Port Tasting Notebooks Now Available
Posted: 10:56 Sat 21 Jan 2012
A little over a year ago, I posted here with some plans for designing a Port tasting-note notebook which could be used to record tasting notes in a way which would be easy to consult in a tasting.
I had a copy printed early last year, have been using it since and am rather pleased with it. It allows me to look through old tasting notes and see at-a-glance if (e.g.) all Dow 1977s I have drunk have been corked (mostly true); whether 1975 is a waste-of-time (mostly untrue); and whether the Taylor’s Finest Reserve Ruby is actually quite nice (definitely true).
Anyway, at the last tasting in London a couple of participants expressed an interest in having one, so I tidied it up a bit and had some copies printed (blank, for the avoidance of doubt, rather than with my notes inside). They have just arrived and I wondered if anyone else from
would like one?
The book starts with a few pieces of reference: a list of declarations since 1850, the quintas of the major shippers, a suggested abbreviation scheme (based on jdaw1’s), and some information about the grapes used in Port. There are then three pages for notes for the following:
The notebooks are designed for maximum usability. They are: A5 so that they are small enough not to get in the way but large enough to be able to be written in easily; spiral bound so that they can be folded open; and have a colour cover on glossy card. Inside bold headings on each page makes it easier to find the section you need.
If anyone would like a copy then please let me know. Printing and postage to the UK works out at about £7.50 per book; about £8.50 to the EU, and about £10 to the USA. I have a Paypal account which might make it easier for any Americans who would like one. Just for the avoidance of doubt, this is approximately the cost price; I am not trying to make a profit from it!
As before if anyone would like a custom one (e.g. with a bias towards wood rather than vintage Port or arranged by shipper rather than style) then just let me know. Equally, if anyone has their tasting notes in an Excel spreadsheet or some sort of database, I can have them pre-printed in the book quite easily; just drop me a line.
I had a copy printed early last year, have been using it since and am rather pleased with it. It allows me to look through old tasting notes and see at-a-glance if (e.g.) all Dow 1977s I have drunk have been corked (mostly true); whether 1975 is a waste-of-time (mostly untrue); and whether the Taylor’s Finest Reserve Ruby is actually quite nice (definitely true).
Anyway, at the last tasting in London a couple of participants expressed an interest in having one, so I tidied it up a bit and had some copies printed (blank, for the avoidance of doubt, rather than with my notes inside). They have just arrived and I wondered if anyone else from
would like one?The book starts with a few pieces of reference: a list of declarations since 1850, the quintas of the major shippers, a suggested abbreviation scheme (based on jdaw1’s), and some information about the grapes used in Port. There are then three pages for notes for the following:
- pre-1918 and pre-1950 general declarations (6 pages);
- every major declaration from 1955 to 2007 (54 pages);
- minor years pre-1919 and pre-1950 (6 pages);
- minor years by decade from 1950 - 2019 (18 pages);
- Basic, 10-, 20-, 30- & 40-Year-Old Tawny (12 pages);
- Pre- and Post-1970 Colheitas (6 pages);
- Crusted Port (3 pages);
- LBV Pre-1980, pre-2000 and post-2000 (18 pages);
- Ruby, White, Oddities and Miscellaneous (18 pages);
- Extra notes (16 pages)
The notebooks are designed for maximum usability. They are: A5 so that they are small enough not to get in the way but large enough to be able to be written in easily; spiral bound so that they can be folded open; and have a colour cover on glossy card. Inside bold headings on each page makes it easier to find the section you need.
- notebook_photo_web.jpg (73.25 KiB) Viewed 6139 times
As before if anyone would like a custom one (e.g. with a bias towards wood rather than vintage Port or arranged by shipper rather than style) then just let me know. Equally, if anyone has their tasting notes in an Excel spreadsheet or some sort of database, I can have them pre-printed in the book quite easily; just drop me a line.