Spotlight On: Toronado-San Diego
When it comes to beer bars, the name Toronado is held in high regard by many who know. Their draught beer list is rotational and is always fresh with the finest examples of crafted ales from around the world. While many people have many different conflicting opinions of the staff at Toronado, one thing that is consistent is they are the mecca for great ales and lagers. At least the San Francisco Toronado is. How does the San Diego Toronado stand up? Read on.
When we finally arrive at Toronado (from here on I’ll be referring to the San Diego location unless noted), it is a little past one in the afternoon. Just like the San Francisco location, the front door is a double door, split in half halfway up. Including myself and Sammy, there are five people in the whole place.
I used to think Toronado SF (TSF) was pretty impressive with their 20 or so taps. Toronado San Diego (TSD) more than doubles that amount with 50 taps. Represented are many local craft ales as well as some Belgian imports. Logistically I have wondered what 50 taps would look like. I assumed there would there be one giant line of taps that spanned the length of the bar but that’s not the case nor is it the most efficient. All of their taps are attached to the wall instead of towers. This makes much more sense and would be more efficient to maintain.
As with many places, their bottled beer list is very impressive as well. I didn’t count them all but it looks to be easily past 100. Two and a half commercial grade refrigerators keep everything cool. Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and the US are the countries represented in their bottle list with Begium having the most representation. I could be wrong but I don’t ever remember TSF having a bottle list. Everytime I’ve gone, I’ve always ordered something on tap. They may have a list but I’ve never seen it.
TSD also differs from TSF in that they serve food. While there is a wide variety of what people consider pub food, TSD specializes in sausages. We didn’t write down or take a photo of the sausage list but it numbers in the dozens. Even though their menu is very limited, I think it’s a good thing to do one thing really well than to do a lot of things really poorly. Having just come from lunch, we didn’t order any food but we did order a few beers.
Hottenroth Berliner Weiss, ?% ABV
The first beer I ordered was the Hottenroth Berliner Weiss by the Bruery. For those not familiar, the Bruery is a relatively new brewery out of Orange County, yes, the OC. Their confusingly spelled name is an incorporation of the family name “Rue”. Witty? Sentimental? Often misspelled? Probably all of the three. Poured into a tulip glass, Hottenroth pours a pale straw color with a white head. The aroma is light but fruity with a noticeable sour tint and slight hint of Brettanomyces. The flavor, simply put, is cider-like. It’s very light in body with a high level of carbonation; very effervescent. I enjoyed this beer but it left me a little wanting. It’s meant to be a sour ale, very light. On those blistering hot days, this would be the most refreshing beer to drink, hands down.
Ola Dubh Ale 16yr, 8.0% ABV
The second beer I order is the Ola Dubh Ale 16 year brewed by Harviestoun and Highland Park distillery. Recommended by a San Diego local, it was a recommendation I’m glad I took him up on. “Ola Dubh” loosely translates to “black oil”, a most appropriate name. The “16″ refers to a Highland Park cask that was formerly used to age a 16 year old whiskey. Pouring out a nearly opaque black, this beer reminds me of used motor oil. There is virtually no head on this beer. The aroma is interesting; a mix of sweet malt, soy sauce, wood notes, caramelized dark fruit, whisky, roast and chocolate. In the flavor, I pick up much of the same chocolate, oakey, molasses, roasty and whisky flavors. Despite the complexity and intensity of the malt profile, the hops are noticeable enough to support malt flavors. The alcohol qualities are slightly noticeable in both the aroma and flavor. With the regards to the mouthfeel it’s smooth and warming. If you’re a big fan of whisky, then this is a great beer to try. Ola Dubh has two more siblings in the family that come in 12yr and 30yr flavors. Good gawd.
I never get tired of writing how Sammy and I get to meet cool people everywhere there’s good beer. At Toronado, we met Jeremy and Dawn, two locals and beer lovers. Both are very down to earth and passionate about their beers. They had great recommendations (that’s how I learned about Ola Dubh) about beer and where to go for more great beer. We’ll be taking them up on some of their recommendations, like going to O’Briens. And really, beer is a social beverage. While it’s nice to sit back and have a good beer by yourself, it’s much better to have a good beer in the company of good people.
Besides sharing the same name and a love of good beer, the two Toronado’s share very little else. Don’t come to the Toronado San Diego expecting it to be like Toronado San Francisco; nothing is like Toronado San Francisco. And that’s okay. If I wanted to go to Toronado San Francisco, I wouldn’t have driven 7+ hours to San Diego.
Overall, I enjoyed my time at the Toronado. They have a huge selection of beers with 50 taps and an excellent bottle list as well. The fact they actually serve food is pretty cool as well. You don’t have to run out of the place to find some grub and come back hoping you’ll still have a seat. My only complaint is that our bartender Eric was a little lax in his attention. It took a while for him to check up on us. I would recommend visiting Toronado San Diego yourself to make your own decision.
