Cuvee De Tomme | The Lost Abbey
Brewed by:
The Lost Abbey
California, United States | website
Style: American Wild Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 11.00%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
Once upon a time it was the most award winning Pizza Port beer of all time. Now it has found a new home at The Lost Abbey.
A massive brown ale base that is made from four fermentable sugars including Malted Barley, Raisins, Candi Sugar and Sour Cherries, this beer is fully fermented before being placed in Bourbon barrels where the beer ages for one year with the Sour Cherries and the wild Brettanomyces yeast that we inoculate the barrels with.
Hi Evelyn!
Added by jcalabre on 06-14-2003
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Reviews: 411 | Ratings: 1,187
4.16/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
On-tap at Chuck's Greenwood in Seattle. Tasted 3 June 2016.
Pours a deep, murky brown. More head than the glass would take, decent retention, some lacing. Fine.
Smell is a lovely mix of potent sweet malty stuff, cherries, sharp acidic sour. Really nice.
Taste is like an unbalanced version of the smell. The fruit comes through, but all the subtlety is blasted out of the way by the sour, which is a little more acrid than I'd like.
Feel is good. Fairly heavy, but well carbonated to keep things moving. Feels like a sour, with that prickly lightness dominating any residual malty sludge I thought I might get based on the appearance.
A decent sour. The taste is chaotic, and I lose things I'd like to be able to taste.
★ 724 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
On-tap at Chuck's Greenwood in Seattle. Tasted 3 June 2016.
Pours a deep, murky brown. More head than the glass would take, decent retention, some lacing. Fine.
Smell is a lovely mix of potent sweet malty stuff, cherries, sharp acidic sour. Really nice.
Taste is like an unbalanced version of the smell. The fruit comes through, but all the subtlety is blasted out of the way by the sour, which is a little more acrid than I'd like.
Feel is good. Fairly heavy, but well carbonated to keep things moving. Feels like a sour, with that prickly lightness dominating any residual malty sludge I thought I might get based on the appearance.
A decent sour. The taste is chaotic, and I lose things I'd like to be able to taste.
★ 724 characters
4.24/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Looks a brown and red color, more brownish. Thin head 1/5" off white to tan. Aroma was nice, berries, cherries, oak, dark fruit, sourness.
Taste hid the alcohol amazingly well, lots of wine (red) notes, tannins, vanilla. Man, the base beer for this sucks by itself, but do this magic and it comes along so nice. Carbonation issues have come around, they used to be close to flat and terrible customer service from the brewery made some shy away. I've checked 'em out when I can get the 375ml bottles for $15, but I wouldn't stock up, its just a nice beer to have in the cellar for a special occasion.
★ 606 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Looks a brown and red color, more brownish. Thin head 1/5" off white to tan. Aroma was nice, berries, cherries, oak, dark fruit, sourness.
Taste hid the alcohol amazingly well, lots of wine (red) notes, tannins, vanilla. Man, the base beer for this sucks by itself, but do this magic and it comes along so nice. Carbonation issues have come around, they used to be close to flat and terrible customer service from the brewery made some shy away. I've checked 'em out when I can get the 375ml bottles for $15, but I wouldn't stock up, its just a nice beer to have in the cellar for a special occasion.
★ 606 characters
4.59/5 rDev +10.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Appearance - Pours a beautiful burgundy color with great clarity despite the dark nature. The head is a light tan with zesty carbonation and a short height.
Aroma - The nose is tart but is ripe with sour cherry, vinious notes, and a strong barrel presence. The oak imparts subtle aromas of vanilla and wood with an underlying bourbon sweetness.
Taste - The flavor is quite complex as it spans the spectrum from sweet to sour while delicately balancing a vinegar note that just goes far enough without being overwhelming. At first, the barrel comes along deliver a surprisingly strong vanilla taste that serves as a foundation for the sour notes to play on. I'm actually surprised that the sweetness comes through so much, but it is very welcome. From there, the tannic qualities of the barrel serve as a segue for the tartness to come. Cherries form the strongest flavor here, giving both sour and an earthy, pit taste. It finally leads to a vinegar note that pushes the boundaries of the level I like in this type of beer, but never fully crosses the line. Rounding out the finish is a resurgence of sweetness, as the vanilla combines with the oak and bourbon to allude towards a booze-soaked cherry dessert that is delicious.
