Beers at the Toronado Pub in S.F.!

For some time now, whenever Mugsy and I would mention San Francisco in the vicinity of beer lovers, they would invariably ask, “Have you guys been to the Toronado? They have an amazing beer selection!” We heard this over and over – and wondered to ourselves, “What is this fabled Valhalla?” and “Will it actually live up to our expectations?”

In a word, friends, YES.

The Toronado is not a fancy bar. You wouldn’t take a woman there on your first date (unless she was a devout lover of quality beer). It’s not the kind of place where you casually meet up with co-workers after a hard day. No. The Toronado is a beer bar for beer aficionados. The walls are adorned with old beer advertisements from around the world along with a bumper sticker proudly proclaiming, “No Crap on Tap.” Indeed! The lighting is dim… the seats, not terribly comfortable, but what it lacks in atmosphere, it more than makes up for in the sheer variety of tasty craft beer selections.

For your reading pleasure, we’ll include a mini-review of some of those brews here.

In every proper review, your trusted husband & wife team of Beeraucrats will examine the Appearance, Aroma, Taste, Mouthfeel, Drinkability and Overall Rating of the Beer and arrive at a Total Score from 1 to 10.

Beer: Death and Taxes

Brewed by: Moonlight Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA

Style: Black Lager

ABV: 5.0%

Bottle: On draught

Served in: Pint glass

Place of purchase: Toronado, San Francisco, CA

Price: $5

Death and Taxes

APPEARANCE:

Mugsy: Black, opaque. Very thin head. Some lacing on glass.

Jugsy: Dark brown with little to no head and not

much carbonation.

AROMA:

Mugsy: Roasted malt, coffee – almost chocolaty, like Quik chocolate milk mix.

Jugsy: Sweet chocolaty malts, possibly even the sweet smell of dates. Very light scent of roasted coffee; overall scent is of chocolate and fruit.

TASTE:

Mugsy: Sweet roasted malt with a fair bit of hops. Slightly chocolaty with a nutty finish.

Jugsy: True to its smell, chocolate malts hit the tongue first. Taste of hops in the finish and hops / yeast aftertaste. Also some dried fruit flavors, prunes, perhaps.

MOUTHFEEL:

Mugsy: Bit of sting from bitter malt and hops. Goes back quite easily, like a lager should.

Jugsy: Drinks light – a bit on the watery side with a thin mouthfeel.

DRINKABILITY:

Mugsy: Could drink all night. Not too heavy. Quite refreshing, actually.

Jugsy: This is a drinkable “everyday” beer.

OVERALL:

Mugsy: Would order again in a heartbeat. Tasty and refreshing. Don’t let it get too warm, though. Savor, then throw it back!

Jugsy: The taste reminds me of Black Hart Irish Stout, only fruitier. I wouldn’t seek this out, but I wouldn’t turn it down, either. It’s a good beer, but with a name like Death and Taxes, I expected something slightly more bold and creative.

SCORE:

Mugsy: 7.7

Jugsy: 6.5

Naturally, with such an extensive selection of brews from which to choose, Mugsy and I wanted to try all sorts of different things on our own as well! So, we’ll break with tradition a little bit here and include some solo reviews. You’ll notice that one of us had a few more brews than the other!

Beer: Grand Cru

Brewed by: Brouwerij Rodenbach, Belgium

Style: Flanders Red Ale

ABV: 6.0%

Bottle: On draught

Served in: Tulip glass

Place of purchase: Toronado, San Francisco, CA

Price: $6

According to its website, the “Award Winning Rodenbach Grand Cru is a blend of ‘young’ beer (33%) and an older beer (67%) that has matured in oak vats. It is the high percentage of the older ripened-in-oak beer that gives it the complex and intense bouquet with a very long aftertaste like a Grand Cru wine. This is a complex beer with lots of wood and fruity esters, wine-like and with a balsamic vinegar aroma. A sharp taste, fruity, refreshing and with a balanced Madeira-like sweetness.”

The late Michael Jackson bestowed upon this beer the titles of “World Classic” and “the Burgundy of Belgium.”

Grand Cru

APPEARANCE:

Mugsy: Dark, coffee brown with a very thin head. Thick lattice-work of lacing.

AROMA:

Mugsy: Malt vinegar! Slight scent of alcohol and a slight hint of citrus; sweetens as it warms.

Jugsy: I can vouch for the strong vinegar smell – whoa!

TASTE:

Mugsy: Malt vinegar! Extremely sour. Slight hint of sour cherries, sour blackberries..

Jugsy: Okay, I had a sip. Just one. (That was all I could handle.) Who put vinegar in my lambic and why?!?

