They said it would never happen. That it would only be available on tap at select locations and they’d never bottle it. Well, it seems like Russian River Brewing Co have had a change of heart. They recently announced that Pliny the Younger would be bottled in 2020 for the first time ever.
Pliny the Younger is an annual release, usually brewed in February and available in super limited quantities on draught around the California area where the brewery is based in Santa Rosa. It’s a Triple IPA which is incredibly sought after and near impossible to get your hands on unless you happen to be in the right place at the right time.
You might be more familiar with Pliny the Elder – which ironically, is the little brother, Double IPA. It is somewhat more accessible, available throughout the year in the Bay Area. We’ve been able to try Pliny the Elder on recent trips to San Francisco and it is the benchmark for West Coast IPAs.
Pliny the Younger 2020 is happily fermenting away in the open-top fermenters! As with all high gravity beers, we cover the opening to the yeast collector so it does not ferment all over the room (this we learned from experience ?! #plinytheyounger2020 #tripleipa #craftbeer pic.twitter.com/dkSSFPxHfm
— Russian River BC (@RussianRiverBC) January 5, 2020
We’re yet to get our hands on Pliny the Younger but maybe 2020 is the year as it’s finally being bottled. It will be released on February 7th at Russian River’s Windsor and Santa Rosa brewpubs; guests may purchase up to 2 bottles per person (while supplies last) by redeeming a special tab on the wristband they receive at the door. No bottles will be sold in either gift shops or for distribution.
So… it’s still not going to be easy to get your hands on but if you happen to be in Windsor or Santa Rosa on the 7th February, you’ll be able to bring home two bottles for the very first time.
We fully expect beer trading forums to be full of ‘ISO: Pliny the Younger’ requests in about a month’s time. Speaking of which, can someone pick us up a bottle?
To find out more about the Pliny the Younger release for 2020, check out Russian River’s blog and follow them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