Mouthfeel - The mouthfeel is medium-bodied with okay carbonation. This serving is from a growler that was filled about a week ago, so there's probably some variance here. The feel on the palate is great, though, as the tartness forces some puckering, and when combined with the tannic astringency of the barrel, is a winning duo.
Closing Arguments - Overall, this is a wonderful beer. It is complex enough that it evolves over time, but the formula throughout is the same. The barrel and cherries are the stars here, and the play between them as the temperature changes is a thing of beauty. While there is a boozy quality, it never seems hot, and I would never guess this is an 11% beer. This is a beer I will surely seek out in the future.
★ 1,973 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Appearance - Pours a beautiful burgundy color with great clarity despite the dark nature. The head is a light tan with zesty carbonation and a short height.
Aroma - The nose is tart but is ripe with sour cherry, vinious notes, and a strong barrel presence. The oak imparts subtle aromas of vanilla and wood with an underlying bourbon sweetness.
Taste - The flavor is quite complex as it spans the spectrum from sweet to sour while delicately balancing a vinegar note that just goes far enough without being overwhelming. At first, the barrel comes along deliver a surprisingly strong vanilla taste that serves as a foundation for the sour notes to play on. I'm actually surprised that the sweetness comes through so much, but it is very welcome. From there, the tannic qualities of the barrel serve as a segue for the tartness to come. Cherries form the strongest flavor here, giving both sour and an earthy, pit taste. It finally leads to a vinegar note that pushes the boundaries of the level I like in this type of beer, but never fully crosses the line. Rounding out the finish is a resurgence of sweetness, as the vanilla combines with the oak and bourbon to allude towards a booze-soaked cherry dessert that is delicious.
Mouthfeel - The mouthfeel is medium-bodied with okay carbonation. This serving is from a growler that was filled about a week ago, so there's probably some variance here. The feel on the palate is great, though, as the tartness forces some puckering, and when combined with the tannic astringency of the barrel, is a winning duo.
Closing Arguments - Overall, this is a wonderful beer. It is complex enough that it evolves over time, but the formula throughout is the same. The barrel and cherries are the stars here, and the play between them as the temperature changes is a thing of beauty. While there is a boozy quality, it never seems hot, and I would never guess this is an 11% beer. This is a beer I will surely seek out in the future.
★ 1,973 characters
3.72/5 rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
2012 pour at the Monk's Kettle. Dark amber/murky brown with an insignificant head. Aroma is partially toffee (likely oxidation), touches of sweet sugarcane, minor fruit esters. Nice mouthfeel with medium light tartness, Flavor is not entirely enticing. Interesting sour.
★ 270 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
2012 pour at the Monk's Kettle. Dark amber/murky brown with an insignificant head. Aroma is partially toffee (likely oxidation), touches of sweet sugarcane, minor fruit esters. Nice mouthfeel with medium light tartness, Flavor is not entirely enticing. Interesting sour.
★ 270 characters
2.49/5 rDev -40.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Look: Poured into a Chuck's Hop Shop taster. Brown body, very thin white head.
Smell : Same as taste.
Taste : Red fruits, light bourbon, a little brown suger, wood.
Feel : high carbonation, medium body, light sourness, harsh sensation at end, I don't know if it was the alcohol or not.
Other: The flavors really clash in this one, and nothing seems to mesh together. A year or two would probably sort it out.
★ 413 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Look: Poured into a Chuck's Hop Shop taster. Brown body, very thin white head.
Smell : Same as taste.
Taste : Red fruits, light bourbon, a little brown suger, wood.
Feel : high carbonation, medium body, light sourness, harsh sensation at end, I don't know if it was the alcohol or not.
