Two Bizarre Tasting Notes

[Alex Bridgeman]

I know that strictly speaking these are in the wrong place, but over the weekend I was helping my mum clear out my recently deceased grandmother's flat and came across two samples of port - one in a decanter that hadn't been touched probably for several years, and one in a small 5cl bottle that had been kept upright in a cupboard. I tried both, thinking only of the team at TPF, and this is what I found.

Unknown Port
Likely to have been LBV or ruby, stood in decanter for many years in full view but out of direct sunlight. Considerable sludgy deposit thrown in the base of the decanter. Very pale in colour, the colour of orange barley sugar and full of dark red precipitate swirling around in the glass. Strongly alcoholic on the nose; medicinal ”“ like the taste of a Fisherman’s Friend but with a strong lime marmalade presence. Virtually no flavour in the mouth. The texture is pleasant enough, if a little oily. After working with plenty of air some very tertiary and oxidized flavours come through but with a bitterness of blackened sugar and a completely unintegrated streak of alcohol. The aftertaste is strong, bitter and alcoholic but very long. Still just about drinkable, but only just. 75/100. 10 April 2009.

Taylors 1987 LBV
Filtered style, from a 5cl bottle stored upright and tasted on a ‟pop ‘n’ pour” basis. Heavy layer of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Very pale, barely a light straw colour in the centre ”“ some white ports have more colour! Strong bouquet, a nose full of candy floss and barley sugar. Unpleasant and woody, tasting of pine sap, in the mouth. A bitterness coats the cheeks and tongue, like biting into a bar of soap. The aftertaste is of pine sawdust, dry and bitter, but does evolve to a more pleasant bitter orange that lasts a long time. Unfortunately this is not drinkable and should be avoided. 68/100. 10 April 2009.

Has anyone else ever had the opportunity and courage to try anything like these? If so, did you find my experience roughly in line with yours?

Alex

[KillerB]

A sanity check is in order. Yes, you're insane. But thanks for taking one for the team.

[uncle tom]

The beauty is, that however badly kept, port (with very few exceptions) is always drinkable..

..and sometimes, bottles that should, by rights, be dead in the water, actually turn out to be remarkably good.

Contrast this with the Bordeaux fraternity, who sometimes pay painfully large sums for bottles that turn out to be utterly undrinkable..

Smug? - we should be..

Tom

[g-man]

I'm with KillerB on this one.

That was a brave thing to do.

[Glenn E.]

Please tell us that the decanter was at least stoppered...

[Andy Velebil]

Alex,
You are a VERY brave man!!

[Andy Velebil]

Alex,
You are a VERY brave man!!

Or you have totally lost your marbles

[DRT]

Alex,
You are a VERY brave man!!

Or you have totally lost your marbles

One has to have marbles in the first place in order to loose them

[Alex Bridgeman]

Please tell us that the decanter was at least stoppered...

Glenn - the decanter was stoppered

[Alex Bridgeman]

Alex,
You are a VERY brave man!!

Or you have totally lost your marbles

One has to have marbles in the first place in order to loose them

Are you two implying that if someone offered you free port then you would turn down at least a sip
What is the world coming to?

[g-man]

ugh, how can you be sure an unknown liquid is port? =)

[Andy Velebil]

Alex,
You are a VERY brave man!!

Or you have totally lost your marbles

One has to have marbles in the first place in order to loose them

Are you two implying that if someone offered you free port then you would turn down at least a sip
What is the world coming to?

Oh no, not at all...a sip of Port is always welcomed....except when it's an inexpensive Port that's been sitting in a decanter for years. Even I have limits

[Axel P]

You can be my wingman anytime

Axel

[JacobH]

Alex,
You are a VERY brave man!!

Or you have totally lost your marbles

One has to have marbles in the first place in order to loose them

Are you two implying that if someone offered you free port then you would turn down at least a sip
What is the world coming to?

Oh no, not at all...a sip of Port is always welcomed....except when it's an inexpensive Port that's been sitting in a decanter for years. Even I have limits

Glad to hear you wouldn't have turned down the 1987 LBV from a miniature bottle

[Alex Bridgeman]

ugh, how can you be sure an unknown liquid is port? =)

The unknown liquid was certainly port. I know this for a fact because my grandfather was fastidious about proper labelling of his decanters. Did I mention that he died six or seven years ago?

I'm trying to recall what the port most likely was. It was probably an LBV, came in a black tube style box with metal lids in each end.

[Andy Velebil]

I'm trying to recall what the port most likely was. It was probably an LBV, came in a black tube style box with metal lids in each end.

Sounds like the Ferreira reserve ruby.

[Roy Hersh]

Are you sure it wasn't a Madeira?

[Alex Bridgeman]

I'm trying to recall what the port most likely was. It was probably an LBV, came in a black tube style box with metal lids in each end.

Sounds like the Ferreira reserve ruby.

I think you're close. I recall now that it was Ferreira 1997 LBV (and certainly not madeira )