Toronado 25th Anniversary Ale - Russian River Brewing Company

Arbitrator

California

3.18/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had on tap at the T25 anniversary party. Admittedly not the best circumstances -- it was loud, a bit crazy, and I was wearing a wig. But before I got drunk, I had the chance to sample this, think it over, and give it a score.

A: This is well-carbonated off the tap; I ordered a Cable Car Kriek at the same time and the latter arrived almost flat (lol), but T25 held its carbonation for a good 20 minutes. Hazy maroon body capped with off-white foam.

S: The baby Consecration is evident in the aroma; it contributes a dominant currant tartness and currant skin tannins. The aroma hints at clean, lactic sourness. Lemon, oak, and a touch of acetone are noted.

T: As the nose suggested, the baby Consecration component is the most dominant. There is a dark fruit presence with mild roast that suggested that a stout went into this; I later found out it was a baltic porter. Lemon juice, oak, and currant skins bring the beer out to a dry close. Unfortunately, it's a bit simple in flavor, which becomes more evident next to beers like Cable Car and especially against true blended gueuze later on (when someone opened an Armand 4' Lente). There are no flaws, but there are no standouts, either; it's a satisfactory wild ale.

M: Good mouthfeel; the carbonation works with the dry body and tart, puckering flavor to create a very drinkable beer. The acetone touch in the finish is off-putting, but I imagine that will vanish with time.

O: I'm a big Russian River fan, but I've felt that their sours (especially Consecration) have started to go downhill, and I'm disappointed to say that the trend holds here. This probably would have been better back when there were fewer wild ales to choose from, but RR's own lineup bests this one. It's also not very impressive considering the bottle price point ($30).

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 02:57:05 | More by Arbitrator

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

About 3 oz. from a bottle.

3.5 A: Moderately hazed dark orange color. Just a small off-white head.

4.0 S: Currants, hay, oak, lactic tanginess, and tons of lemon.

3.5 T: Tons of lemon and lactic funk. This is one of the most lemony beers I've had. Currants, oak, peach.

4.0 M: Lighter body. Good spritzy carbonation. Light and bubby.

4.0 D: It's tasty, but it's a little too close to straight up lemon juice than I'd like. I'd love to give this a try with a fresh palate, but I doubt I'll be searching for a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 18:44:22 | More by DavoleBomb

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.75/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Opened at TN whales tasting 3/16/2013. Thanks to CurtisMcArthur for sharing.

Pours a reddish amber color, decent head. Not a standout appearance but looks nice.

Smells pretty tart, bit of ketchup, some brett, maybe some cardboard.

Taste is nice and sour, some ambiguous vinous fruit, but I get a bit of woody cardboard--could this be a little oxidized already or is it just confused from the blend? Tastes good, great sourness, but the flavor is unfocused and hard to describe in detail.

Nice fizzy mouthfeel, pretty drinkable despite the acidity.

7.5/10

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 16:48:14 | More by AlexFields

nataku00

California

3.9/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap poured into a goblet glass. Beer pours a dark brown/maroon color, with some darker reds at the edges with a half a finger of soft soapy off white head. Light lacing as I drank from the glass, with a few bubbles clinging to the edge of the glass.

Nose is fairly mild, and being described as a lighter Consecration is fitting. There is a light red berry and currant combined with fruit vinegar acetic acid tang. Some sweeter light brown sugar and dark caramel as the beer warms.

Taking a sip, an initial small acidic bite, then mild red berry and currants sweetness. A bit of barrel comes through mid tongue, light oak tannins, woody and almost orangey, along with sweeter brown sugar. Finishes dry with some light currant sweetness and lingering red wine vinegar.

Medium body with decent carbonation, enough to engage the tongue without being overly present. Pretty easy to drink, but the flavors weren't as bold as I thought it would be given the darker ale components and barrel aging. Had a bit of the current batch of Consecration side by side with this and the flavors from that were a bit more prominent, though this beer has some nice nuances and isn't as fatiguing on the tongue.

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2012 22:55:07 | More by nataku00

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev -11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to SubpoenaDeuces for the bottle!

Pours deep copper with a small white head leaving decent retention and lacing down the glass.

Lots going on in the aroma. Lots of cherry and oak. I can definitely smell the Consecration influence coming through on this. Some other generic berry along with tartness as well.

Again Consecration comes through in the taste. Lots of dark fruit up front with some vinous quality. Drying towards the middle as the oak comes out, but finishes slightly sweet. Good level of tartness, but not really digging the finish.

Medium bodied. Good carbonation.

