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I was re-waxing a number of bottles today one of which was a Sandeman 1966. As this was the first time I needed to re-wax one of these I examined my tag to discover that I had bought this bottle as part of my first ever purchase of Port on this day in 1986. So 38 years of buying Port; am I the senior buyer in the group?

I tasted my first Port in 2004, so you're definitely my senior!

Well, I was born in 1984, and even though I'm from a Port producing family, I'm sure I wasn't drinking it *that* early!

My first Port like substance was Hardys Whiskers Blake Tawny Port back in 1987 or 1988. It wasn't true Port, but it was drinkable enough for me to file it away in the back of my brain...for 25 years. Once my kids were grown and through college I had a little more disposable income and started trying and buying Port.

The Port I’ve owned the longest is a bottle of Vesuvio 1989 I bought in 1994, so eight years later than Justin’s Sandeman 1966.

I do recall working out of Belgrave House in Buckingham Palace Road in the 1980s, when the Lloyd’s crisis forced the Lloyd’s names to liquidate assets. Just round the corner from the office was a branch of Oddbins who had bins of halves of Warre 1983 priced at £2 a half. I bought loads, and drank the last of them about 10 years ago. I wasn’t keeping records of my purchases in those days, but I estimate that I was probably only a couple of years behind Justin.

So yes, you are the senior buyer over me.