 CharlesDarwin (1442), State College, Pennsylvania, USA
May 7, 2007 Updated: Aug 4, 2007
<b>375mL Bottle. May 2007 Release.</b> Rosy rich, brandied nose of caramelized fig and walnut puree, jamming with a balsamic and strawberry coulis, swiftly tart and citric with stunning clarity and piquant musk. Could use some more strength and softness, but a beautiful floral bouquet nonetheless. The color of this beer is the most handsome blood red liquor alive, with capitulating fringes of gold and sunset orange. Rimmed in a tinted crisp line of goatskin. Deeply cored in crystalline clear ruby. Ah, heavenly carbonation. Wow, rushing a multitude of cataclysmic flavors upon the palate in unhurried abyss. A puckering Lambic sourness brightens up the front end with a totality of cherry juice and wildness. Acidity rise and evaporates into the sinuses, leaving a sheen of caramelized rum raisin cake on the roof of the mouth. The best part of this beer is the duality of both sourness and heavy-handed Belgian malt sugar. Truly the best of both worlds. Drying out towards the backend, with only slight alcoholic burps of heat. A peep of oxidation sidles in with an aged out EKG-like touch, which somehow seems out of place with this beer. Maybe I would have appreciated fully aged hops instead of the tired base beer’s hops? There’s some peculiar indescribable funk laying heavy on the smack. Subtle, yet active carbonation keeps the flavors popping on the tongue. The acidity on top of the largeness of the beer helps pare down the heat and barrel character. I could see how this could get rampantly over-acidic with time or barrel mismanagement. Faint edges of acetone. Lots of tangible acid notes, from fresh blood orange reduction, to palpable freshly squeezed Ruby Red Grapefruit and some musty 10-year balsamic. Everything melds so fantastically. I think it has the best unified flavor, having been borne of some many individual components. Big fermented Belgian, Sour Cherries, Brett, Barrel and time. All these elements melt together into an alchemical magic that makes this beer what it is. I can compare it only to Rodenbach Alexander, with this beer I pine for a little more cherry complexity and some earthiness from pits. Bravo Tomme. I’m glad to be able to give this a full workout without having been totally inebriated.<br />
<br /><br /><b>2001 North Vineyard. 750mL. Originally reviewed 5/7/2007.</b> <i>5/10/5/10/20=5.0</i> Tomme produces an unlabeled bottle with cryptic Sharpie markings on the cap. According to him, an unreleased early vintage. Pouring into the glass a cherubic Indian ruby sapphire, glowing with clear glassy edges and a blood rim. Aroma carries one away into an overwhelming presence of intense red fruits from across the board, cherries and raisins percolate in the core of my brain. So bright, alive and refined. Absolutely stunning. Finally passing my lips, this lubricious liquid takes form as a mindnumbing shapeshifter. What first presents itself as a unmarked, world class malt and fruit chimeric belgian strong ale, quickly cloaks itself in a world of sourness. The best of both worlds! Trying to parse out the intricate corners of the beer, I’m at a loss, it’s all too much. Rodenbach Alexander quickly comes to mind. The fruit character so deft, real and upfront. Palate couldn’t be more satisfying, yet exacting. I’ll rate again with a bottle of the current batch, but I needed to expunge my thoughts with this rarest of gems.
Schultsc (435), Henderson, Nevada, USA
Dec 1, 2008 2008 375 ml cork-finished bollte. Pours a dark mahogany brown with ruby red highlights. No head at first from a soft pour, but a thin tan head forms when swirled. The aroma is full of lovely cherry notes--dried cherry and concentrated cherry essence. Following this is a hint of light sourness over a subtle malt base. The flavor is full of clear tartness--both from fermentation and the cherry addition. A malt foundational structure is there but is very well integrated along with a significant yet well balanced alcohol characteristic. The barrel aging is quite evident as well which contributes a substantial amount of character in the form of woodiness and some slight pleasant oxidative elements. The body, for containing 11% alcohol, is completely smooth and fully integrated, and leaves a long, lasting impression in the finish both in the mouth and soft palate.
luttonm (96), Seattle, Washington, USA
Nov 29, 2008 small ’08 bottle, from a trade. Rustic brown pour.. rich w/ lots of sediment (cherry skin? probably just yeast).. probably because of a rough car ride just before opening. Fragrant, sour-funk nose that does remind of the Giradin. small tan head. rich, funky taste that has some off-brett sweet sour. depth of the body definitely reminded me of the LA angel’s share ... this definitely tastes like a PP/LA beer, which is a wonderful signature. Cherries come through quite a bit (right up there with the red-wine grapes) with a nice sour-cherry on the lips. Good oakiness but not so much bourbon (which is alright by me). hides abv really well. Interesting, worth a taste (might be ’nothing like it’ as they say) but not transcendent as far as I’m concerned.
trevor211 (155), Seattle, Washington, USA
Nov 29, 2008 Thanks to luttonm for sharing a bottle. Pours a murky brown with very little head, and a *ton* of sediment - what looks like cherry peels. The room is immediately permeated with the smell of cherries when the cork is popped. The aroma is a cherry-infused tart citrus (lemon, with a bit of funk) - reminiscent of the Girardin gueuze. Tastes of a great old cabernet sauvignon - very, very musty - notes of old oak shine, and it tastes 10 years older than it is. Still, it has some bright notes like those of a champagne, but one made with red-wine grapes. It isn’t utterly fantastic, but it’s *very* good, and carries a wonderful novelty. I adore the musty flavor, which lingers forever.
LtDan (105), Greater Los Angeles Area, California, USA
Nov 28, 2008 The Lost Abbey - Cuvee de Tomme, Vintage 2008. 12.7 oz bottle poured into my New Belgium glass. 11% abv. Served at room temperature.
Appearance: Dark brown with a pinstripe ring of tan suds.
Aroma: Sour cherries, sour grapes, oak, wine cork, and funky goodness.
Taste: Red wine, funky sourness (The Brett?). After a bit, you can really taste the wood of the barrel.
Mouthfeel: Juicy.
Overall: A very nice sour beer, but I was in search of something that I didn’t find. Hasn’t changed much with 6 months of age on it.
rederic (1507), montréal, Quebec, Canada
Nov 27, 2008 Sampled more than one time at GABF 08, cloudy brown red hue, with a beige head, but falling quickly, yeasty, funky, toasty malt, dried caramelized fruity nose of raisins, prunes, with some nice sour red cherries, with some wet oaky, winey, musty accents, some faint bourbon vanilla liquorish notes in the aroma follows through on a medium-bodied palate with a funky, sour, fruity character of dark dried raisins, dates, with a winey, musty red cherry flavor, with some hints toffee, caramelized malt sweetness, and some oak vanilla bourbon accents, leading towards a malty, fruity cherry sourness finish.
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