Other: The flavors really clash in this one, and nothing seems to mesh together. A year or two would probably sort it out.
★ 413 characters
4.04/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Serving Type: Bottle
Consumed: 11.21.15
A: 4 Pours a cloudy, reddish-brown. No head at all; totally flat.
S: 4.25 Aromas are very nice. There’s lots of cherry, mild vinegar, oak, vanilla, raisins, and mild funk. Reminds me a lot of Rodenbach grand cru with more fruit and warm, toasted oak.
T: 4 Flavors start off a bit sweet and move into a pleasant, lactic tartness. Cherries and blackberries mix well with oak and vanilla. Tannic oak is pretty strong, but doesn’t give off a strong bourbon character. Finish lingers with slight, fruity sweetness.
M: 3.75 Like the pour suggested, this beer is very undercarbonated. Since it’s a big beer, the lack of carbonation makes the beer feel heavy and slick.
O: 4 If this beer was carbonated it would be stellar; it’s actually surprising how good it tastes flat. Still a pretty nice beer with some interesting flavors. I’ll just grab Rodenbach next time.
★ 912 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Serving Type: Bottle
Consumed: 11.21.15
A: 4 Pours a cloudy, reddish-brown. No head at all; totally flat.
S: 4.25 Aromas are very nice. There’s lots of cherry, mild vinegar, oak, vanilla, raisins, and mild funk. Reminds me a lot of Rodenbach grand cru with more fruit and warm, toasted oak.
T: 4 Flavors start off a bit sweet and move into a pleasant, lactic tartness. Cherries and blackberries mix well with oak and vanilla. Tannic oak is pretty strong, but doesn’t give off a strong bourbon character. Finish lingers with slight, fruity sweetness.
M: 3.75 Like the pour suggested, this beer is very undercarbonated. Since it’s a big beer, the lack of carbonation makes the beer feel heavy and slick.
O: 4 If this beer was carbonated it would be stellar; it’s actually surprising how good it tastes flat. Still a pretty nice beer with some interesting flavors. I’ll just grab Rodenbach next time.
★ 912 characters
4.1/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Flat, nice cherry, good bourbon, but lacking much in the way of sour. However the lack of carbonation is really what ends up hurting the beer. Better sour would have been nice though.
★ 185 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Flat, nice cherry, good bourbon, but lacking much in the way of sour. However the lack of carbonation is really what ends up hurting the beer. Better sour would have been nice though.
★ 185 characters
3.65/5 rDev -12.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
Served in a Teku
L: Light brown with a massive white head
S:Funk dominates with some cherries
T: Wood, ripe fruit, cherry, no sourness, light bourbon
F: No alcohol, thick
O: meh,
★ 179 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
Served in a Teku
L: Light brown with a massive white head
S:Funk dominates with some cherries
T: Wood, ripe fruit, cherry, no sourness, light bourbon
F: No alcohol, thick
O: meh,
★ 179 characters
4.25/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: pours a dirty red/brown color, almost no head.
S: cherries, and chocolate hints. funky sour smells as well
T: cherries and raisins. A nice tart lingering cherry flavor
F: crisp, with not much carbonation at all
O: A nice brew!
★ 234 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: pours a dirty red/brown color, almost no head.
S: cherries, and chocolate hints. funky sour smells as well
T: cherries and raisins. A nice tart lingering cherry flavor
F: crisp, with not much carbonation at all
O: A nice brew!
★ 234 characters
4.16/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
EBF sample. Pours a turbid, light brown color. Aroma is both sweet and tart. Reminds me of a Flanders Oud Bruin. Cherries are tart and also sweet smelling. There is also a good dose of funk and other fruits. A bit oaky. The flavor is sweet with some dark fruits and caramel and cola. Also there is a good dose of tart cherry. Quite complex. Finishes with some oak. Has some heftiness to the body but I'm shocked that it's 11%. I've wanted to try this for a while and I found it to be a rather interesting 2 ounces.
