Russian River Toronado 20th Anniversary

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

I was lucky enough to receive a bottle of this from ughsmash, thank you so much! i saved it to take to a tasting in CA and while it was quite rare it was surprisingly not as amazing as I had hoped. it was red in color but not as dark as Consecration. It smelled a little sour and fruity but nothing too amazing. The flavor was a little complex, cherries, fruit but not much sourness. The alcohol was quite evident. It did remind me slightly of Consecration but I wish I could have had this two years ago when it was first released. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 09-22-2009 02:11:31

Pour almost killed us with a projectile cork and cage that almost broke my hymen. In glass it was amber orange with a big foamy head. Nose was of peaches, cherry, ripe fruits, and a hint of vinegar. Taste is extremely balanced for a sour, good fruit flavor, not sweet though, moderate vinegar, currents, finishes with a medium sourness.

Bottle generously shared by hophead84. As we started twisting off the metal cage, the cork and cage shot to the ceiling. Pours a rusty crimson color with a 2 finger thick off white head leaving some spotty lacing. Some tart vinegar, dark cherries, currants, sweet oak and a touch of booze. Flavor held some red wine, oak, vinegar. Finish was very palatable, not as sour as expected.

Last bottle at the Toronado San Diego. Thanks so much for graciously sharing this with me. Pours a clear dark chestnut mahogany with a very thin, fine, off-white head. (This beer is still very much alive and well; after sitting openined for a few minutes a curl of foam worked its way up out of the bottle to dramatic effect.) Top notes of sour brett and wood-aging in the aroma swirl over dark fruits, a touch of spicy hops, alcohol, and toasted malt. There’s a lot of depth here. The sourness certainly doesn’t overwhelm, but is the dominant characteristic. The flavor is similarly deep and complex and follows directly from the aroma profile. Multi-faceted sourness overlaid across some toasted malt, spicy hops, and a significant alcohol presence. The beer’s blending pedigree shows up in various ways, each asserting itself in turn with every swirl and sip. Huge in the mouth with both spice and long, lingering alcohol in he finish--which is both soft and very persistent. The aging and finesse of this beer really make for a stellar offering here. Bitterness and dark fruit aspects take turns phasing in and out of an incredible finish on the soft palate.

Extra special thanks to Beerlando for being so generous and sharing his 2000th beer with us. Pours a dark cherry color with a thick tan head. Complex aroma of oak, wine, funks, fruits and brett. Nice. Flavors are equally complex and full of most of the same types of flavors as the aromas would suggest. Excellent beer. Cheers, Beerlando. I hope I get to share another 2000 with you.

Rating #2000. 750ml bottle, almost two years old. Pours a dark, reddish, caramel-brown color, lightly hazy, with a thick, foamy, tan colored head that lasts. Sticky patches and broken ribbons of lacing cling hard to the glass, never relinquishing a bit. This is quite the pretty brew. The nose starts out very dry and bretty, with tannic grape skins and a prominent dose of moderately-aged, woody oak. Notes of Merlot move forward, imparting a dry, juicy, peppery red wine character, while hints of Chardonnay lend creaminess, and dry leaf hops offer bits of balancing, grassy bitterness. The aroma is complex as hell, and one could easily spend an hour pulling out the various components. Flavors transition in nicely, pale malts fading into the background, while tart, bretty oak and tannic Merlot grape tartness play off of one another nicely. Aged, grassy hop notes lend a surprisingly staunch bitterness, while subtle traces of dark fruit sweetness lend just a touch of sweet, earthy character. Ultimately, it is brettanomyces and oak that rule this beer. Substantially bodied, with zesty carbonation and a bone-dry finish, the palate is exactly what I seek in this type of brew. Excellent from start to finish. A one of a kind experience that I can only hope to enjoy once again.

Bottle into wine balloon. Pours a cloudy opaque amber-dark orange-brown with a fluffy head that recedes slowly. Aroma is outstanding: Lots of sour cherries, spoiled fruit, white bread, and many other tiny nuances. Flavor is medium tart initially, then gets increasingly smoother toward the end. Just a slightly bitter aftertaste which fades quickly. A lot drier than expected. Again with the sour dark fruit/berries, with flora in the middle and end. Saladitos make a brief appearance at the finale too. A slight sweetness too combines with the mellow tart in a great way. Mouthfeel is medium, medium carbonation, feels nice. Slight chest warmth after half a glass. I’m not too experienced with sours, but I like this one a lot and hope that the ones in the future are all this enjoyable. Overall, excellent.

Tap at Toronado for Belgian-Inspired beer dinner. Reddish-brown in color with an off-white head. Aroma of Brett, funk, figs, and wood. Flavor is dark fruit, figs and berries, red wine, lots of oak and some vanilla. Medium body with a smooth finish despite the tartness. Nice and complex, but not quite as much of a standout as I was expecting.