Pizza Port Cuvee de Tomme

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.

Old black label: Poured a cloudy reddish brown color. Aroma was pretty tart. This had a pretty weak body to it. New bottle: Poured dark brown with a reddish color. Almost looked still, no carbonation at all. was a little tarter than the older version and had a much better malt profile to it.

Bottle thanks to JohnC. Pours a deep amber brown color with no head. Aroma is dominated by cherries, and some maltiness. Flavor is malty, a hint of sugar, and sour cherries. 5/31/08 ’08 Pours a hazy amber brown color with a tan head. Aroma is funky, oak, brett, cherries, sweaty, and horse blanket. Flavor is cherries, brett, oak, tart, and a funky sweaty finish.

Tried at OBriens, who was generously selling bottles to drink at the bar. My wife was also generous enough to let me drink on her birthday, today. Sampled with a Judgement Day as a comparison. Judgement day is the base beer for CdT. They look the same, and you can taste many underlying similarities, but then the CdT takes over and rules. The aroma of cherries is wonderful, but not overpowering like Lindemans. Very well mellowed from aging. Perfect balance of sweetness and mild tartness. Very drinkable, despite the unnoticable 11% alchohol. A truly well rounded spectacular beer. Oh, I wish I could drink it everyday. 4.4, should be be a 4.5?, probably. Tried again at the Lost Abbey 1st Annual Barrel Tasting. Without aging CdT smells like a young red wine. Deep Red Black color. As if enough red could become black. Very tart also like a young red. After barrel aging, the aroma and flavor differences are amazingly different. Wonderful full oak in the aroma. Tartness has faded. A bit of buttery caramel sweetness that I like. Still is better in the bottle with carbonation and a slight chill. 12/30/07: Tried a 2003 vintage from deftim13. First bottling, but second year of the beer. unnumbered, but labeled CVNV3: CuVee North Vinyard 2003. No pop. Uncarbonated. Burnt amber color. This bottle was stored in the cellar below PP Solano untouched until now. Was told this is sourer than others, but it didn’t seem extra sour to me. 11.5% is unnoticable. Lot of sour cherry aroma. My last beer of the day, and I don’t feel good drinking this. 9,3,8,3,17:4.0.

Rating #900. 375 fresh bottle from Moejuck. Pours completely, totally dead flat. I’d wonder if there were something wrong but other people mentioned it, so I dunno. Aroma is lightly tart cherries, raspberry, chocolate malts and hot alcohol. Not too much complexity. Taste is much bigger, bustling with activity, dark breadiness/pumpernickel and warm malts up front, raspberries along the side of the tongue and a dry, slightly chalky finish. Very chewy and filling with little heat in the taste. Muddled wine and grains skirt the tongue at the fore. I must admit, I’m pretty disappointed with this. It really, really needs some carbonation. One of the most appealing attributes of fruited beers like this is the spritziness they gain from the carbonation, almost like a highly complex and rich soda. This is completely missing that, and really I don’t think it’s that complex, either. With carbonation this probably would’ve done 4.2 or so. I’ve got a black label 750 sitting in the cellar, we’ll see how that one goes.