★ 514 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
EBF sample. Pours a turbid, light brown color. Aroma is both sweet and tart. Reminds me of a Flanders Oud Bruin. Cherries are tart and also sweet smelling. There is also a good dose of funk and other fruits. A bit oaky. The flavor is sweet with some dark fruits and caramel and cola. Also there is a good dose of tart cherry. Quite complex. Finishes with some oak. Has some heftiness to the body but I'm shocked that it's 11%. I've wanted to try this for a while and I found it to be a rather interesting 2 ounces.
★ 514 characters
3.84/5 rDev -7.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Very cloudy, light brown color. Modest head but plenty of spotty lace on the glass. The liquid is brown.
Slightly sour with a bit raspberry and cherry to the nose.
The flavor follows the smell. Not extreme like some. There's an element of darker malts. I detect no bitterness. A mild sour.
★ 293 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Very cloudy, light brown color. Modest head but plenty of spotty lace on the glass. The liquid is brown.
Slightly sour with a bit raspberry and cherry to the nose.
The flavor follows the smell. Not extreme like some. There's an element of darker malts. I detect no bitterness. A mild sour.
★ 293 characters
4.5/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Look: Pours an opaque brownish amber, with a light head and some lacing
Smell: Cherries, bourbon, and oak
Taste: Cherries, raisins, fruit, bourbon, oak, some nice tartness. The bourbon integrates well and enhances the flavors, rather than overpowering them
Feel: Light body, crisp carb, dry dry dry finish
Overall: Excellent brew
★ 334 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Look: Pours an opaque brownish amber, with a light head and some lacing
Smell: Cherries, bourbon, and oak
Taste: Cherries, raisins, fruit, bourbon, oak, some nice tartness. The bourbon integrates well and enhances the flavors, rather than overpowering them
Feel: Light body, crisp carb, dry dry dry finish
Overall: Excellent brew
★ 334 characters
4.96/5 rDev +18.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
2014 bottle, served SF cellar temp about 59* f
Almost like wine, minimal carb.
Great big cherry smell, damn!!!
Damn lots of matured cherry in taste, no acid or vinegar!! Def wood in taste, not a secret. Beer is big!
Maybe missing a few bubbles but I dont care, this is fantastic!!
Best beer I can think of for lees then $15, I think I paid $13 @ Wholefoods on Friday sale...
Not sure how people get this Quad confused, what other master brewer can cherry out a quad like this??
★ 478 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
2014 bottle, served SF cellar temp about 59* f
Almost like wine, minimal carb.
Great big cherry smell, damn!!!
Damn lots of matured cherry in taste, no acid or vinegar!! Def wood in taste, not a secret. Beer is big!
Maybe missing a few bubbles but I dont care, this is fantastic!!
Best beer I can think of for lees then $15, I think I paid $13 @ Wholefoods on Friday sale...
Not sure how people get this Quad confused, what other master brewer can cherry out a quad like this??
★ 478 characters
4.47/5 rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On draft at stone liberty station. 12%
Appearance: opaic dark brown with red highlights when held to the light. Initially had a big tan head that quickly dissipated to a thin wispy layer.
Nose: huge cherries and brett. I was expecting a typical quad but this smells of a great sour.
Taste: this beer has everything. It starts with a medium sourness on the tongue with loads of cherries and raisins. Then there is a sweet caramel sugar I usually associate with big Belgium quads. Finally there is a dry chocolaty, roasty flavor bursting through at the end.
Mouth: high carbonation balanced with the mouth puckering sour is perfect. The dark sugar mixtures balance the massive 12 % alcohol perfectly.
Overall: one of the best beers I've ever had. There is a combination of sour and aged old ale / quad I've never come across before.
★ 838 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On draft at stone liberty station. 12%
Appearance: opaic dark brown with red highlights when held to the light. Initially had a big tan head that quickly dissipated to a thin wispy layer.
Nose: huge cherries and brett. I was expecting a typical quad but this smells of a great sour.
