Pizza Port Cuvee de Tomme

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-Ratings.asp?BeerID=3958&FanOfID=18655>Gulden Draak, <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Ratings.asp?BeerID=9290&FanOfID=18655>Goose Island 1800 Demolition, <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Ratings.asp?BeerID=30519&FanOfID=18655>Avery 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?eventID95>The 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

Another highlight of the GABF: sour cherry, brett aroma, Light wood and the funky sour brett flavor I have come to love. Truly remarkable beer.

GABF 05. This was one of my favorites of the fest. Sampled many times over 2 days. Pours a deep brown with a nice liight tan head. Aroma is loaded with funkiness and fruit- mostly cherry with some apple and plum in there as well. Lots of brett yeasty funk with barnyard horseblanket and everything else brett. Flavor has a lot of oak and wood with some earthiness, spice and much more fruit. Finishes mostly tart from all the fruit and a bit sour form the yeast. Awesome brew. Not like you can compare the 2 but this was much better than the MOAB from which tomme is made. This doesnt even taste close to 11.5% abv.

GABF - tend to avoid rating things from fest, but as with a few others I parked myself here and had sample after sample - which all confirmed this to be a truly fine beer. Remarks from other raters are more remarkable than mine. My observation is the basic acknowledgement of the pleasure found within this.

Corked Bottle thanks to DarkElf. Beautiful aroma of tart fruit upon popping the cork. Pours out a deep brown color with a reddish hue and a small lacing head. The Taste was extremely complex, maybe more so than anything I’ve ever had. Taste of tart fruit with notes of burbon along with some cocoa and some earthy flavors on the finish. Reminded me more of a cabinet than a beer. Great brew, aging the other bottle I have sitting around.