Cuvee De Tomme - The Lost Abbey

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

375ml corked and caged bottle poured into tulip 4/5/13 cheers Rutager for the bottle

A murky dark brown liquid with just a short lived film even after an angry pour, no lace, a few bubbles popping up here and there but it looks pretty still

S smells nice though with prune and raisin coated in brown sugar but I don't get much cherry or funk but just a little, some oak and vanilla with a hint of booze

T I get a little more tart cherry then I could smell on the nose but still not much, lots of brown sugar both crystal and burnt, some plum perhaps as it warms

M nearly flat, medium-full with some heat and faint tannin, plenty room for improvement in this department perhaps more cherry on the finish then anywhere else

O the nose and tastes pretty solid but it just doesn't follow through in other areas, I suppose the most important aspects are taken care of but I'm a little let down

I'm guessing I opened one of the classic Lost Abbey's dead bottles, no where near "off" but it needs some life to be a great beer. I can see how many things could go wrong brewing something like this but I doubt this is exactly what the envisioned

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 05:46:28 | More by wordemupg

riored4v

Colorado

4.44/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2009 release enjoyed on 4/22/13

Poured in to a tulip. Clear, deep ruby colored body. Very little amount of head that faded quick.

Aroma had good amounts of oak, dark fruit and cherries. Good vinegar and acidic tartness. A bit pruney and earthy. Mellow maltyness.

Taste was great with loads of cherry and mouth puckering tartness. Oak, prunes and dark fruits also present. A bit lemony, acidic and vinegary. Mild maltyness. Some light notes of chocolate and caramel. Very nice tartness in the finish. No signs of ABV

Mouthfeel was medium body with a medium/high carb and a super dry finish.

Overall this was phenomenol and well worth the money. Great blend of flavors and tartness was excellent.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 01:25:39 | More by riored4v

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.36/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

This poured out kind of flat looking which is always a disappointment to me. Had some minimal bubbles around the edge of the glass but with time they vanished. The beer is murky brown looking with plenty of sediment floating around. The smell of the beer is funky with a boozy sweetness mixed with the cherry aromas. The taste are a sour tart cherry flavor upfront with a very subtle vanilla oak flavor in the finish. The mouthfeel I the beer is smooth, kind of flat which is a shame. Overall this beer has great taste and aroma but falls short in most other aspects.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 21:33:49 | More by Knapp85

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.06/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12.7oz bottle, 2011 vintage
Lost Abbey tulip

A: Murky brown color. Really no carbonation ala Lost Abbey. Nearly still. No light gets through. Have to knock it for the carbonation.

S: Dark cherries. Booze. Sweetness. Tartness. Strange malt sweetness, almost brown sugar and toasted caramel a little bit.

T: Definitely get that tart cherry flavor up front. Continues throughout the palate. Definitely get on back end too, like a cranberry juice lingering. Overall flavor is like a Flanders Red almost. Can't believe ABV is as high as it is. Tastes lower. That tart cherry and malt balance. Dry tart finish.

M: Medium full bodied. No carbonation is a fail. Sucks.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 18:33:13 | More by inlimbo77

popery

California

4.56/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

From notes, 1/31/11. Bottle. This is a delicious sour. It’s got tons of sour cherry flavor, but it doesn’t quite overwhelm the palate. Lots of acidity. Great pucker. Good funk in the aroma. Finishes dry and sour. It’s fairly complex, but the barrel notes kinda get lost. It’s a dark brownish red beer with no head, really. Very wine-ish. It’s one of the best from TLA and a wonderfully dry, fruity beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 02:04:50 | More by popery

portia99

Massachusetts

4.21/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle (2009) poured into an Old Guardian glass

A - pours a very clear mahogany color with a thin off white collar

S - raisins, tart cherries, brown sugar, powdered sugar, booze

T - tart, cherries, toffee and caramel

M - medium bodied, lower carbonation, tart, warming alcohol

O - very good beer, a bit on the fringes of the wild ale style with less focus on the sour and showing an even balance between the cherries and the malt in the flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 01:43:49 | More by portia99

Trilogy31

California

3.79/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Vintage 2010 i am guessing based on when i picked this up. A murky dark brown with a slight rhubarb hue - zero head and zero carbonation. The nose and taste really mirror eachother minus a big acetic balsamic note on the finish. Notes of sour cherry, barrel, bourbon caramel, light tobacco, puckering citrus along with a rich malty note. Overall i enjoyed this complex beer but it was undone by its complete lack of carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 02:49:02 | More by Trilogy31

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.73/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This was sent to me by biglobo8971 way back in the day. Thanks Brandon!

Served in an Olde Hickory glass.

A: Poured a grape juice color, with almost no head to speak of (BA brews rarely do), maybe just a couple of mounds of bubbles.