Taste: this beer has everything. It starts with a medium sourness on the tongue with loads of cherries and raisins. Then there is a sweet caramel sugar I usually associate with big Belgium quads. Finally there is a dry chocolaty, roasty flavor bursting through at the end.
Mouth: high carbonation balanced with the mouth puckering sour is perfect. The dark sugar mixtures balance the massive 12 % alcohol perfectly.
Overall: one of the best beers I've ever had. There is a combination of sour and aged old ale / quad I've never come across before.
★ 838 characters
4.99/5 rDev +19.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
An excellent Flanders brown. Poured a dark brown (SRM 37) out of the tap. Minimal head. Medium tart, but balanced with the sweetness of the roasted malt, it is not too acetic and puckery. ABV listed at 11 percent, but there is absolutely no alcohol burn. Huge beer that manages to hide its alcohol in tartness and malt and notes of sour cherry and vanilla. Great take on the Flanders brown.
★ 390 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
An excellent Flanders brown. Poured a dark brown (SRM 37) out of the tap. Minimal head. Medium tart, but balanced with the sweetness of the roasted malt, it is not too acetic and puckery. ABV listed at 11 percent, but there is absolutely no alcohol burn. Huge beer that manages to hide its alcohol in tartness and malt and notes of sour cherry and vanilla. Great take on the Flanders brown.
★ 390 characters
4.2/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
On tap at the Aptos St. BBQ. Been quite a while since I had the opportunity to try this well crafted beer. The wine barrel aging really dominates the flavor profile (at least that's what I detect, though the recipe doesn't list any wine barrel aging), giving the beer a lightly sour, wine infused finish. You still pick up some light chocolate and malty sweetness from the underlying base beer, and the overall combination of flavors is quite. Aptos St. was doing small, 5 ounce pours of this beer, which I found was just right for me (would have had difficulty sipping a pint or even a 12 ounce tulip of this beer). Overall, another solid effort from the folks at Lost Abbey.
★ 681 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
On tap at the Aptos St. BBQ. Been quite a while since I had the opportunity to try this well crafted beer. The wine barrel aging really dominates the flavor profile (at least that's what I detect, though the recipe doesn't list any wine barrel aging), giving the beer a lightly sour, wine infused finish. You still pick up some light chocolate and malty sweetness from the underlying base beer, and the overall combination of flavors is quite. Aptos St. was doing small, 5 ounce pours of this beer, which I found was just right for me (would have had difficulty sipping a pint or even a 12 ounce tulip of this beer). Overall, another solid effort from the folks at Lost Abbey.
★ 681 characters
4.5/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours muddy dark brown with absolutely no head. Very complex aroma with dark fruits like sour/bitter cherries, figs, dates, plums and some nice bourbon. Taste starts tart with the fruits mentioned and finishes slightly bitter and tart. Bourbon is present all the way. Long, pleasant aftertaste. Quite balanced considering all the ingredients. Body is pretty heavy with almost no carbonation. Overall this is an excellent beer. One of the best and most complex sour beers I ever had.
★ 482 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours muddy dark brown with absolutely no head. Very complex aroma with dark fruits like sour/bitter cherries, figs, dates, plums and some nice bourbon. Taste starts tart with the fruits mentioned and finishes slightly bitter and tart. Bourbon is present all the way. Long, pleasant aftertaste. Quite balanced considering all the ingredients. Body is pretty heavy with almost no carbonation. Overall this is an excellent beer. One of the best and most complex sour beers I ever had.
★ 482 characters
4.09/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The Lost Abbey's Cuvee de Tomme, Quad brewed with raisins, with cherries added then aged Bourbon barrels. 11% ABV.
A: No head; just a very slim ring of tiny bubbles around the edge. No lacing. Decent sheeting. Brown/tamarind, with a reddish tint. Nut brown, with a slight yellow rim, in the dimple.
S: Tart Morello cherry as soon as the bottle is opened. Yeah, lots of super tart Morello cherry! Slight barnyard funk. Some raisin and molasses backing. A slight Bourbon caramel note.