A nice beer, but nowhere near the level of hype. Many of us agreed we'd rather just have a Supplication over this. Still glad I got the opporitunity to try it and wish I had another bottle as it does seem to have some good aging potential.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 13:16:34 | More by jmarsh123

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.96/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to Mike for this one. 4oz. pour into a Cantillon flute. Reviewed from notes 1/12/13.

Pours a thin, white head with little retention. Spotty lace with little stick and thin legs. Beer is a clear, pink-bronze. Pretty average. Nice color though.

Nose is vinegar, cherry and other fresh, red fruit and hay. Pretty mild with moderate funk.

Opens with fresh cherry tartness. Cinnamon spice, mild tartness in the middle with a slight hay and woodiness towards the end. Tart red fruit finish with a cherry pit and strawberry seed tart-bitter aftertaste. Nice.

Light to medium bodied with high carbonation. Dry and prickly in the mouth and dry going down. Clean finish with a sticky, slightly lingering aftertaste. Really lively and true to the style.

It was really nice to have this side-by-side with T20 and the difference is dramatic. A real solid beer all the way around that displays a great fruit bouquet and nice funkiness. T20 in comparison is a shell of this. Worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 16:39:40 | More by SpeedwayJim

birchstick

Missouri

4.05/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - pours a rustic orange without much of a head on it

S - nose consists of vinous oak bubblegum. Not exactly what I was expecting, but it smells good.

T - starts off super sour and locks up the jaw (can't say many sours I have tried have actually done this to me). Some noir wine flavors mixed in with sour lemon citrus flavors are up next. Ends with funk, straw, sour notes, and a little fruity. Very nice!

M - full and well carbonated

D - nice American wild ale here. Beautiful blend of a beer here...the most sour American wild I have tried to date...

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 02:38:54 | More by birchstick

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very hazy, dark amber color with ruby red edges and a one finger frothy  white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring.  Streaks of soapy lace left behind.

Earthy aroma with lots of oak and musty barnyard funk.  Subtle acetic character with prominent barrel notes and similar qualities of an oude brune.  Slight sulfuric presence with cheesy funk, berries and other vinous dark fruit notes.  Really musty with lots of barrel, barnyard and funky bugs.  A bit too much acetic vinegar but it doesn't overpower the other notes.

Tart and puckering with strong sourness that isn't overly harsh or acidic.  That sulfuric elements comes through but not as strong as in nose. Strong barrel preence with lots of dry oak which is nicely complimented by musty brett notes. Lactic presence in the finish adding more funk.  Berries, currant and other vinous dark fruit also come through in the finish.  Sour, dry and funky but not harsh.  Acetic element isn't as prominent as expected.  Could use some more sweetness but it's still a really solid wild ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 02:27:08 | More by corby112

litheum94

California

4.08/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Russian River.

Bright, copper body. Scant brown tinged head. Good retention and nice lacing.

Acetic smelling, with vinegar aromas and some lemon sourness. Oak and grass. Green apples.

Big tartness, green apple at first, then tending towards a lemon tartness. Some cut grass in the back ground. Berry fruit flavors, with a hint of caramel. Dry, with lively carbonation.

A very nice sour. Not the best example from Russian River, but a very good one. I really like the bold tartness. Love to see how this ages.

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2012 19:01:47 | More by litheum94

FosterJM

California

4.08/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

1651st Review on BA
Bottle to RR -ation glass
750 ML C/C

2012 Release
Thanks to my branch manager Jim Smith for this one

Split with GuruDel

App- This was a very nice glowing orange. A nice bit of a couple colors in the glass. A darker top with a light highlighted middle and the bottom was a bit of a yellow. The head was a bit small but quite fluffy. For a sour cant really complain. A nice bit of cling as this feel.

Smell- This like more barrel aged sours had a lot going on in the nose. For the most part retained a bit of the wine like characters that I associate with RR. A good bit of the currants came out and a bit of the malty thick and smoky porter notes were there. A little bit sweet and a bit grassy with the pale ale.

Taste- This is was a big sour. The ABV is well put in this one with all the barrels. The flavors really balance itself out and contribute a very unique beer. The porter adds a thick malt flavor and then all the pales really add a grassy flavor to it. The sour adds a bit of a funk/dryness to it as well.

Mouth- This was a very full medium bodied sour. The carbonation was a bit full as well. The residual flavors are of the currants and a thicker malt flavor. The pales add a nice grassy flavor to it as well.

Drink- A good sour. Kinda hard to get, but well worth it. Wish I would have a second to horde like a glutton and pop in 5 years with T30. Oh well.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 18:12:16 | More by FosterJM

oline73

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the bottle into a tasting snifter.

Appearance: Pours a clear amber color with a small amount of off white head that goes away completely.

