???? Unknown
Posted: 22:32 Sun 04 Jan 2015
Unknown Shipper, Unknown Vintage
Acquired as one of a lot of very similar bottles believed to be vintage port and sold at Tenants in May 2012. This was the first to be opened, and was opened with port tongs in an attempt to identify the bottle from the branding on the cork. Sadly, the cork was unbranded. There was a huge amount of sediment left in the bottle once the contents had been decanted.
A deep orange colour, rather similar to the Dalva Golden Whites, 20% opaque. An odd nose, full of a rich butterscotch but also laced through with a grapefruit style bitterness. On the palate the sweet and bitter experience continues. Lots of burnt sugar and grapefruit. Not very attractive but clearly extremely old (as was the blown and rolled bottle). Several layers of flavour on the palate but the life and vibrancy of the port comes from the powerful acidity. The acidity and the burnt sugar flavours give a massive finish and long, long smoky or peaty length and a fieriness that shows the alcohol is starting to separate out from the rest of the flavours.
Clearly very old from both the flavour profile and the bottle, I would guess this was from the 19th century and could very well be a Taylor port with the fieriness that I sometimes find in today's Taylor ports. Delicious, despite the age. 85/100. Drunk 22-Nov-14. Decanted 5 hours.
Acquired as one of a lot of very similar bottles believed to be vintage port and sold at Tenants in May 2012. This was the first to be opened, and was opened with port tongs in an attempt to identify the bottle from the branding on the cork. Sadly, the cork was unbranded. There was a huge amount of sediment left in the bottle once the contents had been decanted.
A deep orange colour, rather similar to the Dalva Golden Whites, 20% opaque. An odd nose, full of a rich butterscotch but also laced through with a grapefruit style bitterness. On the palate the sweet and bitter experience continues. Lots of burnt sugar and grapefruit. Not very attractive but clearly extremely old (as was the blown and rolled bottle). Several layers of flavour on the palate but the life and vibrancy of the port comes from the powerful acidity. The acidity and the burnt sugar flavours give a massive finish and long, long smoky or peaty length and a fieriness that shows the alcohol is starting to separate out from the rest of the flavours.
Clearly very old from both the flavour profile and the bottle, I would guess this was from the 19th century and could very well be a Taylor port with the fieriness that I sometimes find in today's Taylor ports. Delicious, despite the age. 85/100. Drunk 22-Nov-14. Decanted 5 hours.