Cuvee De Tomme - The Lost Abbey

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle obtained via trade with LuckySevens82. Thanks for the opportunity... Corked and caged.

Poured into a Rapscallion glass, formed 1 1/4" of airy tan head over the deeply burgundy brew. Head lasts well due to brew's effervescence, and lacing is heavy and frothy. Aroma is fermented cherries, with a creamy vanilla tinge to it. Taste is dominated by the sour cherries, then goes into lots of oaky barrel character, and closes with some alcohol warming. Mouthfeel and drinkability are both great. Interesting brew here, pretty much defies logical description from me.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2005 00:25:13 | More by ppoitras

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.8/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Gold Foil (North Vineyard)
Hand Bottles #CUNU40

Presentation: 750ml green flask bottle with a wrap around label which has a picture of four stillaged wooden barrels arranged around a large hourglass which in turn has a pocket watch sliding through the middle, in front of all of this are four piles of luscious red cherries. Simply called ‘Cuvee de Tomme’ and listed as 11.5%. The reverse of the label explains that this creation is a bold Belgian Style Ale that is a blend of 4 sources of fermentable sugars, American oak, sour cherries and 3 separate stains of Brettanomyces. 2003 marks the 5th Anniversary of Cuvee de Tomme.

Appearance: I decided, for some strange reason, still unbeknown to me, to use a Glenlivet Whisky Glass for this. Like a fine claret, the clear burgundy body shimmers when backlit, yet it exhibits some mahogany when laid to rest on my desk in the twilight. On the pour a small amount of translucent dark brown reddish skinned bubbles quickly form but they are only ever one bubble deep. The soapy bubbles have a tainted appearance, yet no color; they slowly dwindle to leave an utterly smooth stagnant surface and no lacing whatsoever. Oddly enough the short & wide dimensions, and the heavy base, of the Glenlivet Glass somehow added class to this one, as though it needed it. The last third of the bottle pours like a fine Wine.

Nose: Oh yeah baby! Lick my cherries!!……holy wow, lots of sourness in the acidic nose, vinegar soaked cherries litter the nose with some alcohol tinges. Wild yeasts with a Wallonian Brune and a Flanders Red dimension punctuates the middle. Acerbic cherries and high end alcohols, tart and complex in the finish. Utterly inviting.

Taste: Dry sour cherry skinned start that has a stripping feel on the enamel of your teeth. Tart brown tannins coat the tongue, and a rasping wet tea bag feel licks the cheeks along with wet oaky wood chips. Funky Brett is detectable, but it is extremely low key, and has more of a supporting role rather than front line presence. The ending huge, hard to forget once sampled, yet it is hard to describe at times. Complex to say the least.

Mouthfeel: OK, it says 11.5% on the label…..hmmmm, it is 11.5%...yes, it IS 11.5%...IT *IS* 11.5%!!....no it really is…..SHITE it’s 11.5%!!!!...doesn’t come across as such. Somehow the complex nature of this high quality brew completely evaporates the entire issue of alcohol; it’s not even on the agenda. No burn but some warmth. Even without carbonation, this Cuvee projects a *huge* body in the mouth.

Drinkability: The massively complex body is thoroughly enticing; glass, after glass, after glass, after…….Hey, who was it who said drinking lots of good beer is like masturbating; most of us do it, and secretly enjoy it, but rarely talk about it for fear of projecting the wrong image. That’s how I feel right now. I think that I know that I should feel guilty about drinking a whole 750ml bottle of this to myself, shouldn’t I???

Overall: Fuck me, I really love this stuff…….so damn awesome, so lovely, so complex, so adorable, yet so unique….so…well, just so Tomme Arthur & Pizza Port. Much dryer, more acidic and better than the Silver Foil (South Vineyard) I think. I really don’t think I can wait much longer to crack my lone bottle of the recently released ‘Black Label’ Cuvee de Tomme which I was lucky enough to pick up whilst passing Solana Beach last month.
Damn, I knew I should have got more :’-(

As the Irish would say, “Saints Forgive Us”……

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2005 06:39:58 | More by TheLongBeachBum

erica

California

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

OK, Same deal as with the MOAB, Mr. LBB so graciously drove me out to Solana Beach (among many other places), which is where I got this bottle. It was the latest batch, the one with no foil, done at Russian River and all that.

This beer, when opened, was way too excited to get out of the bottle, it reminded me of Oer Bier, which also always gushes out for me, I imagine the yellow Oer Bier man is in there and is really anxious to get out really fast; maybe this was Tomme trying desparately to race out of the confines of the small 750ml bottle, barely being caught into several glasses before finally calming himself. The beer was tea-coloured, a slightly red-brown with a light tan fluffy head that, after the initial explosion, settled rather quickly to just a thin covering. The first thing that hit my nose was ALCOHOL. Very very alcoholic aroma, followed by cherries and a teeny bit of vanilla hiding in the background. Tasted not as alcoholic as it smelled, it was a bit oaky, very fruity with tart cherries in the forefront, very desirable in my opinion, along with other dried fruits like apricots, plums and grapes. I got a very roasted, almost too bitter aftertaste, but not really off-puttingly bitter. I really really liked this beer, it made me smile big, which was a difficult feat, considering I drank this after my first day back at work from a week-long gorgeous California vacation. But this did the trick, it made me smile. Mouthfeel was hot, and by hot I mean HOT. I felt this beer, Tomme if you will, going down the whole way, it was that warm. Cozy almost. Drinkability is very good because of the smiley cherry goodness, despite the slightly over-alcoholic feel to it. In the end it gave my tongue a tingly sensation, by the end of my glass- yes, I only had half a bottle of this, I felt quiet tingly, almost into my fingers even. It was quite nice and snuggly, and I'm oh so happy I got to try it. Good times. :)

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2005 02:32:28 | More by erica

LuckySevens82

Florida

4.68/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle direct from MJ's Rare Beer Club. Poured into a St. Bernardus goblet.