T/MF: Oh, odd. A pretty decent tartness up front, directly from the cherries. Doesn't seem to be from sour inoculation. There seems to be a bit of bitter chocolate in there. Definitely molasses, cherry pit. Slight oak on the back. A faint Bourbon-y alcohol on the back of the throat and on the chest. Yeah, I definitely feel this one in the chest. Cherry sweetness on the very tip of the tongue, but it's well disguised by the sharp acidity. A bit of hay and barnyard around mid-tongue. A weird light, yet sharp, sweetness towards the back of the tongue. I'm feeling the alcohol in my belly, as it settles. Very interesting. Date or prune, also around mid-tongue. A lot of layers going on. Fig, acai, peach pit, apple seed. A good amount of non-hop bitterness on the back end, mostly in a seed/stem kind of way.
A great experience beer, but not something I could see wanting to drink regularly. I'm wondering if a different kind of barrel would have suited it better. Brandy, perhaps...
Poured from a 12.7 oz. bottle, into a Belgian tulip glass.
★ 1,533 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The Lost Abbey's Cuvee de Tomme, Quad brewed with raisins, with cherries added then aged Bourbon barrels. 11% ABV.
A: No head; just a very slim ring of tiny bubbles around the edge. No lacing. Decent sheeting. Brown/tamarind, with a reddish tint. Nut brown, with a slight yellow rim, in the dimple.
S: Tart Morello cherry as soon as the bottle is opened. Yeah, lots of super tart Morello cherry! Slight barnyard funk. Some raisin and molasses backing. A slight Bourbon caramel note.
T/MF: Oh, odd. A pretty decent tartness up front, directly from the cherries. Doesn't seem to be from sour inoculation. There seems to be a bit of bitter chocolate in there. Definitely molasses, cherry pit. Slight oak on the back. A faint Bourbon-y alcohol on the back of the throat and on the chest. Yeah, I definitely feel this one in the chest. Cherry sweetness on the very tip of the tongue, but it's well disguised by the sharp acidity. A bit of hay and barnyard around mid-tongue. A weird light, yet sharp, sweetness towards the back of the tongue. I'm feeling the alcohol in my belly, as it settles. Very interesting. Date or prune, also around mid-tongue. A lot of layers going on. Fig, acai, peach pit, apple seed. A good amount of non-hop bitterness on the back end, mostly in a seed/stem kind of way.
A great experience beer, but not something I could see wanting to drink regularly. I'm wondering if a different kind of barrel would have suited it better. Brandy, perhaps...
Poured from a 12.7 oz. bottle, into a Belgian tulip glass.
★ 1,533 characters
3.95/5 rDev -5.3%
2009 bottling.
Oh buddy the aroma has tart as fuck written all over it. Can I handle this? Has it aged well?
Not much pop of the cork. Color is a dark brown. A few scattered bubbles clear out quick.
Vinous in almost every way aroma-wise with plenty of sour, dark fruits (including cherries of course) and an aftershock of vinegar. Some spent grain and
The taste is tart all the way, but not overwhelmingly so. Suprisingly balanced with a medley of ripe fruits mixed with sour fruits, yeast, vinegar, and a bit of vanilla and spice.
The alcohol heat is trumped by the flavor, and barely noticeable.
This one didn't seem to suffer at all for it's age, and maybe I'm just getting used to sours, but I'm going to finish this one off and wish for more.
★ 764 characters
2009 bottling.
Oh buddy the aroma has tart as fuck written all over it. Can I handle this? Has it aged well?
Not much pop of the cork. Color is a dark brown. A few scattered bubbles clear out quick.
Vinous in almost every way aroma-wise with plenty of sour, dark fruits (including cherries of course) and an aftershock of vinegar. Some spent grain and
The taste is tart all the way, but not overwhelmingly so. Suprisingly balanced with a medley of ripe fruits mixed with sour fruits, yeast, vinegar, and a bit of vanilla and spice.
The alcohol heat is trumped by the flavor, and barely noticeable.
