Pizza Port Cuvee de Tomme

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

Appearance: Pours a dull, wooden (in fact it matches the color of the table) brown body with a thin, fizzy, off-white head. Smell: Aroma of condensed and stewed cherries, pits and all. Notes of wooden planks seasoned with sea salt. Taste: Woody, leathery, but never forgets its cherry heritage. Nice Bretty, lactic qualities. Reasonably tart and sour, though there’s some subtle malty sweetness to be found. Touch of spice. A few drops of tawny port. Unshakable tastes reminiscent of salty potato skins and grilled portabello mushrooms. The flavors rise and fall on the long, lasting finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Mild carbonation. Drinkability: Man, I never would’ve guessed it was over let alone near being 10% ABV. Very tasty for sure. Well played, Tomme.

375 ml corked and caged bottle 2008 vintage poured a hazy reddish copper with a small lasting amber head. Aromas of cherry, oak, leather, bakers chocolate and light vanilla. Palate was light to medium bodied and crisp with a tart finish. Flavors of cherry, oak, leather, light chocolate and a hint of vanilla with a crisplingering tart finish.

#1800. Finally a real centennial rating. From the bottle, "Malt beverage brewed with raisins with cherries added aged in bourbon barrels." I feel compelled to go here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qItugh-fFgg . Whatever though. Pours a brownish red color, small head with some lacing and retention. Aroma is a huge sour cherry kick, wood, vanilla, barnyard action, more fruit. Medium to full body, big tartness balanced by a late sweet finish. Given what they tried to do, I’d say they nailed it.

2008 bottle thanks to Todd for popping this gem! Hazy brown pour, and a thin head. Oak and cherry on the nose. Oak up front with a awesome sour cherry finish! Very complex flavor with notes of funkiness , yeast, and vanilla.

’05 bottle shared by miketd. Thanks dude!
Pours a smooth, rich dark muddy brownish color. Smell is slightly sour cherry, and very smooth. Taste is lightly sweet and equally mildly tart with nice semi dry cherry flavor. I thought this one was really nice, and look forward to trying it fresh as well. Thanks for this one, Mike.

Blind tasting of 2005 and 2008 vintages at hellbilly’s HellRaiser II. Thanks Rustychiles and Footy! 2005 was a dark brown with nearly no head. Aroma of dark fruit and dark fruit and alcohol with some funkiness. Lightly sweet with a sour finish. I preferred the 2008, which looked similar, but with a bit more head. Aroma was more fruit and yeast, with oak, vanilla and some alcohol. Flavor is very fruity and yeasty, with a long sour dry finish. Wonderful brew!

In short: A very fruity big Belgian Ale with a nice little sour touch. Excellent
How: Rather generous sample from a 05 bottle at Dark-Lord-Day 2008. Enormous thanks to that crazy New-York dude, Eyedrinkale
The look: Cloudy burgundy body with a small beige head
In long: The pleasant nose hints on sour oak flavours. In mouth this is a fruit avalanche with red cherries, red apples, all kinds of tropical fruits and a bunch of other ones. Medium sweetness. While not dry per say the beer is actually a lot dryer than when I expect from a 12% fruity Belgian ale and that’s a good thing. Seems to be some kind of dry/dusty yeast effect. Medium sourness with equal parts of cherries and oak sensation. Almost too drinkable for a 12% beer. Unfortunately no brett sensation despite brett supposedly being used in the making of this beer. No aging sign at all, if it wasn’t for the 2005 indication on the bottle I would have thought this is a fresh beer. Jealous 2005 IIPAs say that the Cuvée de Tomme lies about her age and that the foiled on her top is just to make her top look bigger.

Sampled at Hellbilly’s Hellraiser II. 375ml bottle of the new batch (2008) courtesy of Rustychiles paired with a 750ml 2005 bottle courtesy of Footy. 2008: pours an opaque brown with minimal head sans for a ring around the glass. Nose is cherries, wood and subtle bourbon. Palate is cherries, oak and alcohol – very wine like. 2005: pours a clear brown with zero head. Nose is all bourbon and brandy. Palate has much more bourbon upfront than the 2008 and it overpowers the cherry flavor. Both versions have a medium mouth feel and dry finish. Both great in their own way but very different. Thanks to Rusty and Rudy for sharing.