It's available at the brewery for only 2 weeks and the 'secret locations' usually sell out in under an hour. Once. Each. Year.
Pliny. Pliny. Pliny. Heard of for so long, but never had a taste.
What do beer aficionados say about this beer?
"The aroma was fantastic"
"Expertly crafted and delicious"
"Overall it’s objectively the best beer I’ve had"
"What an experience."
"A true world class beer full of hops, pine, and citrus on the nose and tongue. Wonderful mouthfeel and a lovely light orange hue. worth the wait."
"Absolute pure clarity on that yellow gold with a finger of foam. Smashing citrus and pine in your face almost a bit of resin, literally I cracked a smile. Drying but not cloying at all. With rich citrus and forest maybe apricots and a deep bitterness that was clean no sweetness"
"Not many beers I would wait 3 hours for...best beer ever created in the history of mankind."
"Best thing I can say...I will be standing in line to get my ticket again next year."
"This beer is one of the few that is worth the hype."
"Incredible aroma, so smooth and well balanced"
"Definitely the best beer I've ever had, by a long shot."
So with all that hype, and this being the time of the year for the release, did we try to go out and find it at a 'secret location"? No -- because while Washington had been getting a few kegs each year, that number went to zero as the brewery doesn't distribute to Washington any more.
We've been cut off.
But, Ballard has a secret weapon. His name is Adam Robbings. Adam is the founder of 'Rueben's Brews'. He's british and, in our opinion, he brews the best beers in Ballard -- which is actually saying a lot given the explosion of small breweries in Ballard (10 and counting). Adam, a London native, has a motto for his small brewery. "Bloody good beer".
How Adam got into brewing is a funny story. He, and his wife Grace, had given birth to their son and named him Rueben. At the time, Adam worked in finance at T-Mobile and had never brewed a beer in his life. So one month after being born, Rueben gave his father a beer making kit for his birthday. Adam, of course, had gone to the store, bought it himself, wrapped it up, and signed his son's name to the card and presented the gift to himself. Grace thought her husband was nuts, but tolerated the new hobby. That was about 4 years ago.
What has happened since is nothing short of amazing. Adam is blessed with an incredible palate and an innate ability to make good beer. Very good beer. Bloody good beer. He's won numerous awards and his taproom is constantly packed. Representatives from Whole Foods, PCC and Tom Douglas repeatedly asked 'when can we stock your beer and sell it to our customers?'. He has since obliged them and 'Rueben's Brews' are increasing available in Seattle outside his garage style tap room in Ballard.
After worrying his new hobby would drive him to financial ruin, he can't make enough beer to keep up with the demand. He quit his job at T-Mobile.
So, this brings us full circle. The total absence of 'Pliny' in Seattle and an enterprising brit with a great palate and a wicked sense of humor.
Put yourself in Adam's shoes. You have the ability to make a beer just as good as Pliny. You experiment. You get it right. It's good. No, it's great. It's fantastic. It's bloody fantastic!! You found a way to bring the Pliny experience to Seattle. But what do you name it??
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