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Am ‘emergency’ tasting, chez jdaw1, starting at 4:30pm Saturday 3rd January 2009. Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 1970 Fonseca;
• 1985 Fonseca;
• 1983 Dow;
• 1985 Dow;
• 1985 Noval;
• 1985 Cálem;
• 1994 Cálem;
• 1989½Â±4½ Cálem;
• Planning and arrangements, such as they were;
• Placemats.

1994 Cálem: very black to behold. Even darker than the (TCA-addled) 1985 Fonseca. Not much nose heavy plums, perhaps, faintly from a distance. To taste think heavy dark plum-like fruit, with lots of heat. Very short. Eric D rightly suggested molasses; Eric T found prunes. Later there was a strong smell of smoke, though even later that had dissipated.

Also see the ½:½ blend of this 1994 and the 1985, the blend labelled 1989½Â±4½ Cálem.

1994 Cálem: Very dark indeed, but not completely opaque. Also very closed with a little dark fruit and a vaguely floral note on the nose (violets, perhaps?) Flavor strongly of molasses, fairly tannic and pungent, rich and fairly sweet with a bit of a 'roasted' finish. Eric T suggested that the flavor was reminiscent of a fruit-flavored black tea. Needs a few years to smooth out.

The following day, with Eric D, this was basically the same but blander. The nose initially had a funk that blew off, then molasses and plums. Taste same but blander.