Saturday 29th January 2011, at Selwyn College Cantab, on the occasion of the 56th Annual Dinner of the Cambridge University Tiddlywinks Club, at which were consumed one bottle of 1955 Taylor and eight of 1985 Taylor (decanter labels and TN sheets).
Eight bottles drawn from an OWC bought on 15 May 2001 from Farr Vintners, and stored in Sussex since. What variety! They were subtly labelled #1 to #8, and brief notes were taken. (It was late in the evening.)
T85s: All were drunk at about D+8 hours, and all were red with a hint of purple, about 80% opacity.
#1: Plums, heat, but thin.
#2: Much richer than #1. Full. Plums. So much bigger and better than #1 or #5.
#3: Light. Very light. Wrong. Vanilla. Later in the evening, still watery. Not right.
#4: A hint rough. Longer than most, though of medium weight, but the roughness not wanted.
#5: Also rough, though with lots of plum. Tasted younger than the others.
#6: Medium weight, with grass or herbs, and dark plum fruit.
#7: Richness, described as ‟dark-toned”. Much more tannin than the others. Needed more time in the decanter.
#8: Medium weight, lots of heat. Some herb or grass.