S: Like a fine red wine with a sour twist. Sour cherries, vanilla, a bit of wood. Very potent indeed.

T: Perhaps I took to big of a gulp because my jaw just locked. I definitely good the richness from the quad upfront, but the late mid to the finish was pure sour cherry jubilee. I didn't get any bourbon taste, but the smooth, buttery, velvety finish could have been none other.

M: Pretty thick as far as these wild yeast beers go, somewhat acidic, but not totally a sour bomb. After a few sips, once the palate warm up to the flavors and sensations, the brew becomes somewhat smoother and creamier. No lacing left on the glass.

O: Totally blown away here. This is the best beer I've had so far in 2013.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 04:00:09 | More by Chaney

cosmicevan

New York

3.33/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Notes from a tasting on 12/6. Big thanks to mike for the share.

Enjoyed from a lost abbey teku. vintage 2009?

bottle opened WITHOUT a pop (uh oh). pours still as the night. maroonish purple. smells super sour and rubbery. tastes like a brown ale with some funk and oak. definitely sour. rubbery sourness. i wish it was the beer without the barrel since the base beer seems interesting. little acetone, some heat, but flat like crazy...overally drinkable, but the lack of carbonation is a big let down.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 02:18:54 | More by cosmicevan

reto21

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2010 Vintage from brick store pub

A: Dark, murky brown body. Very little head, more like a soapy white film develops, but does stick around throughout the tasting. Surprisingly a good amount of silky lacing remains and really boosts the beers appearance.

S: Cherries, sour notes, not overpowering and have a nice sugary undertone. Light hints of bourbon that builds as the beer warms. Caramel and raison notes poke through on the tail end and become quite potent later in the tasting.

T: Pow, that will wake up your taste-buds. Cherry flavors are infused with sour notes. Bourbon and caramel hints are a nice contrast and really round out this beer nicely.

M: Very low to no carbonation, still highly drinkable.

O: I really enjoyed this glad i got to try it

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 13:21:09 | More by reto21

writerLJBerg

Oregon

2.08/5  rDev -50.8%
look: 1 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

375mL courtesy of Shane. Thanks! 2012 vintage.

A: Murky brown with no lacing. This is completely flat. Damn.

N: Cherries and bourbon. Vanilla and caramel. The sourness rises just above the cherries. And there are a lot of cherries here. Marionberry and prune. The smell is quite pleasant.

T: Muddy. Lots of sour cherries mixed with an overpowering sweetness of caramel and bitter chocolate. I admittedly cringed a bit. I've had this before, and it s not nearly as weird, I swear. There is so much cherry here, and it might be the saving grace. If this beer had one. Vinegar and acetone. Honey - almost like a mead.

M: Slick and oily and sharp. Not good.

O: I really don't understand what happened here. Last time I got a bottle of this (a 750mL) this was sublime. Tart and sharp and perfect. This is an unmitigated disaster. And I have one more. With any luck, this will taste good in 2014. And if it seems I'm being overly harsh, it's because I know how good this beer can be.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 04:35:39 | More by writerLJBerg

pigc

Nebraska

3.65/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a dark, murky brown with a minimal head that fades quickly

S - Tart cherries, alcohol, figs, raisins, plum, bourbon.

T - Tart cherry and raspberries up front followed by a wave of semi sweet bourbon and raisins. Picking up some spice, almost a cinnamon taste on the finish. Somewhat medicinal.

M - Medium bodied with decent carbonation. Decent tartness and acidity.

O - This one is sweet and sour. Somewhat over the top for me. I like the idea of trying to meld the tartness with the sweet bourbon qualities but it seems to lack that cohesion that brings them together.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 03:46:18 | More by pigc

oline73

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a 2009 bottle that Tomme brought to the DC Lost Abbey tasting. Poured from the bottle into a tasting snifter.

Appearance: The beer pours a reddish dark mahogany color with almost no head at all.

Smell: Tart red berries with some mild roast and caramel notes. Nice.

Taste: Lots of red fruit sourness up front. A mild caramel malt like sweetness. Some vinegar sourness as well. There is a bitterness that shows up in the finish along with the fruit and tartness.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This is one of the better dark sours I've had. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 00:41:54 | More by oline73

augustgarage

California

4.08/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2010 Vintage - Poured from a 375mL bottle into my Drie de Fonteinen tumbler.

A vigoros pour produces only the most transient evidence of carbonation. A turbid cordovan/bole liquid admits no light and supports not so much as a surface slick. No legs or lacing.

Lovely barrel-derived aromatics suggest bourbon and dark red wine in equal measure. Vanilla, tobacco, mulberry, and more are suggested, albeit delicately, in the nose.

Potent, tart, leathery palate entry is packed with flavor, yet restrained and well integrated. Low but deep vinuous quality emerges along with hints of wood. A dark malt element contributes a touch of burnt sugar, but the sourness and aged flavors prevent the beer from ever tasting sweet. Dry, dusty, tannic, nearly smokey finish.

