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1963 Dow, part of a 1963 horizontal At my father’s in Sussex, on Saturday 2nd February 2008.

Links to relevant threads:

• Review of evening as a whole;
• Hedges and Butler 1963 magnum;
• Cockburn 1963;
• Croft 1963;
• Delaforce 1963;
• Dow 1963;
• Fonseca 1963;
• Graham 1963;
• Offley Boa Vista 1963;
• Taylor 1963;
• Noval 1963.

The darkest red, and nosing strongly of mint. Much much drier than the others, HEG correctly saying “almonds†. Too dry for my taste, though the dryness particularly liked by SC.

Dow 1963 bottle (hurray for moulding name and vintage into the glass).

Dow 1963 capsule

Dow 1963 cork

Decanted for 5 hours. Deepest colour of all the '63 ports on show at this tasting. Of all things on the nose, it came with a hint of cheese crackers! Perhaps this was an external influence because more sniffing brought out the alcohol with some mandarins and cranberries. A dry entry that fills the mouth but not with sweetness; the tannins and lots of fruit come through a little later. The aftertaste is long and lingering. A very good port and with plenty of life left in it yet. 6/6 or 93/100. Drunk on 2/2/08.