Pizza Port Cuvee de Tomme

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

Sampled at the 3rd Annual Festival of Wood & Barrel-aged Beers held at Goose Island (Wrigleyville branch), Chicago, IL. Served from a tap. Belgium quadruple aged with cherries in bourbon barrel. Brown-black hued ale having long lasting large tan head with good lacing. Pronounced sour-sweet cherry aroma. Average carbonation. Medium bodied that starts with a slightly sweet, mouth puckering flavor of sour cherry, tobacco, prune flavors and finishes with lingering sourness. No discernable hop. Sourness made this beer tough to drink, even if cherry scented and flavored.

Loved this beer! Dark copper color with red highlights. Hoppy, chocolatey aroma. Taste of hops and cherries with a slight hint of oak/wood. No hot edge for a beer with such a high alcohol content.

Dark chestnut body under a fleeting copper head. Tart cherry, spice, balsamic vinegar greet the nose, joined by notes of caramel. A hint of the barrel wood also present. Like a sparkling wine in texture to some extent. The flavor had a sourness that didn’t appeal to me.

Festival of Barrel-Aged Beer at Goose Island, Wrigleyville. My second beer of the day, and one of my most memorable. On the nose, dried cherry and caramel. On the palate, I’m met with the wonders of Brett funkiness, with more dried fruits (raisin, cranberry), and more toffee. The oak imparts the vanilla and the nutmeg, which altogether blends for a phenomenal Belgian. I’d drink this over the Abbaye des Rocs series any day.

Thick & mahogany colored with a large initial head that settles to a brown, oily film. Rich caramel & bourbon woodsiness in aroma (very lovely). High on alcohol & sweetness with mild vinegar notes. Predominantly sour & odd in flavor with cherries and Brett stealing the show. Vinous and sour... nothing like the Belgian Strong Ales that I enjoy (<a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Rat Draak, <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Rat Island 1800 Demolition, <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Rat the Beast, etc.)

After all of the hub-bub I’d heard surrounding this beer, I found it a neccessity to sample (and I encourage others to do the same.) I applaud the brewers in their skill and innvovation, yet a beer is a work of art, open to interpretation and depedent upon the palate of the patron. I appreciate this beer as I appreciate the works of Rothko, Pollock, Picasso, Christo, et. al.: Skillfully manipulated, bold, avant garde and well-presented... yet the finished work falls short of and does not appeal to my personal tastes.

<font size=-4>Sampled at <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/events-detail.asp?eve Third Annual Festival of Barrel-Aged Beer, Chicago, IL<font size=-1>

aroma was slightly acetyl and apple, but the cherries were strong and there was the faint hint of wood. color was coppery with some reddish highlights and a very thin lacing. the flavor was fantastic, the cherries and the oak gave it an almost wine like quality, with a tart finish that was lip-licking-good. no hint at all of the ABV, and having had this immediately after a MAOB, would definitely consider this the top of the PizzaPort line.

Thanks to hopdog for this... Appears looking like a merlot. No head or lacing is left but it definitely looks interesting. Smell is awesome. Lots of brett with an oakiness, rasperries, and vinous aromas. Taste is very vinous with raspberries and sour cherries coming through. Mouthfeel is sour but slowly fading and pleasant and unique. Drinkability...I love this, especially the aroma.

Bottle acquired in trade with DarkElf (thanks). Silver foil and labeled CUSU28.. I opened this one up and dedicated it to the birth of my second Daughter Eve. Poured a darker reddish color with almost no head at all. Ohh the aromas of brett, cherries, and oak with a vinous quality to it. Tastes of dark fruits, brett, wine, and cherries. Nice tart cherry finish. Alcohol content well hidden. Has a very nice complexity to it.
Had this a bunch more times and various vintages. Gotta bump the #s up