Toronado 25th Anniversary Ale - Russian River Brewing Company

Arbitrator

California

3.18/5  rDev -27.9%
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

cosmicevan

New York

4.23/5  rDev -4.1%
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

Sean9689

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -1.8%
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

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -1.8%
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

Gobzilla

California

4.8/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: poured a copperish brown in color with golden yellow highlights and a half finger of head with good retention which left a little bubbly lacing sticking to the glass.

S: definitely was able to detect a variety of berries such as strawberries, cherries, blueberries, and cranberries with good oakiness, some wine barrel vinous character, acidic notes, a little brett funk, citrus and a little orange rind.

T: lots going on in the taste but like the nose suggest, I was able to get lots of berry character mostly cherries and strawberries, good acidic citrus coming through, nice oaky accents, a hint of vanilla, vinous wine barrel character, great inviting brett funkiness with a touch of horse blanket and mild mango fruit; whoa.

M: the brew was medium in body with a fair amount of bubbly carbonation which had a fruity, oaky, vinous, acidic, sour and slightly dry finish.

O: very glad my boy beezler opened this sucker up. This one definitely lives up to the hype IMO. Solid american wild all around with an exceptional taste. Mmmm.. I want more, someone hook me up. Ha!!

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 21:08:13 | More by Gobzilla

birchstick

Missouri

4.05/5  rDev -8.2%
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

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.96/5  rDev -10.2%
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

elNopalero

Texas

4.98/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This was absolutely fantastic.

Pours a ruddy reddish hue with nice foaming.

I enjoyed the challenge of figured out the aroma. I got a lot of immediate sour, tartness, with dark ruby red grapefruit and some cherry essence. Mouthpuckering flavor—intensely so—with some sour tart cherry essence and some oaky tannins.

Wonderfully rounded flavor. I get some dried stone fruits—raspberries, blackberries, a touch of honey and a hint of vanilla. This warms wonderfully. In fact, it just becomes amazing as it warms, with a rounded sweetness that emerges. Great effervescence and surprisingly sweet on the finish.

Incredible. Can I have another?
(Review #650!)

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2012 08:29:43 | More by elNopalero

DovaliHops

California

4.48/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours an almost-clear, reddish-amber color with a large off-white head that goes down quickly. Scent is very oaky with just the right amount of funk for this particular beer. Some cherry and currant in the nose, along with red berry aromas. Vinous with more oak and tartness. Taste is very enjoyable. At first, the berries come through very aggressively, then I get a mellow oak flavor that has a hint of sweet vanilla to it. The berry flavor turns to bitter currants. A bit of red-wine vinegar with a pleasant oaky finish. Very sour, and quite complex IMO...but that's too be expected from a beer that is made up of 6 barrel aged beers. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, crisp, and puckering. Drinkability is high, as I can't believe this beer is almost 9%. Overall, this is a fantastic beer. I had this on tap at the release, and I wasn't as impressed as I am by the bottled version.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 08:59:24 | More by DovaliHops

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev -11.6%
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

brystmar

Texas

4.35/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks Mike!

Ruby red grapefruit hues in the body scare off the white head. Freshly blended fruit aroma gets a shot in the arm from tart brett and Belgian yeast. Smells really nice.

As others have mentioned, this tastes like Consecration & Supplication spent a messy night together. The best qualities of each shine through with a freshly fruity tang. Should age nicely in the near term, but honestly this is drinking great right now.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 22:05:27 | More by brystmar

hooliganlife

Missouri

4.43/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

pours a slightly ruby brown, fizzy head, crisp and bubbly. great retention and lacing, which tossed my rating to a 4.5.

bright fruit, currant and sour cherry. a hint of oak and lemon.

similar to nose, lots of bright sour fruit. mainly cherry and currant. a sour candy aspect going on. through out there is that signature RR sour and yeast. malt body seems to stick out a bit. light oak.

nice light body with a near perfect bite. carbonation is spot on. slight dryness in the finish. a little more dryness and i'd nail this a 5.0. lip puckering sour, curls the lips and tongue.

a fine beer, missed out on T20 so when this dropped, I laid down trades and would do so again. great beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 22:07:08 | More by hooliganlife

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.29/5  rDev -2.7%
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

Etan

Illinois

4.36/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle into a snifter.

A: Pours a light caramel color with a nice white head.

S: Brett is doing good work in the nose. Pineapple, lightly gamey, old hay, mildly sweet maltiness and a good dose of dry sourness underneath.

T: The taste follows the nose with notes of tart grapefruit and pineapple, drying oak, subtle pale malt sweetness. It's not very sour, but the acidity is diverse. I can taste lactic acid along with a small amount of acetic acid, very much in balance.

M: Between light and medium-bodied with light and creamy carbonation. Very drinkable.

O: This is a brett beer, front and foremost, and works wonderfully in that regard. I'm missing the currants and the complexity of a 6-beer blend, but it's tasty enough to make up for that.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 18:59:09 | More by Etan

tewaris

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev -3.6%
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

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle poured into HF stemmed glass and split 3 ways. Served lightly chilled. Thanks to standardcherry for this one.

A- Pours a fairly dark purplish red that is mostly opaque and has just over a 1-finger fizzy white head that recedes fairly fast to leave just a thin white layer and some clingy lacing. Decent carbonation.