This one didn't seem to suffer at all for it's age, and maybe I'm just getting used to sours, but I'm going to finish this one off and wish for more.
★ 764 characters
3.85/5 rDev -7.7%
Tastes like a sour old ale. Nice sour cherry nose and you certainly get the sour cherry flavor. This beer could use some sort of carb. There is none. It's a little pricey for what it is. Expected something more complex or complete. It's a solid sour if you're a big sour cherry fan.
★ 288 characters
Tastes like a sour old ale. Nice sour cherry nose and you certainly get the sour cherry flavor. This beer could use some sort of carb. There is none. It's a little pricey for what it is. Expected something more complex or complete. It's a solid sour if you're a big sour cherry fan.
★ 288 characters
4.66/5 rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
I had this at Moeder Lambic, 375ml bottle served chilled, poured in a tulip.
The color is a dark translucent brown with practically no head wth sunny red hue when held to the light with small bead ring. The smell is intense with tons of oak and dark fruit-cherry and light bourbon with stone fruit presence and light woody accent alongside a caramelized sugar and gentle vanilla aroma with the cherry odor continuing with an almost raisin-like yeast accent and mild alcohol in the back. The mouthfeel is tangy up front with rich malt and sour presence with sligh hint of sweetness and dry warming effect following with alcohol evident. The feel has a light woody texture with subtle acidity of fruit with a dry slight astringent wild yeast character with the complexity of bourbon's alcohol influence as it finishes dry.
The flavor is lovely with a mld vanilla mixed with sour cherry and bourbon juxtoposition just tantalizing along with gentle tangy yeast with the sour elements blending well with the mild alcohol and wood from the bourbon with cherry skin tannin in the finish and warmth of the bourbon continuing in the back with slight dark sugar accent. The tangy sour is in harmony with the carmelized malt flavor with light sour flavor of fruit and mellow fruity sweetness combining to finish tart with a drying alcohol taste and barrel tannin in the end. Overall this is a true joy to savor -for a strong 11% ale to have a quad base and the cherry and sour elements all working in unision is a testament with exceptional drinkability with the bourbon enhancing the overall enjoyment-great mix of fruit and barrel aging in this.
★ 1,640 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
I had this at Moeder Lambic, 375ml bottle served chilled, poured in a tulip.
The color is a dark translucent brown with practically no head wth sunny red hue when held to the light with small bead ring. The smell is intense with tons of oak and dark fruit-cherry and light bourbon with stone fruit presence and light woody accent alongside a caramelized sugar and gentle vanilla aroma with the cherry odor continuing with an almost raisin-like yeast accent and mild alcohol in the back. The mouthfeel is tangy up front with rich malt and sour presence with sligh hint of sweetness and dry warming effect following with alcohol evident. The feel has a light woody texture with subtle acidity of fruit with a dry slight astringent wild yeast character with the complexity of bourbon's alcohol influence as it finishes dry.
The flavor is lovely with a mld vanilla mixed with sour cherry and bourbon juxtoposition just tantalizing along with gentle tangy yeast with the sour elements blending well with the mild alcohol and wood from the bourbon with cherry skin tannin in the finish and warmth of the bourbon continuing in the back with slight dark sugar accent. The tangy sour is in harmony with the carmelized malt flavor with light sour flavor of fruit and mellow fruity sweetness combining to finish tart with a drying alcohol taste and barrel tannin in the end. Overall this is a true joy to savor -for a strong 11% ale to have a quad base and the cherry and sour elements all working in unision is a testament with exceptional drinkability with the bourbon enhancing the overall enjoyment-great mix of fruit and barrel aging in this.
