Standing line for nearly 3 hours for a beer? Sure.

Yesterday I had the day off for President’s Day and decided to make the trek out to Old Town Pasadena to stand in line at the Haven Gastropub for the opportunity to partake in a very elusive beer: Russian River Pliny the Younger IPA.

I got there at around 0830 and the line was roughly fifty people deep with the doors opening at 1100. When the doors finally opened at 1100, I didn’t get seated until around 1130. So I basically waited three hours to partake in a (limit) one 8oz pour of this rare beer.

Why in the world would I drive an hour to stand in line for three hours for a beer?

Why?

Well, I’m nowhere near calling myself a beer expert. But I really enjoy a good beer.

I try to watch my beer consumption, too, simply for health (weight) reasons. So when I drink a beer, I don’t want to drink a mass produced beer (e.g. Corona, Stella Artois) if I can help it because I don’t want beer I can just get anywhere.

Nor do I want to ever drink a crappy beer (e.g. Bud Light; yes, Bud Light is garbage). If I’m going to get fat and kill my liver, why would drink swill?

Does this make me a beer snob? Yes, I’ll admit that I’ve gotten to the point where I’m picky about beers.

I won’t pretend that I understand the beer making process, the quality of hops, they various techniques and aging necessary to produce beer. But I appreciate the craft and I enjoy camaraderie that exists with others who enjoy the product of quality beer making.

That said, was the three hour wait worth it? It most certainly was.

The Pliny the Younger is a triple IPA pushing around 10.5% ABV. It’s not very bitter. Some people claim it is high in bitterness, but I’m not much of an IPA drinker (I prefer blonde and golden ales) and I think this beer is extremely smooth. The scent and aroma of Pliny the Younger is a combination of citrus and floral.

I can honestly say that this is one of the best beers I’ve ever had. There’s only one other IPA that I have ever been in love with like Pliny the Younger and that is the BJ’s Brewhouse Field Day IPA (2012) which was a rare beer in itself (only certain BJ’s restaurants served it and the ones that did only received a single keg).

If you want to try Pliny the Younger, this is probably the last week you’ll be able to get your hands on a glass of it until next year. Check your local bar or pub that carries Russian River beer. But if you’re unable to get Younger, you should still try out Pliny the Elder and Blind Pig. Both are IPAs by Russian River. Most people prefer Elder over Blind Pig, but in my opinion, Blind Pig is smoother which is why I like it more.