The Port is kept in a barrel behind the bar and is described as an "Old Wood Tawny". The colour is a darkish ruby red (the "Old Wood" surely just refers to the barrel
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Sorry, we failed in that regard. Though the place, as always, was completely packed, so speaking to anyone apart from the person serving was likely to be difficult! The food mostly comes pre-prepared out of canteen-style service stations (c.f. http://www.gordonswinebar.com/hfood.htm). It looks like it is an acceptable standard as pub food, but I think there are better options in the area. The best bet is probably to go just for cheese.AHB wrote:Did either of you fine gentlemen raise the subject with the management of Gordon's of the possibility of their acting as host to an offline? What does the food there look like?
That sounds like a fun ornament. Did he manage to get a genuine Port pipe (albeit empty)? Is there any chance of a photo? The barrels at Gordon's are a bit smaller than a pipe (I think they are "barrel" size, though my knowledge of English barrel-sizes is pretty sketchy!) and they get through lots of Port so I imagine they just fill it up from bottles.Andy V wrote:I would guess that is a palour trick of some sort. Someone I know that lives by me converted a pipe to dispense wine from a hidden bottle inside the pipe with the appearance that it was coming out of a full pipe. If he didn't tell me I would have never know it was a "fake" pipe of port. I would guess this is what they are doing as I highly doubt they are still getting a pipe of Port for commerical sale.
Hmm...perhaps...though if they are it's being done in a fairly subtle way. As you can see from this photo of the bar, there's nothing below or above the barrels:Andy V wrote:I would still say they are just piping it in from a system hooked up to bottles, just like they do for beer. I don't see them dumping in bottles to fill it up. That would be a LOT of bottles. Apart from the issues of trying to clean the barrel out periodically, which you would have to do, I doubt the heath department would be keen on dumping bottles together in an old wood cask to serve to patrons. And a basic tawny Port wouldn't hold up all that well dumped into a large 1/2 full cask. Thats a lot of surface area to airate over a long time. Then again I could be totally wrong.
Please ask next time you are there, I'm curious as to that their answer is.
I wonder whether the "Blended" sherry gives a hint as to the source of the Port!Andy V wrote:Oh, those are a heck of a lot smaller barrels than I thought. Please do find out, I am most curious as to what they do.
Yes, that makes sense. I think this should also be referred to as a non-vintage tawny.AHB wrote:I suggest the TN is recorded under "Gordon's" sine we have no better information than the BOB client.