Port Brewing/Lost Abbey Track #8
What the brewers say
“The base beer for Cuvee de Tomme aged in first fill bourbon barrels. We added some cinnamon sticks to the barrels and threw in some dried chiles as well.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Moderate bourbon and alcohol, strong cherry esters, and then the raisin comes through, and blends with the toasty, nutty, caramel malt character. The cinnamon is detectable, but is still balanced.”
Flavor: “Big raisin esters. Sweet malt and cinnamon—almost graham cracker like. Alcohol heat builds in the finish, accentuated by the chili. There’s some dark fruit notes in malt, and a wine-like finish.”
Overall: “Big flavors, high alcohol, it finishes rich and sweet but not cloying. This is a beer for sipping by the fireside.”