Medium-light bodied, with no carbonation, though not necessarily a fault with this style at least...

Judgment Day is here transformed into something closer resembling a wine than an ale. Careless with the carbonation perhaps, but the flavor is superior, comparing well to some of the best offerings from Rodenbach in fact...will re-visit when I get around to cracking open my 2009 vintage.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 03:55:44 | More by augustgarage

t420o

California

4.48/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Cuvee de Tomme

Bottle from the brewery
 

A- pours a murky rose/purple/blackish color. No head or lacing. 3  

S- like red wine with a little bourbon and cherries. 4.5 

T- supurb. Very wine like with some bourbon and cherries like the smell. Awesome f'n beer. Nice and sour just like I like it. 4.5  

M- good mouthfeel. A bit thick. Light carbonation but it is there. 4 

O- a wonderful beer that was an absolute pleasure to have. I'd love to have a case of this. 5

A

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 02:20:17 | More by t420o

chugalug06

Colorado

2.2/5  rDev -48%
look: 1 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Brown color brew. No carbonation, head, lacing, or desirable characteristics.

Nice sour brown (with cherry) scent. Tart, sweet, and fruity. Slight wet cardboard.

FLAT, dry, and Zero carbonation. Horrible, tart, musky copper taste. No heat, but weird distracting bitterness. The initial cherry/apple flavor is nice, but once the brew reaches the back of your tongue its horrible.

The only thing nice about this brew is the scent. sadly, this brew ended up as a drain pour... I hope to try it again, when LA figures out how to produce carbonation, but not at the $18 price tag.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 01:55:37 | More by chugalug06

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375 ml bottle, no bottled-on date, poured into a tulip. Can't find a date on this anywhere, presumably the 2011 vintage.

A- Pours a dark, murky raisin/brown color. Produces no head or lacing whatsoever.

S- Very complex aroma, some tart cherries mixed with a sweet, fruity aroma of raisins and figs as well as caramel, toffee, vanilla, and bourbon and oak. Moderately boozy. It smells great, there's a lot going on here.

T- Pretty awesome, initial rush of cherry, lactic tartness recedes into a sweet center of bourbon, caramel, toffee, oak and vanilla. Lingering sweetness in the finish, nothing cloying, lots of barrel character towards the end.

M- Medium to full bodied, carbonation is low but still has enough to not be totally flat, has a very dry, tannic finish.

O- This is a damn awesome beer, the flavors are delicious and extremely complex, drinkability is pretty good for such a big beer, alcohol is well-masked for the most part. It's a bit pricey, but this is a really enjoyable beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 23:09:29 | More by WillCarrera

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev -22%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Purchased from the brewery last month, poured into two stemmed Lost Abbey tulips and shared with DaftCaskBC.

Appearance. Very turbid maroon-brown with no head to speak of.

Smell. Sweet, sweet fruits; cherries and berries, some sherry and cognac with some barrel wood and vanilla.

Taste. Caramel raisins, sweet cherries, red wine, wood and a little sherry.

Mouthfeel. Medium-full body with almost no carbonation.

Overall. Very interesting beer, lots of flavours going on here but they don't work very well together for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 13:32:46 | More by Rutager

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

2.28/5  rDev -46.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Thanks to Rutager.

A: No head over turbid brown liquid.

S: Buttery, fatty, apples, malt vinegar.

T: Butter, malt vinegar, raisins, and apples.

M: medium viscosity and carbonation.

O: not very tasty or drinkable. Won't be visiting this one again any time soon

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 04:04:10 | More by DaftCaskBC

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

4.18/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

Big thanks to FosterJM for this one!

375 mL bottle poured into a tulip at cellar temperature. I worked for about 5 minutes to rip this cork off. Man, was that thing in there.

L - Ruby-brown color with a few brown bubbles that develop as a head. Quickly dissipates into a few bubbles around the glass at the liquid’s edge and an oil slick on the beer surface in the center. Actually a tiny bit of lacing with the small number of bubbles that are present.

S - Complex aroma here. The vinegar acidity from Acetobacter and/or Lactobacillus is definitely here, along with a subtle mustiness possibly from Brettanomyces. There’s a solid presence of cherries and a subtle grape aroma from the wine barrels. There are also some woody and vanilla aromas here, probably from the bourbon barrels. Maybe a tiny bit of alcohol present, but it could just be the acidity. Smells just like I hoped it would.

T - Cherry, grape, and vanilla sweetness appears up front and quickly develops into cherry and grape sourness. This tongue-tickling, almost mouth-puckering sourness builds and eventually gives way to a dry, woody mustiness.

