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To celebrate the Quinquagenary of AHB, he arranged a horizontal of 1963s in Wokingham at The Cantley House Hotel (evenings of Friday 11^th and Saturday 12^th October 2013) and The Walter Arms (lunch on Saturday 12^th), and two evening Champagne tastings for our better halves. Sadly the venue was not able to accommodate all he would have liked to have invited. Diaries had been blocked since early 2012, and bottles had been gathered for most of a decade before that. A splendid weekend indeed.

This 1863 Burmester was a late addition to Friday evening’s event. Also see the review of the event as a whole.

Some links:
• Review which includes links to the Champagnes; Placemats and their Parameters;
• Fri evening 1963s: VS QH GC Ck G | Kh Pç Mg Av F | RV Rs S Dl Cn;
• Sat aftern’n 1963s: Sb RVi RCV Ad RO | Dm BBR T Cr Ni | Mk Fd O Mz;
• Sat evening 1963s: MC W D N NN | A B&I Df PS Cv | GB Cá CáF B Fr;
• Others: 1863 Burmester, 1977 Warre (tappitt hen), Martinez Crusted bottled 1973, 1966 Château Batailley (magnum).

B 1863: not everyday drinking. Green-brown, 30% opaque. Nose verdelho-like, and burnt sugar. Same notes in the palate, with heat, but much of the weight and power had faded. Past its prime, but standing up and making a fight of it, impressively for its age. One of the best Victorian ports of my experience, such as it is.

Unfortunately my notes on this have disappeared I do not disagree with anything JDAW has said above. A rare experience to drink such an old port that still has something to offer. Interestingly, it improved in the glass, which is not typical of old fragile ports that have a tendency to fall apart after an hour or so.

1863 Burmester Reserve Novidade Port
Bottled in 1932 and recorked in 1942. Green and yellow edge, tea colored. Nose of nutmeg, saddle leather and honey. The palate was sweet honey, cinnamon, lovely acidity and light on it’s feet. Not super complex yet what was there stayed for a long time. A very elegant old Port.
94 Points

Olive green rim, mud coloured centre. Powerful rubber bands on the nose, a touch maderised but with some brown sugar and grapefruit acidity. Gentle palate, smooth entry with powerful acidity providing a focus. Lots of lemon grass, soft honey and grapefruit. A stunning aftertaste, an explosion of lingering grapefruit and grapefruit skins. Very different but very enjoyable. 88/100. Drunk 11-Oct-13.

A work colleague has drawn my attention to a YouTube of a tasting of the same in May 2022. His showed better.