ThePortForum.com

I was asked to organise a Port tasting by the Northern Ireland Wine & Spirits Institute, and decided that it would be worthwhile to taste some wood-aged categories that are harder to find in Ireland. So, after much research and many, many emails, we ended up with the following line-up (supplier in brackets):

• First pour - A comparison of some younger tawnies
  • Niepoort Senior Tawny
  • Niepoort 2001 Colheita (both supplied by Robb Brothers, Northern Ireland)
  Second pour - Two contrasting 20 Year Old Tawnies
  
  • Sandeman (Stevens Garnier)
  • Andresen Royal Choice (ex-cellars)
  Third pour - Aged Whites
  
  • Andresen 10-Year Old White (ex-cellars)
  • Andresen 20-Year Old White (ex-cellars)
  Fourth pour - Older Colheitas
  
  • Kopke 1984 Colheita (Weingalerie, Berlin)
  • The Port Society 1974 Colheita (The Port Society)

• Review of the evening as a whole

10% opacity, pale yellow...tobacco tinted water. Nose of flowers, berries - blueberry. Opens with gentle sugar, then quite dry mid palate before a sharp dry finish.