MOUTH-FEEL:

Mugsy: Little sting from the bitterness, otherwise goes back easily. Aftertaste is quite overwhelming and stays in mouth for a long time.

DRINKABILITY:

Mugsy: Only in small doses. Far too sour for me.

Jugsy: Saying this beer is “sour” is actually being kind. I love vinegar, but not in my beer glass!

OVERALL:

Mugsy: Interesting to try but otherwise far too sour for my palate. Wouldn’t say no, but probably would not order again. Not complex.

Jugsy: I don’t really understand people who think this brew is drinkable. After one sip, I absolutely refused to have another taste.

SCORE:

Mugsy: 3.5

Jugsy: 1.0

Partly to get rid of that awful vinegar aftertaste and partly because we were getting pretty hungry after drinking our beers and watching patron after patron bring in what looked to be utterly delicious sausage sandwiches from the place next door, we decided to take a little food break. If you find yourself at the Toronado, we highly recommend getting a sandwich from Rosamunde Sausage Grill. They have everything – including vegan sausages – you can add sautéed onions and mustard and it comes in a warm & toasty sourdough bun. Heavenly!

Beer: Blind Pig IPA

Brewed by: Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA

Style: American IPA

ABV: 6.0%

IBUs: 72

Bottle: On draught

Served in: Tulip glass

Place of purchase: Toronado, San Francisco, CA

Price: $5

Blind Pig IPA

APPEARANCE:

Jugsy: Golden amber with some carbonation visible. Thin head dissipates quickly.

AROMA:

Jugsy: Nothing but an influx of fresh, piney hops! Smells like an Evergreen forest in a glass!

TASTE:

Jugsy: Smooth and bitter, with an overwhelming hops punch. Can’t taste much else when it’s cold, but as it warms, an apricot flavor emerges. Hops aftertaste.

MOUTH-FEEL:

Jugsy: Very smooth. Not watery at all. Fair amount of carbonation present. Leaves a bitter hops coating on the tongue. Tastes like it has a higher ABV than it actually does.

DRINKABILITY:

Jugsy: Very drinkable, but only for pure hopheads!

OVERALL:

Jugsy: I really enjoy the beers I’ve tried from Russian River Brewing, Pliny the Elder being my favorite so far. Blind Pig is not a balanced brew by any stretch of the imagination, but I don’t think that was ever its purpose. It’s difficult to taste anything but hops. I really like it, but it’s definitely not for everyone!

SCORE:

Jugsy: 7.2

And… possibly saving the best for last (of the beers at the Toronado, that is) – Mugsy ordered another fine brew and, as always, offered me the first sip (ever the gentleman!) The Dubuisson Scaldis Quadrupel. Oh, so good!

Beer: Scaldis

Brewed by: Brasserie Dubuisson Frères, Leuze-Pipaix, Belgium

Style: Belgian Style Quadrupel Ale

ABV: 12.0%

Bottle: On draught

Served in: Tulip glass

Place of purchase: Toronado, San Francisco, CA

Price: $7

Dubuisson Scaldis Quadrupel

APPEARANCE:

Mugsy: Golden amber, tan. Thin head, lacing on glass is a lattice-work

AROMA:

Mugsy: Lots of yeast, fruity scents: passion fruit and figs

TASTE:

Mugsy: Honey drizzled on top of sweet fruit. Slight hoppiness comes through. Passion fruit and ripe fig strong aftertaste.

MOUTH-FEEL:

Mugsy: Delicate. Balance is sweet with slight hint of hoppiness.

DRINKABILITY:

Mugsy: Like drinking fruit juice. Could get you in to trouble very easily. Easy to drink. Watch out for the hangover.

OVERALL:

Mugsy: Beautiful balance of honey, fruit, yeast and hops. Fruitiness may be a little heavy-handed, though. If anyone hasn’t bottled the Greek God’s gift ‘Ambrosia’ as of this writing, then Scaldis may be able to take the copyright.

SCORE:

Mugsy: 8.90

Beer Run for the President!

Beer run for President Obama!

According to one of the many news articles on the subject, Obama "kiddingly" asked for BEER during a visit to Maine.

Kiddingly?!?! We think not!

From the podium, while addressing a large crowd, President Obama mentioned Bill Milliken, a small business owner -- that business being Maine Beer and Beverage -- and said that he hoped he'd get some free samples in exchange for the publicity!

Way to use your position of power, Obama! Mugsy and Jugsy approve!!!

El Camino (Un)Real Black Ale

Beer: El Camino (Un)Real Black Ale
Brewed by: Stone Brewing/ 21st Amendment Brewery/Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Style: Dark Ale
ABV: 9.5%
Bottle: 12 fluid oz.
Served in: Tulip glass
Place of purchase: Stone Brewery, Escondido, CA
Price: $5.00 (or so - we weren't counting at this point....)