S- Vinous muscat grapes, merlot, currants, dried plums, hints of vanilla and oak and a very faint chocolate from the porter. Nice vinegar/brett sourness. Nicely balanced, complex, and fairly aromatic. The currants definitely stand out and provide a fairly reminiscient aroma of Consecration that's a little bit more sour.

T- Vinous muscat grapes, currants, a little bit of merlot wine similar to other RRs, finishes fairly sour with a little bit of vinegar, nice lingering sour aftertaste of currants.

M- Medium bodied, fairly carbonated but dies down, very easy drinking, hard to distinguish abv.

O- This was another great sour from Russian River. It definitely had a nice flavor of currants and wine characteristics trademark of RR that balanced well with the level of sourness in the beer. The currants definitely reminded me of Consecration except T25 was more sour and complex. Overall a great use of blending and barrel-aging provided a nice tasting and fairly complex sour. I definitely recommend this beer although it is fairly sour and probably isn't for everyone.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 16:19:30 | More by jaasen64

macrosmatic

Florida

4.54/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

**REVIEW NUMBER 400**

Big thanks to Reja for sending this bottle! Reviewed from notes. Poured from corked and caged 750 mL bottle into a Peg's snifter glass.

A: Almost completely clear dark amber - reminds me of a really dark apple cider in appearance. About a finger's worth of white head - big bubbles. A moderate amount of visible carbonation crawling up the sides.

S: Funky barnyard and mouth-puckering tartness. Dark fruit, some apples and grapes...and oak tannins galore.

T: This is complex, and I'm not real sure how to approach it. Sour and tart (starts with an acetic acid sharp burn, then more lactic and lemony sour spread throughout the mouth) up front. Big tartness in the middle of the drink on the center of my tongue. Oak tannin dryness as well throughout, but I don't get big vanilla flavors from it. Lots of Brett funkiness throughout, although maybe less than I expected. Belgian fruity esters are here too, but they're everywhere and I can't quite nail down a certain fruit profile. Almost makes me think of eating too much fresh pineapple with the amount of burn down in the belly. Maybe some sour cherry as well? Finish is oak, sour and fruity, and I'm left with the description of "sour banana", though I realize that doesn't make a lot of sense.

M: Medium body, and a mouthfeel that's incredibly tingly (lots of carbonation plus the sour tingle). Alcohol is noticeable but melds nicely into the rest of the beer.

O: This was really, truly outstanding the the most literal sense. They got the blend right, and I spent the entire snifter worth really trying to work through the levels of complexity. It is seriously sour though, and it toes the line of almost too much - not for someone starting into sours. Very very enjoyable, and I wish I had a couple more bottles to see how it would change.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 16:29:47 | More by macrosmatic

nataku00

California

3.9/5  rDev -11.6%
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

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.75/5  rDev -15%
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

litheum94

California

4.08/5  rDev -7.5%
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

jethrodium

California

4.2/5  rDev -4.8%
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

RuckusDu

Colorado

4.3/5  rDev -2.5%
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

SubpoenaDeuces

California

4.68/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served into a Diasy Cutter glass

A: This pours a turbid brown akin to consecration but with less sheeting and legs, nice carbonation and wispy foam, very pretty.

S: There's notes of currants, funk, cherries, black cherries, and light lactic notes.

T: Wow, light consecration meets supplication is a perfect rendition of this balanced beast. This needs no time and is a juicy beast from the outset. The funk is a nice vertebrae to the affair and the dryness from the oak rounds out the finish.

M: This is dry but the fruit aspects counterbalances it well

D: This is too tart for lengthy drinking sessions but the taste is so good that you will. I can drink this more than beatification and i feel that as it warms, it offers even more complexity. highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 20:44:36 | More by SubpoenaDeuces

claaark13

Indiana

4.4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Light ruby with a hint of orange, creamy white head. Oaked and light tart cherries and currants. Notes of leather.

Tart red grapes with lemons and the combined acidity. Mild sweetness and malt in the middle. Finishes with dark fruit and lemons, malt and light oak. Belgian Pale seems to carry the the rest of the flavors well.

Overall is very good. There is a noticeable Consecration-like note that seems to be the most dominating flavor of the blend. The Beatification base shows as well in the acidity, although it is such a small component of the blend.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2012 20:19:28 | More by claaark13

abecall98

California

4.7/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thank you homeboys for picking me up some of this.

A - pours a bright brown, clear. At least it did before I decided to pour the sediment in my beer, on purpose. Rating the appearance before the sediment. It looked great for te style, only missing some slight head that I wanted when compared to some great Cantillons.

S - smells like good. Sweet currants, some nice almost apple aromas. Slight hint of lemon, and some yeasty notes. Just wonderful and complex, very different as it warms, the sour notes hit a little more. Damn!

T - oh boy, this beer is really good. A really sting acetic sourness just hits you. As the sourness drops, some sweet fruits follow suit. Some Unripen lemons mixed with dark berries come to mind. Some slight woodiness finishes, with no traces of alcohol. Wonderful.

M - perfectly carbonated per style. It starts off foamy, allowing the flavors to burst in your mout, just an explosion of flavor. The beer finishes sticky and slightly sweet. Man!

O - honestly better than I thought it would be. I really loved T20, and it's nice to get to try a beer like it (blend of a bunch stuff), fresh. The beer has a lot of flavors, and I just feel like it will change overtime into something different, yet just as good.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 05:23:00 | More by abecall98