Smell: There is a mild tartness with a nice vinegar note. A good amount of malt sweetness underneath.

Taste: More sourness here than there was in the smell. I'm getting some tart lemon and vinegar like notes. There is just a touch of funk to compliment the sour notes. There is just enough sweetness to balance the beer out. The finish is sour.

Mouthfeel: The body is just on the syrupy side of medium with mild, tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

OVerall: I thought this was a very nice sour. I'm not sure it stood out among Russian River's other offerings, but I enjoyed it. It has a nice tartness to it. I'd have more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 03:39:02 | More by oline73

scottfrie

California

4.18/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the brewey on release day. Damn you TurdFurgison.

A: Cloudy deep current/iced tea color with a soft film of head. Great sheets of lacing left down the glass, great film retention.
S: Smells a bit like Consecration with a bit more fruit diversity. Tart smelling with good dry oak barrel quality. Stone fruits, maybe peach, and lots of dark fruits come through.
T: Definitely stone fruits mixed with dark fruits. I get a touch of lemon, currents, oak, acid, and a faint hint of acetone. The finish is fruity and dry.
M: Drying yet smooth mouthfeel. Tartness is clean, refreshing, and mild. Extremely drinkable. The tartness is acidicly citrus.
O: A very sold sour beer. It's no better than RR's year round sours but it's no worse, just different. I'd definitely buy this along with the other regular 375ml sours if this was available year-round.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2012 19:30:47 | More by scottfrie

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap with good friends at the party at Toronado 25th party at Russian River. Pour is dark copper with orange edges and a creamy tight slightly off white head. Nose is red grape, Cabernet barrel, nice oak presence, dark fruits, sour and light lactic. Taste is well integrated, red grapes and cab barrels, nice sourness an lactic notes, great mouthfeel, strong clean carb and easy drinking, dry finish, superbly integrated.

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2012 16:54:31 | More by cpetrone84

jethrodium

California

4.2/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the Toronado anniversary party. Pours a dark amber with a small white head that has decent retention and leaves some light lacing on the glass. The aroma is quite fruity with raisin, grape, quite a bit of oak, a hint of apple, and some mustiness. The initial taste has a light sweetness with raisin and a bunch of oak and a decent tartness. There is also some grape and mustiness. The finish is dry and funky. Medium body. Medium carbonation. Quite enjoyable. It certainly reminded me a bit of Consecration. I would say this is on par with the regular Russian River lineup. Not better. Not worse.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2012 22:00:33 | More by jethrodium

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Geist for sharing this one. The pour is a light maroon with a thin, bubbly tan head that doesn't stick around for too long.

The nose is dark fruits, cherry, and moderate acidity. Some Consecration character in the background, along with a touch of oak as it warms up. The flavor is a bit more fruity with some additional oak. There's a general fruitiness alongside the acidity throughout, but to me there's nothing that really stands out about this one.

Honestly, I would prefer a bottle of Consecration to this one. I think the blend ended up with something that is tasty, but not all that memorable.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 15:42:01 | More by Thorpe429

cosmicevan

New York

4.23/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Notes taken from a bottleshare at the Phoenix Sun in NYC. Thanks kindly to Mike for sharing.

a - looks like an amber ale a bit.
s - nice brett like smell. some sour and funky currants.
t - tastes like supplication in a wine barrel. some funk, but not as much as the nose suggests. tastes better than it smells. good one.
m - fairly smooth, good carbonation. not fruity or too sour.
o - pretty good. doesn't blow my mind. tastes like a russian river sour. solidly made but nothing light years ahead of RR's regular lineup.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 20:02:39 | More by cosmicevan

tewaris

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks Frank for sending this! Shared with a few BAs.

As instructed, drank at ~60 degrees.

Clear, dark amber-brown with plenty of effervescence. Smells pretty gueuze like but with its own personality --- Fruit jam and acid. Tastes sour, oaky, tannic, rind-y and lactic. Effervescent but not harsh on the palate with a pretty light feel. I had no idea that this was 8+ % ABV. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 08:36:25 | More by tewaris

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.26/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to jedwards for breaking this out. 750ml corked and caged bottle served in a taster. Pours an amber/honey hue with a slightly hazy clarity. Nose expresses notes of vinegar, sour cherries and a trace of funkiness. Taste is tart and vinegary with some acetic acid and no real fruit presence. Mouthfeel is light and lively with an acidity that stimulates the salivary glands and continues to linger between quaffs. Finish is pleasant and semi-dry, but not puckeringly so. Overall, a very good American Wild Ale. I'm not sure how this beer will age over time (I suspect the fruit character in the nose will diminish); however, it's drinking quite well right now.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 00:39:27 | More by Jwale73

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.28/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle opened on 8.18.12.