Figs and Fennel and Chia - oh my! Just some of the ingredients in the latest Stone Brewery collaboration. This time it's Stone Brewing meeting up with 21st Amendment Brewery, in San Francisco, CA, and Firestone Walker Brewing Co. in Paso Robles, CA.

Jugsy and I tried this one on tap when we were at the Stone Brewery. However, we decided to just enjoy Jugsy's birthday and not concentrate on reviews. We purchased bottles of this collaboration and reviewed them at home, once we were sober!!!! As mentioned on the bottle, "(We) tried to capture some of the historic flavors of the old El Camino Real by brewing this beer with fennel, chia, peppercorns and mission figs. It was a fun beer to brew, and in some ways took us back to the 4th grade, when our schoolteachers first introduced us to the history of California and its Missions.

Jugsy and I are both very proud NATIVE Californians. You don't find much of our kind around these parts. Let us review the kind of beer that famous Brother and Monk Junipero Serra may have enjoyed (at least we hope they let him drink beer!)

In every proper review, your trusted husband & wife team of Beeraucrats will examine the Appearance, Aroma, Taste, Mouthfeel, Drinkability and Overall Rating of the Beer and arrive at a Total Score from 1 to 10.

El Camino (Un)Real Black Ale

APPEARANCE:

Mugsy: Black, as the name would imply. Completely opaque, even when held to the light. Medium sized, beige colored head that dissipates somewhat quickly, leaving a thinner but lasting small head. Very little lacing left behind on glass.
Jugsy: Brown/Black with a hint of dark red. Medium tan/pink head dissipates relatively quickly, leaving lacing behind. Dark and completely opaque in appearance.

AROMA:

Mugsy: Strong nose of piny hops mixed with coffee. Smells woodsy. Ever so slight scent of anise or licorice. Begins to smell fruity as it warms.
Jugsy: Initial aromas are of multi-layered hops, coffee and roasted malts. Sweet black licorice comes through as the beer warms a bit. Overall smell is fresh (slightly piny) with rich coffee, chocolate and herb sweetness.

TASTE:

Mugsy: Hops and roasted malt come first. Next on the palate is light taste of chocolate and then fruit. The fruit flavor intensifies as the beer gets warmer. Fruits like prunes or sugary dates. Very complex. Definitely becomes sweeter and less bitter as it warms.
Jugsy: Bitter hops and roasted malt hit the tongue first, then quickly give way to a bittersweet chocolate flavor. Definite taste of licorice and something herbal - lavender, perhaps? Complex flavors reveal something different in each sip. Aftertaste is of bitter hops, coffee and licorice.

MOUTHFEEL:

Mugsy: Very light on the tongue. I wouldn't describe it as watery, due to the sweetness, but definitely not heavy like a stout or porter. Quite refreshing, actually.
Jugsy: The flavors make for a bold mouthfeel, neither heavy nor light. Carbonation is significant and the bitter, numbing hops only add to the sensation.

DRINKABILITY:

Mugsy: Very easy to throw back, especially when on the colder side. As it warms, the sugary taste of the beer may become a little off-putting. Also, at 9.5% ABV, this is one that you would want to sip and not slug.
Jugsy: While the El Camino (Un)Real is a very enjoyable and drinkable beer, both the complexity in palate and high ABV (9.5%) make this a specialty rather than a session beer. It's clearly meant to be savored and sipped to be properly appreciated.

OVERALL:

Mugsy: Complex, especially when it's colder (mind you, not right out of the fridge cold - ales should be enjoyed between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the ale). The sweetness becomes dominant as the ale warms which is unfortunate, as I really liked the original mix of hops, malt and fruity, chocolaty sweetness. Whatever the case, would I drink this beer again? Absolutely. I would just drink it quicker! Is this my favorite Stone collaboration? No, but that's not my point here. It's obvious that the guys at Stone, Firestone Walker and 21st Amendment had a blast coming up with this fabulous concoction that includes mission figs, fennel and chia (ch-ch-ch-chia!) seeds. This is a great example of the kind of fun, out-of-the-box ideas about brewing that we get from Stone (and their collaborators) that make their beers stand out above so many others. Nice work, folks! This would pair well, with rich foods like roasts, stews, or saucy dishes.
Jugsy: El Camino (Un)Real? Named so perhaps because the flavors take you on a journey that's familiar yet mysterious at the same time. The taste can best be described as kaleidoscopic, as new flavors jump out unexpectedly and dance for a moment on your tongue. I can't imagine what food would be able to hold its own against this beer. I say, drink it on its own (but on a full belly!) and allow yourself to explore the dark.

SCORE:
Mugsy: 7.65
Jugsy: 7.77