★ 1,640 characters
3/5 rDev -28.1%
C+
375 dark cola quad color indeed, zero head zero lacing zero carbonation
the aroma is a delight, lots of cherries, a deep developed sour, the underlying quad is in evidence
a strong lactic sour dominates the initial sensation then ends up dominating everything, lots of cherry, lots of wood, lots of bugs. Very sharp dry twang.
nearly medium bodied mouthfeel
some brew, quite a few in fact are fine with little to zero carbonation
but this isn't one of them, very disappointing
rarely do I drainpour but that's because I rarely buy a brew without an
understanding of what to expect
no cheers
jd
★ 603 characters
C+
375 dark cola quad color indeed, zero head zero lacing zero carbonation
the aroma is a delight, lots of cherries, a deep developed sour, the underlying quad is in evidence
a strong lactic sour dominates the initial sensation then ends up dominating everything, lots of cherry, lots of wood, lots of bugs. Very sharp dry twang.
nearly medium bodied mouthfeel
some brew, quite a few in fact are fine with little to zero carbonation
but this isn't one of them, very disappointing
rarely do I drainpour but that's because I rarely buy a brew without an
understanding of what to expect
no cheers
jd
★ 603 characters
4.15/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2009 vintage
Snifter pour with nice carbonation. Pours an amber/brown colored ale with a beige head. Burgandy highlights. Light foam around the glass.
Aroma consists of red vinegar, red wine, cherries, old school funk and oak.
Taste is sour cherries with noticeable red wine characteristics. Slight vanilla on the aftertaste. Wood and oak present as well. Good stuff.
Overall I was pleasantly surprised, but no overwhelmed by this pricey brew. Was happy to have tried it but the overall cost would make me think twice about consuming another. Still a good beer and session though.
★ 584 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2009 vintage
Snifter pour with nice carbonation. Pours an amber/brown colored ale with a beige head. Burgandy highlights. Light foam around the glass.
Aroma consists of red vinegar, red wine, cherries, old school funk and oak.
Taste is sour cherries with noticeable red wine characteristics. Slight vanilla on the aftertaste. Wood and oak present as well. Good stuff.
Overall I was pleasantly surprised, but no overwhelmed by this pricey brew. Was happy to have tried it but the overall cost would make me think twice about consuming another. Still a good beer and session though.
★ 584 characters
4.24/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
One tap at Capone's during Philly beer week. Served in a 5.5 oz nonic glass.
Appearance: Pours brown with hints of red. Small head dissipates relatively quickly.
Smell: Sour cherry, lacto, some slight malt sweetness cuts through that sourness as well.
Taste: Same sour cherry and lactic acid character that dominated the aroma. Also accompanied by a medium high sourness. Slight sweet caramel presence comes through as well.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a creamy mouthfeel. Medium levels of lively carbonation. Yes you read that right. It's carbed! (I realize carbonation in this beer is a bottle issue. Lighten up)
Overall: Another really good one from Lost Abbey. I can't speak for the bottled version, but on tap this was excellent. Really glad I finally got to try it.
★ 779 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
One tap at Capone's during Philly beer week. Served in a 5.5 oz nonic glass.
Appearance: Pours brown with hints of red. Small head dissipates relatively quickly.
Smell: Sour cherry, lacto, some slight malt sweetness cuts through that sourness as well.
Taste: Same sour cherry and lactic acid character that dominated the aroma. Also accompanied by a medium high sourness. Slight sweet caramel presence comes through as well.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a creamy mouthfeel. Medium levels of lively carbonation. Yes you read that right. It's carbed! (I realize carbonation in this beer is a bottle issue. Lighten up)
Overall: Another really good one from Lost Abbey. I can't speak for the bottled version, but on tap this was excellent. Really glad I finally got to try it.
★ 779 characters
Cuvee De Tomme from The Lost Abbey
4.17
out of 5
based on 1,187 ratings.
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Appearance - The beer seems to be a deep amber color with little visible carbonation.
Smell - The nose is sour with a pleasant oakiness.
Taste - I am impressed with an overall sour profile. The cherry is sour but has a background of sweetness from candy sugar. The oak gives a dry impression that continues to the end. I also get a little of cinnamon. The cherries matured nicely in this one.
Mouthfeel - Though it seems thin, the oak gives an impression of stickiness.
Overall - This is great. Seek it.
★ 511 characters