The world says: "The best beer ever, anywhere ever, ever." We say: "Possibly, as long as you love hops."

Frankly, the only ones who would claim Pliny the Elder to be "overrated" would be contrarians. This is an expertly brewed beer, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Team SpoCOOL does prefer other styles of beer over the Double IPA, but it's impossible not to have mad respect for what Russian River has produced here.

It pours a clear copper color, almost shimmering, with a thick foamy head. Looks great, smells even better, with hops front and center, flanked by citric and fruity tones. A kind of unexpected hit of malts shows up toward the end.

And this is where Pliny the Elder shines. Double IPAs tend to be hop bombs, where some of the better ones generously add a bit of fruitiness toward the back. There's more to Pliny the Elder. This is probably the most balanced IPA I can remember trying, where the malts compliment the hops perfectly. It's not often I'd classify an IPA as being "malty", but Pliny the Elder is just that. Hoppy and malty.

It's a strange sensation: The hops hit hard, but within seconds the malts show up, dancing a Charleston over the tongue. As they swirl around, they toss off orange, pineapple, grapefruit… All the flavors work together in a sweet harmony, with a creamy mouthfeel.

Now, if you're not a hop fan you probably won't love this. But you will at least like it and respect it. It is impossible not to.

Sadly I've rarely seen this beer in our area—it has been about two years since I saw it in a Spokane store (I believe it was JB's)—and found this bottle in Seattle. Pick one up if you can, it is more than well worth it.

Oh, Redhook, what a roller coaster ride you have taken us on over the last few years. Going from good, to eh, to a comeback, down to something very very sad, and lately back to "hmmm", the latest Winterhook is actually quite good. And as this winter beer season is coming to a close, this ale is a good one to go out on. One where you can sit and bathe in nostalgia of what once was and what might possibly be again, unless Winterhook is merely another peak for Redhook.

It pours a nice dark brown color with a lightly tanned head, about a finger's worth of it. Decent lacing and definitely an inviting looking beer.

Give it a quick whiff and you will find a light mixture of spices and hopiness. This carries over to the flavor; the spices hit first, but are mellowed out by subtle sweet flavors of caramel and just a hint of citrus. The hops hit toward the end, giving your tongue a gentle massage while making it clear that this is, indeed, a Washington beer.

It's a drinkable winter warmer, one that might be just a bit thin as far as the mouthfeel goes, but also one anybody can agree on. Heck, I'd drink it again.

Hopefully Redhook can get back into a more consistent rhythm and produce more beer with this kind of quality. We might add the brewery back into the rotation if that's the case.