and hoppy as it layers too, closing that initial expectations gap. I am finding myself enjoying this brew more and more as the amount of beer in the glass dwindles. 4.75/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus bodied with medium carbonation. The carbonation in the beer is just enough to make the hops flavors "pop" on the tongue without leaving the beer too crisp. Finishes dry and bitter. 4.75/5

Overall: While I can't say that this is the best imperial IPA that I have had to date (that honor belongs to Surly Abrasive Ale), this is nonetheless a fantastic brew. Russian River pioneered the imperial IPA, and Pliny the Elder is still one of the top of the style.

Recommendation: An absolute must try imperial IPA.

Pairings: Hamburgers.

Cost: $7.99 for a 500 ml bottle