Beer freaks nationwide line up for Pliny the Younger

Pliny the Younger is one of those characters out of Roman history who, even if you weren't dozing in history class, you'd have little reason to remember. He was a 1st-century lawyer known primarily for a letter that described the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

But ask a beer freak about Pliny the Younger, and you'll get a rapturous, tongue-wagging oratory: It's the world's greatest beer.

At least, that's its current status at the popular BeerAdvocate.com ratings site. Last month, the double India pale ale — brewed by Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa — jumped ahead of the longtime No. 1: Westvleteren 12, brewed by Trappist monks in Belgium.

The rating ignited a cult-like fever, with word of its annual appearance spreading virally among anxious fans.

Fewer than 100 barrels (about 25,000 pints) of the intensely hoppy beer were brewed and released last month, all on draft. Crowds queued up outside Russian River's brewpub and the few dozen bars across the country that were lucky enough to score a treasured keg.

I stood in line early (at an ungodly 10 a.m.) one Saturday morning outside a suburban Philadelphia bar for my taste. About 60 people clambered near the door, waiting for the place to open.

"When they say it's the best beer in the world, you've just got to try it," said Michael Campbell, who traveled 40 miles from Wilmington, Del., to get his taste.

Nearby, Bill Schwindt, who drove 50 miles from his home in New Jersey for a glass, had a knowing smile on his face: He'd sampled the beer earlier in the week at another bar. "Most people will never get to taste this beer even once," he said. "So, of course I'm going to come out and try it again."

A waitress stepped outside and sold tickets ($8 for a 10-ounce glass) so no one would miss his or her chance.

The ale's arrival was preceded by word from other towns where mobs — desperate for a sip — swamped bars. In Colorado, one pub kicked its keg in just 12 minutes.

At Russian River's brewpub, patrons waited in line for three hours for a table. Last year, it took five days to run out of the beer. This year, it took 8-1⁄2 hours.

The man behind the madness — brewer Vinnie Cilurzo — was astonished at the reaction. "It was nuts," he said. "Nearly every person left carrying the four-growler limit" at $36 apiece.

Why is Pliny the Younger suddenly all the rage?

Cilurzo, who has brewed the beer for six years, said he's not altogether certain.

"A lot of it is the new media," he said. "People are Twittering and writing on Facebook and blogs and all of that crap, so word really got out."

Brewing the No. 1-rated beer, though, can be a bit of a hassle. Cilurzo said he spends hours answering occasionally angry e-mails from beer drinkers and bars demanding the beer.

"I could care less if it's the No. 1 beer in the world," he said. "What's more important is — 1) We like the beer; 2) Our consumers like it; and, 3) We stay in business."

So, what does Pliny the Younger taste like?

The golden ale has the body of a cabernet, filling the mouth with the rich, exceptionally citrus (grapefruit-like) flavor of hops. While it is certainly bitter, the flavor is buffered by a sweet glow that makes it easy to sip — even with its stiff (11 percent by volume) alcohol content.

To my palate, though, it's not as pleasurable as another Russian River ale: Pliny the Elder.

But he's a whole 'nother history lesson.