Pours a deep ruby color with just slight hints of brown. Head is off-white, but vanishes almost as soon as it is poured. Lacing, however is nice as is the collar.
Smell is woody, very woody. Oak is followed by strong alcohol and cherries. A very slight brett funk and caramelly sweet malts. Definite tannins and a slight bit of yeastiness.
Taste is very interesting. Almost wine like. Sour cherries dominate as well as a funky brett characteristics. Some tannins and oakiness. Very slight caramel and hops finish this out. Alcohol is present, but very well hidden under the sourness.
Overall, a very interesting and excellent beer. I'm extremely glad that I had a chance to try this.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2005 02:13:31 | More by LuckySevens82

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.78/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Incredible. Complex. The bottle talks about an experiment that led to lightning. A Cantillon plus. The yeast, the sourness,the berry, the cherry. Pizza Port, here I come. Radekfest 05 sample 33, thank you Eyedrinkable. Best 1% of beers I have ever had.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2005 02:40:33 | More by northyorksammy

marburg

Michigan

4.63/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

With the initial sip revealing a flurry of flavor that knocks one on one's ass, my initial fear was that this was too intense -- that something unnatural had been unleashed that represented a bastardization of quality Belgian ale.

Fortunately, my first impression was full of crap.

Distinct aromas of cherry, oak, whiskey, vinegar, and rubbing alcohol develop a strange, invigorating impression in my mind. I'm excited by this.

Its strength is immediately evident. It takes one or two sips to adjust to the alcohol after spending several days sipping on homebrew porter, light tripels, and weisse beer. Once the palate is accustomed to this territory, however, the ride is a blast. Charred wood, pure cocoa, cherry, acetic acid, and a vinous, tannic sort of red wine flavor form an immense flavor profile rivaled only by the fizziness of the mouthfeel of this particular bottle. At times, the tartness is downright dominant, making this feel particularly Belgian. Other moments have me think I'm sucking on the tap of some newfangled bourbon and merlot barrel aged extreme ale. At times, I swear there's a numbing bitterness that lingers and lingers.

In any case, the intensity of the alcohol and the flavors limits my ability to consume this moreso than I was hoping but not more than is realistically expected for a beer of this size. Excellent stuff, despite the small gush of beer that emerged at its uncorking.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2005 03:43:30 | More by marburg

cracker

Pennsylvania

2.25/5  rDev -46.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

I'm probably the first person who did not like this one. Not sure if it was a 'bad sample' or what. Had it at the Michael Jackson tasting at Penn in Philadelphia. Perhaps the beer was poorly handled or something?

Anyways smell is interesting...a fruity port like wine aroma. Aroma and boquet was very intriguing and enticing. However the taste was of acetic acid to me...too much so. I''ve had Belgian sour ales before but this one was pretty much vinegar. No hops whatsoever. I realize that this brewery is well known and makes quality beers but I simply just did not like this one. Maybe it needs several years of aging for the raw, young flavors to mellow out?

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2005 16:56:26 | More by cracker

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tomme, himself, poured this for me recently at the BURP Spirit of Belgium 2005 conference. It was a deep, dark brown color with a light, brown head. The thing that really jumped out on the nose was the scent of alcohol, which prepared me for the somewhat hot mouthfeel, accomapnied by a taste of sour cherries. The finish was extremely sour with the cherry flavor really asserting itself. After a moment, I also began to tatse lightly of sharp cheese. A very interesting drink, mos def.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2005 23:13:44 | More by woodychandler

Rastacouere

Quebec (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Silver foil. Not much head, looks like quelque chose and the aroma has some common notes too. Muddy brown with bold reddish reflects. Although it’s totally unique, I’d compare it to an oerbier reserva. It has an appealing earthy cherries aroma that lets you know from the smell it’s gonna be thick. Leafy, heavy vinous, airy, bitter, sweet licorice, leather and various brett tangles. Enjoyable aroma, at the limit of 8 and 9 for me, but the taste is even more so. Extremely vinous, working wonders with a sharp cheddar as I imagine it with plenty of cinammon, I could imagine mulling this. Sharp and strong herbal character, rhubard, star anise, cloves. Never feels like 11.5%.. Maple, flowers, chocolate, meat, caramel, mud, ashes etc... Liquorous texture, very syrupy, not quite still, but definitely lparticularly ightly carbonated. Surprisingly never too sweet, warming and drying out. A sensory overload. I plead guilty to still expecting it to be better though as I’ve been hunting that one since it had almost no ratings. Thanks Eyechartbrew!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2005 18:16:29 | More by Rastacouere

beerguy101

California

4.38/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Dark brown color. Small head. Aroma is chocolate, fruits and malts. A very complex beer. There are definite and separate flavors of; sour cherries, chocolate, raisins, rum and bananas. Nicely mixed and well balanced. Touch of alcohol bite at 12%. Very smooth taste. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter. Nice, complex beer, hides the alcohol well.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2003 01:35:13 | More by beerguy101

jcalabre

California

4.15/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Originally sampled on 9 March 2003 at Pizza Port's Belgian Beer Fest in Carlsbad, CA. Dark brown pour, it looked like a porter. A nice aroma of sour cherry hits you. As it aired, lots of notes of brandy & complex flavors came out. A beautiful sipping beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2003 18:53:14 | More by jcalabre