F - Light-bodied, no carbonation whatsoever, tingling mouthfeel from the acidity, and a nicely dry finish. Sourness lingers for a nice amount of time, but the mustiness and dryness sticks around for longer. Due to the light body and complete lack of carbonation, it feels rather thin. Feels very much like wine.

O - This was very tasty and perfectly sour enough to be drinkable (as opposed to a sipper). It smells and tastes great but the lack of body really holds this one back. It drinks way more like wine than beer due to the ABV, flavors and aromas, and lack of carbonation. That being said, it was a very enjoyable sour, the ABV was hidden extraordinarily well, and I’m very, very glad that I got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 21:59:31 | More by BlackBelt5112203

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

What a strange and obviously, divisive beer. Pours a murky looking brown with reddish highlights; pretty much no head or lacing at all. The expected lack carbonation, I see. Aroma is full and complex, oak, sour cherries, vinegar, vinous notes, dark fruits. Flavor follows suit. Lots of sour cherry, woody, oaky notes, a fair amount of vinegar, booze goes completely undetected.

The mouthfeel is where this beer really kind of petered out for me. It’s nearly still, medium-thin bodied, but totally lacking life, so it feels closer to wine than anything else, and more like a poorly cellared, past-its-prime vinegar mess. Some lively carbonation would really give this beer some drinkability and character that I felt was sorely lacking. Watery.

It’s an interesting bottle and I was glad to have tried it. There is a lot of complexity here and it’s certainly thought-provoking. However in the end I found it to be a bit of a failure, and I like sours. There’s just not enough that’s appealing here, and certainly not at the price this one goes for. If you like old vinegar wine or stale cider you may enjoy this but I certainly wouldn’t buy or trade for this one again.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 18:26:13 | More by tobelerone

ThePorterSorter

New York

4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review #300

The beer pours a deep dark brown with no head and little carbonation. It looks like ripe cherries and is definitely getting me hyped to taste. The smell is also incredibly ripe cherries with a subtle touch of brine and sourness. An absolutely lovely taste follow through with a dry, sour aftertaste mixed with cherry sweetness. It's definitely got a slightly medicinal aftertaste, but there's so much going on it's not distracting. It's a super drinkable sour with notes of deep pit fruits and screams cherries. Worth trying for sure.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 01:26:22 | More by ThePorterSorter

TotallyHosed

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to dimce for the bottle.

I've scored this one below average in the appearance category, because there is no head. However, beyond this one criticism, the brew looks good. It's a dark reddish brown that allows no light to pass.

The nose is the best aspect of this beer, because it is rather complex. I pick up sour cherries, vanilla extract soaked raisins, and some wine barrel.

The flavor does not reach the excellence of the nose, but comes real close. The sour cherries dominate the flavor, but do not hide the complexity. Following the cherries is what I'm still calling vanilla extract soaked raisins. This must be the bourbon barrel notes mingling with the raisins or mingling with the wine barrel notes. The aftertaste is a little tart and sour, but it's the vanilla, wood and raisins that linger.

The feel is rather light and free of carbonation.

Overall this is a great beer. The complexity of the nose and palate are what make me respect the brew. Although there is no head or carbonation, I don't think this detracts from the overall experience. I'm going to acquire another bottle next year.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 22:26:22 | More by TotallyHosed

mattsander

Alberta (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A: The bottle is almost totally flat with only the faintest indication of any bubbles. Deep brown and very murky. This is not an attractive beer to look at.

S: Sweet rummy quadruple vibe with burnt sugar, a bit of booze & raisins. Lactic sourness melds beautifully with vanilla oak-barrel character. Some butterscotch elements. Very complex, very appetizing, I love it.

T: It's interesting how the acidity of CdT changes my perception of typical quadruple flavors. All the elements I love in a quad are present but they brightened up significantly by the cherries, pedio and lacto. Lots of oak, raisins. Finds a very appetizing balance between sweet and sour. Little to no vinegar character which is ideal.

M: It's really a shame that my bottle wasn't carbonated. I think this could have been a truly spectacular beer had the bottle conditioning gone better.

O: Despite the carbonation blunder this is a delicious and highly complex beer. I'd buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 22:39:32 | More by mattsander

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

2.78/5  rDev -34.3%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Poured from a corked & caged bottle into a CCB snifter. Can't find a vintage, so I assume it's 2011. 375 mL bottle.

A- pours dark brown with no head at all. Nearly no pop upon opening the bottle. So, this is going to be flatter than a board...lovely!

S- aroma is actually pretty nice, loaded with cherries with a hint of bourbon as well

T- sour cherries, but there's an odd taste behind it as well...just an overwhelming rotten flavor to go along with the funk. Not very palatable

M- medium bodied, on the thin side

O- never trading for or buying LA ever again. I have a bottle of Serpent's Stout left, and once that's gone, I'm done with them. This is the third issue I've had with their bottles, and I'm done.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 00:06:07 | More by bigfnjoe