Pizza Port Cuvee de Tomme

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

Samples from the 05 bottle courtesy mgumby10 and 07 bottle from trade with fordest. 07 bottle - Poured a dead ruby-brown color with zero head. Nice tart cherry and oak aromas meld nicely. The palate is moderately thick, with little carbonation. Taste was not as sour as expected, but the sourness complimented the cherry character very well. The 05 sample was quite a bit more sour than the 07. It seemed the sourness made the brew a little more uneven , but it still was great. The 05 was amply carbonated, and this allowed easier appreciation of the aroma. The only real flaw the 07 had was the carbonation issue. A well-carbonated bottle would certainly gain a few points.

#300. 750ml, black bottle from 2005 along with a new, 2007 375ml bottle tasted consecutively. Highly anticipated beer for me, thanks to those who shared. The 2005 pours a red, brown color with a small off-white head. Aroma is very similar to a Flemish Sour. Very sour with a healthy touch of vinegar. Not many other characteristics detectable underneath. Taste is tart, very sour, cherries, a bit of alcohol, and the good old Flemish Sour stuff thrown in for good measure. A very strong and intensely sour experience. The newer, 07 bottle (which has some awesome artwork, by the way) pours red/brown with no head or carbonation whatsoever. Aroma is tart, sour, appetizing, surprisingly mild, chocolate. Taste is balanced, delicious, nicely tart and sour but very rounded. Comparing the two vintages the 07 is much more subtle and soft on the palette. More complex and rounded and much, much less sour. They were both great beers but I’d put the 07 above the 05 by a decent amount. Much more enjoyable to me. Lives up to the hype and I’d love to see how the new bottle matures over the next few years.

Near perfection. Great thanks to Bartzilla. This 375ml bottle seems small but packs perfect alcohol content and enough enjoyment in every sip to leave one forgetting all worldly ills. Many great reviews. I will add I thought the aroma was not as strong as I would have liked. While drinking the smells did not fully drift to the nose. That’s about my only complaint.

This was the black label 05 version. Courtesy footbalm. Thanks Eric! Pours a cloudy dark maroon with a small, light tan head. Smells pretty tart and sour. Some dark fruits, citrus, and malts make up the rest of its aroma. The taste is very complex. The acidity and malts blend together nicely coating the palate. Not extremely sour, but just enough to let you know its there. The main fruits I get are cherries and sour apples. Nice lengthy finish with a sweet aftertaste. This was a damn fine brew.

375 ml bottle thanks to Padrefan98 shared with willblake and Dickinsonbeer. Poured an incredibally flat deep reddish/brown with no head at all. Even after some vigirous agitation I could not get even the tiniest bit of head. Aroma was tart, funky and seemed to be chocolate covered cherries soaked in alcohol. The body was smooth and the alcohol was totally hidden especially at 11%. Flavor was very nice with initial sweetness a tart aftertaste and lots chocolate covered fruit flavors in between. Excellent beer thanks for this one Jon.

Following its base, the "Mother of All Beers", the black-labeled Cuvée de Tomme was an exciting event. Similar in color, the dark body gleamed with a raspberry tinge, presumably reddened by the added cherries. Above, a thick beige foam is strongly erected. Cherries reappear on the nose, sour and juicy, initiating a complex string of scents that seemingly blends the classic Flemish Red components with a deeper and darker foundation. Brown sugar and a profusion oak-induced vanillin add to the rapidly snowballing aroma. This explosive bouquet suggests marshmallow, fig newtons, white chocolate, macadamia nuts, notes of caramel and cinnamon, blueberry and even garlic. An eclectic and exhilarating blend that begs for a sip. I don’t hesitate to indulge. Starting with milk chocolate covered cherries, the flavor comprises a resonating mid-range of whipped cream, vanilla, hazelnut, cardamom and raspberry, finishing with a sweet woody flavor and a hint of teriyaki. The aftertaste is sweet and sour, a long-lasting malty cherry flavor. Unique, to say the least, I found the sourness amplified and more appropriate than it was in the Mother of All Beers. An exceptional brew overall, daring but balanced, creative, and very rewarding for those who can endure chasing the elusive.

2008 vintage. Still pours dark red/brown/black. No head at all. Really pretty much exactly prior rating. No change.

The Lost Abbey version shared by BBB63. The beer pours dark red/brown/black, depending on how it is held to the light. The only signs of head is the slight ring around the edge. Aromas of black cherry (comes of Jolly Rancher-ish), soy sauce, slight musty basement, and a touch of alcohol. The flavor is nice and fruity. Loads of tart cherry and plums. Warm alcoholic finish. Silk and oil over the palate. Moderate carbonation. This is less like a beer and more of a wine or high end liquor. Thanks a million Mike.

Out of the new Lost Abbey bottle from C-Bus 7. Dark amber beer with no head at all. Tangy Brett nose of funky wet hay. I’m not a fan of sour beers, but this was not awful. Sour cherry, wood, oak, rotten oragne peel, and a long funky rotten hay finish. Not as bad as I feared, but still a beer to drink with full knowledge of what it is.