Port in a Port Desert

[Alex Bridgeman]

Well, strictly speaking Singapore is not a port desert but the stuff is eye-wateringly expensive that it almost compares with Canadian prices!

Anyway, I thought I would share with you all the steps I have taken to ensure port continuity during my two week trip covering India, Bangladesh, Singapore, Malaysia, China and Hong Kong.

Before leaving home I poured what was left of the 1989 Vesuvio into 4 50cc miniature port bottles. These went into my sealed plastic bag for inspection at the airport. At Heathrow I purchased duty free on eof the remaining 8 bottles of Kopke 1985 that was left on the shelf. This bottle remained upright for the duration of the flight. On arrival an Singapore, the duty free bottle was deposited in the left luggage store for collection on return to Singapore three days later.

I then headed off to the gate and boarded my connection to Calcutta, miniatures still in hand.

The consumption plan is as follows:
Monday night - 1 miniature 1989 Vesuvio
Tuesday night - 1 miniature 1989 Vesuvio
Wednesday night - 1 miniature 1989 Vesuvio; collect the Kopke
Thursday night - last miniature of Vesuvio 1989
Friday night - glass of Kopke 1985; rest into miniature bottles (8 available)
Saturday night - glass of Kopke 1985
Sunday night - 1 miniature Kopke 1985
Monday night - 1 miniature Kopke 1985
Tuesday night - 1 miniature Kopke 1985
Wednesday night - 1 miniature Kopke 1985
Thursday night - glass of 2001 Croft LBV on the plane on the way back home

Not perfect, but at least I am prepared to cope with the deprivations of travel!

Alex

[DRT]

Excellent. Hopefully you will have printing facilities so that Jdaw can produce a placemat for each day specifying date, location, port and a reminder to drink plenty of water

Derek

[KillerB]

I read this wrong and was about to give my recipe for Pears in Port with Cointreau whipped cream.

[DRT]

Friday night - glass of Kopke 1985; rest into miniature bottles (8 available)

If I'm not mistaken, 8 miniatures will hold 400ml of port. Presumably you have a 350ml "glass" from which to drink the remainder of the bottle on Friday night?

Derek

[Andy Velebil]

Well if there was any doubt that Alex is a true Port nerd, this proves it

Ohh, and I want tasting notes each day to see how it evolves in 50cc bottles

[Rubby]

I read this wrong and was about to give my recipe for Pears in Port with Cointreau whipped cream.

I misread it too, but I'll have that recipe anyway, please.

[jdaw1]

I also mis-read it, but that won’t stop me being really quite unhelpful.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I will use Julian's tasting mats carefully once I find somewhere that I can print them out without paying the equivalent of 50p per mat.

However, I am disappointed that the tasting mats did not come with water tally marks or tasting notes sheets. If they had then I would have been happy to oblige with notes recording the development of the V89 in 50cl bottles (with and without refrigeration). I am also confident that I will be able to manfully struggle through 350ml (less after allowing for decanting) of the Kopke 1985 over the weekend.

Finally, I resent the fact that ADV might have doubted that I was a port nerd although I do not recall seeing "filling little bottles to take with you on a long trip away from any decent port sources" on Derek's list of symptoms.

Alex

[jdaw1]

But no water is needed if drinking a mere miniature, and, to save on table space, notes can be recorded on the glass sheet—as happened until recent technology facilitated the tasting sheet.

[Andy Velebil]

although I do not recall seeing "filling little bottles to take with you on a long trip away from any decent port sources" on Derek's list of symptoms.

Alex

I didn't either....Derek, please add

[Alex Bridgeman]

So far all is going to plan. Vesuvio '89 finished last night (and held itself together very respectably). Kopke '85 opened and decanted this morning with miniature bottles filled and refrigerated immediately.