I just remembered something that I came across in the tasting room at Fonseca's lodge in VNG a couple of week back. They had a set of standard ISO port glasses made from black glass. In fact I was told that although they look black they are actually very dark purple.
These are used in blind tastings to ensure the tasters cannot see the colour of the wine. Apparently many people struggle to distinguish between red and white ports when using these glasses
Has anyone ever seen these or does anyone know where to buy them? These would be great fun to have at a TCP blind tasting
Derek
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
£30 plus delivery for a set of 6. I will be ordering 6 shortly. If anyone wants some please let me know and I will add them to my order and we can save on postage. These will make their first Off-line appearance on 20 May 08
Derek
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
I would love to try these dark glasses as I know I rely a lot on visual clues to guage a port's age.
While you are free to try them on May 20, I think they may be more interestingly deployed for the first time at one of the TCP blind offlines where they can be shared among the people attending.
Until I try them, I'm not sure if I would want to buy some or would prefer to buy standard, clear glasses.
Top Ports in 2024: Niepoort 1900 Colheita, b.1971. A near perfect Port.
2025: Quevedo 1972 Colheita, b.2024. Just as good as Niepoort 1900!
I’ve heard the story about critics not successfully telling the difference between red and white wines when tasting them blind a few times before, although that was with regards to non-fortified wine, where the difference ought to be more pronounced…
It’s probably entirely irrational, but when I have drunk wine from odd coloured containers, it does seem to affect the taste. Perhaps not as a bad as tasting with a clothes-peg on the nose, but similar!
AHB wrote:I would love to try these dark glasses as I know I rely a lot on visual clues to guage a port's age.
While you are free to try them on May 20, I think they may be more interestingly deployed for the first time at one of the TCP blind offlines where they can be shared among the people attending.
Until I try them, I'm not sure if I would want to buy some or would prefer to buy standard, clear glasses.
I wasn't planning to use them for the 1980 Horizontal but thought it might be fun to each use one of these to taste the port we are serving with the steaks - only I know what that port is and it will be interesting to laugh at you all trying to guess without being able to see it
Derek
"The first duty of Port is to be red" Ernest H. Cockburn
The dark glasses are outrageous. I own 6 of them as well and the thing with "not being able to differentiate between White and Red Port" is not too far away...
Back in the 90s you could buy some Chrystal Pepsi in the US. I brought many cans to Germany challenging folks to tell me what it is. The Crystal Pepsi was totally transparent, but tasted exactly like the real stuff.
No one was able to identify the liquid, but everybody knew it.
Off-line appearance on 20 May 08 
