Pizza Port Cuvee de Tomme

’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.

2008 Version, 375mL bottle: Color is very dark red with a beige colored head that recedes to a ring around the glass. Smell of acetic acid, cherries, caramel, oak, dark fruits, and brown sugar. Taste is sour with cherry pits, maple, bourbon, dark fruit, and caramel sweetness. Medium carbonation with medium body. Good stuff, I look forward to trying it with a bit more age on it.

2005 and 2008 vintage Sampled at Hellbillys Hellraiser II. Thanks to Footy for the 05. 2008 Pours a cloudy brown with a bit of carbonation. Aroma of cherries, wood, sour, rasins. Flavor is cherry, wood, rasisns, sour, funk, yeast. I really enjoyed this one. 2005 Pours a cloudy brown with a little carbonation. Aroma of whiskey, cherries, wood, rasins, sourness. Flavor is whiskey barrel, cherry, rasins, sour. Quite a bit different than the 2008 but still wonderful.

Picked this one up at Lost Abbey/Port 2nd anniversary. Poured into a tulip, dark brown, active carbonation and no head. Immediate nose of cherries and wine. Tart cherry flavor with hints of wine-like alcohol. Absolutely amazing and unique aftertaste with bourbon and bready notes. This is the second bottle i have tried (the first was last years release after aging for 1 year) and have to say that i prefer it fresh.

Rating # 750: 375ml bottle from 2008 purchased at the brewery. Wow, where to start. Pours a dark dirty water brown with virtually no head or carbonation. Big aromas of sour cherries, red wine, oak and prunes. Very nice tart cherry flavor with a light tingle on the palate.