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In 2010 the annual Christmas event, The Unknown Shipper and His Peculiar Friends, happened on Thursday 16 December.

Links:

• Review of the evening as whole;
• Tasting notes:
  • 1904 Croft;
  • Unknown, perhaps 1917 Taylor;
  • 1917 Unknown, perhaps Croft or Fonseca;
  • 1927 Martinez;
  • 1942 Niepoort;
  • 1947 Smith Woodhouse;
  • 1955 Barros;
  • 1955 Taylor;
  • 1955 Tuke Holdsworth;
  • 1966 Fonseca;
  • Vargellas Crusted bottled 1969;
  • 30Y Niepoort Tawny;
• Planning and arrangements;
• Paperwork (tasting-note sheets, and several sets of stickers).

Very pale. Slightly stinky on the nose. In the mouth quite elegant but not quite as attractive as the previous Smith Woodhouse 1947 we tried. Moral of the story? Smith Woodhouse better matures with cracked bottles?

From a bottle with mid-shoulder fill. Very pale in colour, 20% opaque. Stinky nose that's full of cauliflower. Very sweet in the mouth, little fruit; some rose hip but mostly brown sugar. Really long finish of mild brown sugar. Good port, but not a stunning showing. 88/100.