A - Pours a dark fizzy brown with a one inch cream-colored bubbly head with good retention.

S - Tart barnyard, earthy. There is lots going on here. More layers keep coming as I smell.

T - Tart up front, then the barnyard funk, then some wine barrel, then a dry sweet finish.

D - Great carbonation with a medium body.

O - A nice RR brew. Different then their other stuff, but still very nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 06:25:03 | More by HuskyinPDX

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.29/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle generously shared at the Peg's tasting on 3/8/13.

A- Pours a caramel/maroonish color, thin off-white head.

S- Tart aroma of dark fruits, cherry and red wine, some oak.

T- Similar to the aroma, tart flavor, nice lactic acidity with lots of fruit and vinous flavors. Has a nice musty funkiness to it with wet oak.

M- Medium-bodied, nice carbonation with a dry finish.

O- A damn nice beer, probably one of the better sours I've had from Russian River, really tasty stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 00:25:20 | More by WillCarrera

UCLABrewN84

California

4.3/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Rado for sharing this one at Wowcoolman’s tasting.

Pours a murky honey orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour and tart with some fruit, vinegar, and acidic aromas. Taste is much the same with an acidic finish. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer that is tasty and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 01:01:18 | More by UCLABrewN84

RuckusDu

Colorado

4.3/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - A nice half finger of off white and yellow head. Body is clear and a gorgeous brown and amber color. Some light lacing.

S - Very well balanced between tart, sweet, and funk. Raspberry, green raspberry, brett, and great red wine. Excellent.

T - Tons of green tartness of unripe fruits and earthiness. Slight white wine, green raspberry. As it warms, more brett comes out and the taste becomes more funky. Still well balanced. More red wine as well with warmth.

M - The greenness of the beer makes the acidity really stick to your tongue. Lighter carbonation and medium body. Slight drying.

O - Like eating a green raspberry. Super tart yet still very pleasant. The smoothness and how it all comes together is amazing. It is unlike anything I've had and I can't believe 6 beers came together like this.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 23:23:19 | More by RuckusDu

Sean9689

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at RR & Toronado...a bunch of them...while celebrating T25 all weekend long.

Pours a ruby reddish color, off-white head, thin collar. Smells like dark sour cherries, light acidity, dark fruit, oak..."Consecration Light". Tastes likes Consecration, but perhaps a little "easier" to enjoy. Dark fruit, oak, stone fruit, light cherry, some funk, and nice acidity.

I like this beer better then Consecration but not T20 (when fresh). I was able to enjoy some pours at RR and the Monday following Toronado to really think about this one. I think it will improve with age and lose some of oak, but we shall see, I guess.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2012 04:56:10 | More by Sean9689

drgarage

California

4.33/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on draft at Toronado 3 or 4 times over the course of more than a week.

A: Pours a deep reddish-brown, with a bit of glow to it. One-finger head quickly dissolving to an off-white ring of bubbles around the edge. Minimal lacing.

S: Pungent sour and funk. Some red fruit and a little oak, though less than I would have assumed.

T: Basically sour, currants, astringency, and a hint of something dark. This is much more sour at release than T20 was. Really intriguing flavor but challenging also. I could not drink this all day (as opposed to, say, Beatification), but I do finish my glass wanting to drink more, in part because I feel I haven't fully grasped its flavors yet. Lots of elements, not all working together.

M: Perfect for a blended sour. Layered, a little slick, and beautifully carbonated. Russian River never falls short here.

O: A very good effort, but not as excellent as I hoped. I think it will continue to improve in the bottle, and some of the harsher flavors will mellow. If this integrates with age, I think it can become something special.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2012 17:00:53 | More by drgarage

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle poured into taster - thanks goon

Pours a hazed amber, copper color with darker hues. Coating of off-white head slowly fades into cloudy film and some spots of lacing dotting the glass.

Smells similar to a combination of RR beers - red wine, oak, bretty funk, lactic sourness, currants. Light warmth, slightly earthy, touches of grapes and dark fruit.

Acidic sourness with oaked red wine notes, grape skins and dark fruit. Hints of currants, cherry and raisin with a bretty, yeasty funk. Soft leather and earthy backbone. Finishes aggressively sour and dry on the tongue.

Lighter medium body, higher carbonation, dry and lingering on the tongue. I expected a world class wild ale and that's exactly what I experienced - I might have to seek out another bottle of this for down the road. We all agreed this reminded us of Consecration/Supplication, but with more components.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 16:12:18 | More by xnicknj