Toronado 25th Anniversary Ale
Russian River Brewing Company


Beer Geek Stats:
| Print Shelf Talker
- Style:
- American Wild Ale
- ABV:
- 8.75%
- Score:
- 98
- Avg:
- 4.44 | pDev: 6.76%
- Reviews:
- 67
- Ratings:
- From:
- Russian River Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Avail:
- Retired (no longer brewed)
- Wants
- 349
- Gots
- 87
SCORE
98
World-Class
98
World-Class


Notes:
Toronado 25th Anniversary Ale started out as six individual brews, each with their own personality, and all incorporating Brettanomyces and or micro-organisms. Once the barrel aging was complete, Russian River’s Vinnie Cilurzo and Toronado’s David Keene got together to create the final blend. To create its fine carbonation, we re fermented the Toronado 25th Anniversary Ale in this bottle. Spent yeast cells from a thin layer of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Pour slowly, allowing the natural yeast sediment to remain in the bottle.
Blend:
4% Sonambic (barrel aged for 15 months)
16% Blonde Ale (barrel aged for 8 months)
36% Strong Pale Ale (barrel aged 12 months)
28% Ale Aged with Currants (barrel aged for 8 months)
12% Strong Dark Ale (barrel aged for 12 months)
4% Baltic Porter (barrel aged for 10 months)
Blend:
4% Sonambic (barrel aged for 15 months)
16% Blonde Ale (barrel aged for 8 months)
36% Strong Pale Ale (barrel aged 12 months)
28% Ale Aged with Currants (barrel aged for 8 months)
12% Strong Dark Ale (barrel aged for 12 months)
4% Baltic Porter (barrel aged for 10 months)
Reviews: 67
| Ratings: 388
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Reviews by FosterJM:
4.08/5 rDev -8.1%
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.
1,396 characters
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.
1,396 characters
More User Reviews:
4.5/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.25/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.97/5 rDev +11.9%
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!)
666 characters
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!)
666 characters
4.6/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.33/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.25/5 rDev -4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.34/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.47/5 rDev +0.7%
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.
879 characters
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.
879 characters
4.85/5 rDev +9.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.5/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.61/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Bottle.
A: Dark fruits, cherries and light currants with a moderate sourness that has a light vinous presence.
A: copper color with some deeper highlights, clear, with with a moderate white head that leaves light lacing.
T: Dark fruits, cherries and light currants, coupled with a complex moderately sharp and lingering sourness that has a bit of vinous character, and a dry finish.
M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. The beer has a moderately light, but pleasing acidity.
O: Delicious; when this beer was fresh the currants really popped, but with time the fruit aroma and flavor has mellowed and the funky vinous flavors have become a bit more prominent. Surprisingly, there's still a lot of carbonation.
725 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Bottle.
A: Dark fruits, cherries and light currants with a moderate sourness that has a light vinous presence.
A: copper color with some deeper highlights, clear, with with a moderate white head that leaves light lacing.
T: Dark fruits, cherries and light currants, coupled with a complex moderately sharp and lingering sourness that has a bit of vinous character, and a dry finish.
M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. The beer has a moderately light, but pleasing acidity.
O: Delicious; when this beer was fresh the currants really popped, but with time the fruit aroma and flavor has mellowed and the funky vinous flavors have become a bit more prominent. Surprisingly, there's still a lot of carbonation.
725 characters
4.2/5 rDev -5.4%
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.
522 characters
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.
522 characters
Toronado 25th Anniversary Ale from Russian River Brewing Company
Beer rating:
98 out of
100 with
388 ratings
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