Pizza Port Cuvee de Tomme

Brewed by Port Brewing/Lost Abbey
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
San Marcos, California USA

Bottle courtesy of KieferUGA; I’ll return the favor in California. Color was dark auburn, with a little bit of light brown head. Aroma was nice with a pronounced, yet restrained sour cherry aroma; good hints of alcohol and woody/oak hints. Flavor was really good, definitely the best "sourish" flavor I have had; I am normally not a huge fan. Tasted of slightly sour cherries, with some sugar, brown ale-esque elements and something I can only define as cola. Very tasty.

2008 version, 375 ml bottle

I’ve got to admit I’m a little bit disappointed by this one, perhaps a first for Lost Abbey. Pours a gorgeous red-brown, like deep-stained wood, without much head. Nice aroma, lots of dry sour cherry and wood, just a hint of bourbon. But the brett comes on so hard in the flavor; it seems to overbalance everything that could be so good, the cherries and bourbon and subtle hints of dark fruit sugars. I guess maybe I’m trying to say that I’d rather have this one as a Belgian strong instead of a sour, given how much is going on within. The acidity is a bit too sharp on the tongue, the brett washes over a bit too much of the other complexities. The finish improves, as the depth of the beer is revealed -- but it’s already a bit too late and a bretty arrugula bitterness punishes the tongue as it searches for the warmth of the bourbon, the sugars from the raisins, the skins from the cherries.

2008 vintage. Aroma of cherries and oak. Sour initial flavor, followed by a tart cherry tang with a very light ethanol burn. Nice brew.

Vintage 2008, 375ml bottle, caged and corked. definitely needs age. Pours muddy brown, yeast has yet to settle. aroma of sour and Brett. Oak some cherries. Flavors is big tartness. Some heat. There should be more heat at 11.5% ABV. Nice sour cherry characters in the finish. Nice brown sour ale, can’t wait to re-rate.

Bottle 2008 vintage, this needs time. Pours a dark brown body with an off kacki head. Sweet brown ale with sour cherries and etoh in the nose. Flavor is sweet/sour brown ale taste of cork with a dry finish. Sour cherries with a warming finish. 3.9 2005/750ml shared by EDA, thanks again mike man this is getting better and better, nice tart cherry funk with light oak and a warming alcohol. Delicious with a nice brett character alongside the cherry. 4.2

2004 bottle. Pours a dark mahogany with a small beige head. Aroma of some sweet fruit especially cherries, brett funk, vanilla and wood. Alcohol slightly present in the Aroma but it went nice with the other aromas. Taste of nice tart cherries, brett, oak, smooth mouth feel with notes of vanilla, bourbon, and dark fruits. This one is complex, and just the way I like it. VERY NICE. Thank you Eric!!!!

This poured a translucent brown in color with almost no head at all. The nose was sour with vinous scents of red fruit (mainly cherry) and a woodsy element from the oak along with a touch of baking spices. In the mouth it was tart and kept the red fruit from the nose. Given the level of sourness this was amazingly concentrated and came off almost full-bodied as well as light-on-its-feet. Just a wonderful drink with a lingering finish.

375 bottle thanks to Sinners club. Poured into a nice open Chimay chalice. Almost opaque with a deep, dark cab color. Nose of tartness, cherries, sourness. A bit of wood comes through as it warms. I can’t wait to drink it. So much smoother on the body than it smells. Deep flavors, with the tartness and cherries coming through quickly. A bit more carbonated than I would have thought. What a puckering beer. Faint wood/oak background. Alcohol is very evident and wafts into the nose as it rolls in the mouth. The brett does not overwhelm the beer-a good thing here. It’s way too easy to drink it fast. I’ll let it warm up and try to notice the differences (if any). This is right up my alley-I love the sour/tart beers and this is by far one of the best ever. What will aging do to this? Calm down the carbonation, add bitterness and lessen the cherry flavors. Can’t wait to try it again in ??? months.