Russian River Toronado 20th Anniversary

Formerly brewed at Russian River Brewing
Style: Sour Ale
Santa Rosa, California USA

Bottle courtesy of Rodger pours reddish amber w/ a nice, frothy head w/ good retention. Reminiscent of Cuvee de Tomme-La Folie mix. Not overly sour, but more sour than Cuvee and more malty than La Folie. A nice brew. Sour cherries predominate.

I saw this in the bottle at RR, but I decided to do it right and have it on tap at the Toronado. It was served in a belgian style tulip glass. The body was dark red and had no head. The aroma had the classic sour note, but not that strong. The flavor wasn’t as sour as some of the other RR beers I’ve had, but was decently sour. If I had to guess, I’d say there was a bunch of Temptation in there, as I had that beer the day before. At the back end of the flavor there was a good sweetness that balanced very nicely. Fairly light bodied and an excellent beer all around.

Thank you Willblake for sharing this. Once again a reason why I love RR. Aroma is very full, sour cherry and some sweet malts. Taste is real smooth. I was expecting more Funk but I am glad it was more on the sour side. Very easy drinking with complex flavors. Each sip is slightly different and makes you really pick it apart. Very Nice.

Graciously shared by Willblake at firemoose’s YEHA for my 1300th rating. Hazy reddish amber with a small off white head. Aroma is funky with light sour cherry, oak, some dark fruit and light touches of molasses. Taste, not quite as sour as I thought it would be but very nice. Grapes, barnyard, tart cherry, oak, vanilla, light molasses sweetness all make an appearance. Complex, and this one will probably get even better with age. Thanks Jon!

22oz bottle. Poured a dark and muddy amberish / brownish color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of yeast, funk, brett, wood, citrus, and vanilla. Tastes of vanilla, oaky woodiness, yeast, vanilla, nutty, and grapes.

GABF. Lots of tart aromas from this beer. More tart flavors. Did not taste that much alcohol. wow!. NIce sour fruit and wood. Good stuff.

No idea I would have a chance to try this marvelous beer. Then my old boss tells me he’s got a bottle and is holding on to it for me. THANK YOU. Not the first RR brew that I could just hold under my nose and inhale for minutes if not hours. (and this coming from a guy with severe sinus problems). I could never do this beer justice in describing it’s sheer pleasure. Another delight and certainly doesn’t taste at all like it’s 10.43% Bless you Vinnie (nd Bob .. .and Doug)

750ml This is a special review for me: My 25th Birthday Recieved in a trade with a most generous trader known as drawde . Thanks Colin. According to Russian River’s bottle log this is "A blend of 5 different barrel aged ales to celebrate the great Toronado beer bars 20th Anniversary." When this beer is not backlit it’s a surprisingly dark, crimson. When backlit it glows bright ruby and you can see miniscule particles suspended throughout. Moderate carbonation bubbles rise from the middle of the glass to the surface keeping it strong. A three finger frothy white head formed on the pour and faded to a thick crown. As it faded it left sheet lacing in certain spots and chunk in others. This beer has wonderful aromas of sweet and sour. There’s a little funk up front and it develops into tart cherries, an earthy mustiness, and the oak glides throughout. Sometimes I find these barrel aged beers to be way over the top in the oakiness. This one is presented perfectly. The sweet makes me salivate while the sour makes me pucker. The oak brings the two together seamlessly. As this beer warms more there is a cornucopia of fruit involved. Tangerines, plum, and I believe thats some white peaches in there. As this beer warms the aroma becomes amazing. Damn! This stuff is mouthwatering. The flavor is identical to the aroma with a perfect balance of juicy ripe fruit (but tart cherries), a smooth oakiness, and the perfect level of mouth puckering sourness. The thing that most impresses me about this beer is how perfectly blended the flavors are. The oak comes in just the right amount of intensity to compliment instead of overtake the other flavors. The sourness is lip puckering for sure but in no way interferes with the complexity or drinkability. This is an impressive blend of beer. I wish I knew what the combo was. This beer weighs in at a hefty 10.43%abv and the body is incredibly light and airy. Extremely creamy and enjoyable with a puckeringly dry finish. Mouthfeel is similiar to that of champagne and I don’t think it could fit this beer any better. This beer is ultimately drinkable and the only reason it’s not getting the perfect score for drinkability is the big abv. Somehow there isn’t a hint of alcohol in the flavor of this beer. This is some kind of honor for a bar to recieve a beer of this caliber for their anniversary. Incredible blend of beer with a great body, incredible flavor, and a perfect mouthfeel that all combine to make an exceptional sour ale. I don’t think I could have picked a better drink for my 25th birthday. 11/5/07