So yesterday I’m loading up on beer singles at Total Wine. I picked up a Pliny, first time I’ve seen it there. The gal at the checkout was looking around for a box to put all those singles in. I didn’t even notice it was a Pliny the Elder box until I got it back home.
Well, that makes for an interesting story. At one time, this was the World’s Most Sought After IPA – things have changed a bit. Nowadays, IPAs bigger in all parameters are available everywhere. Still, I like drinking a Pliny the Elder every once in a while to go back to the roots of the new IPA movement in California and the Nation.
Assuming this box goes with the bottles on the shelf, that means these were bottled on January 3rd, just a couple weeks before my purchase yesterday. That’s a fresh IPA. The box says it all – store cold and don’t age this beer!
IPAs are the Zinfandel of the beer world - drink ‘em fresh and drink ‘em young – and quick! Hoppy beers are best consumed quickly before the delicate hop essence and flavors dissipate. That’s important, especially for fans like me that are dedicated hop-heads, gotta love that Simcoe!
Russian River does it again. Also in my favorite Weihenstephaner-type bottles I use for re-bottling. If you can get those tough labels off, good luck! Cheers!