Search found 3520 matches

by PhilW
17:55 Sat 05 Nov 2011
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 1980 Dow
Replies: 2
Views: 2949

Re: 1980 Dow vintage port

Sounds like this one was a lot more mature/open than the bottle we had at TCP a few months ago, which if I remember correctly was totally closed up; Interesting the variation between bottles/provenance if this is the case.
by PhilW
11:14 Wed 02 Nov 2011
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Latest buy
Replies: 2103
Views: 890109

Re: Latest buy

Is that normal price DRT? If so, I'm going to head to one as I'm very low on every day drinkers (although with last week's practice for the offline, I'm stocking up rather than emptying the cabinet at the moment). If it's the same as our local Tesco, it's a half-price offer; has been showing on the...
by PhilW
10:47 Mon 31 Oct 2011
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Software that makes placemats
Replies: 1268
Views: 1188054

Re: Software that makes placemats

jdaw1 wrote:Thank you for the clear bug report. Please re-test.
Fix verified.
by PhilW
09:59 Mon 31 Oct 2011
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Tawny suggestion pls
Replies: 21
Views: 11162

Re: Tawny suggestion pls

If you see the Warre 2000 lbv in your local Waitrose, it would be worth a try and interesting to know whether you feel the same way (particularly given that Warre seems to be your sweet spot). I thought I had picked one up previously, though my spreadsheet says not; I shall have to check tonight an...
by PhilW
09:54 Mon 31 Oct 2011
Forum: Reviews
Topic: Port and Steak
Replies: 2
Views: 2585

Re: Port and Steak

AHB wrote:The Croft was absolutely magnificant, the Niepoort riddled with VA. Tasting notes are now online.
*Again* ?! my reticence to buy Niepoort at all increases further (which is a shame since apart from the VA it would be very nice port)
by PhilW
10:53 Sun 30 Oct 2011
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Software that makes placemats
Replies: 1268
Views: 1188054

Re: Software that makes placemats

@Julian - ty for making the placemat postscript freely available online; used to great effect last night for non-TPF session. Also discovered another possible bug, as follows: - first define all the /Belowtitles as ( ) (i.e. a brackets with two spaces between; defining one member of the array this w...
by PhilW
10:23 Sun 30 Oct 2011
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Tawny suggestion pls
Replies: 21
Views: 11162

Re: Tawny suggestion pls

We held the ruby/lbv/tawny/vintage tasting last night, and it was a big success. A couple of interesting results: - all bar one person present placed the Churchill 85 VP in first place, and the other person placed it second, - after the VP, the room was evenly split in two, with half the room placin...
by PhilW
08:58 Fri 28 Oct 2011
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Tawny suggestion pls
Replies: 21
Views: 11162

Re: Tawny suggestion pls

Despite being contentious, the Warres Optima 10 year old is currently £7.11 a bottle (500mL) at Tesco. Decent price. Claiming to have the 2005 Noval LBV for £9.46 per bottle. Haven't seen the 2005 about so not sure about that? I presume that it will follow on from the 2004 in being a Quinta do Nova...
by PhilW
17:32 Thu 27 Oct 2011
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Software that makes placemats
Replies: 1268
Views: 1188054

Re: Software that makes placemats

f(h,w)=wh/(ah+bw) An excellent form. It doesn’t quote solve the problem as asked, but if one is instead differentiating with respect to Ln[ h ] and Ln[ w ], so considering proportionate increases, it works well. f[ h , w ,H,W] = h w /( W h + H w ), or ”“1 if the denominator is ≤0. This is increas...
by PhilW
17:25 Thu 27 Oct 2011
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: The arrival of Wiseman #3 and Wiseman #”“1
Replies: 87
Views: 46489

Re: The arrival of Wiseman #3 and Wiseman #”“1

jdaw1 wrote:We should agree a start time. 18:00?
Good for me.
by PhilW
17:20 Thu 27 Oct 2011
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Marks and Spencer BOB
Replies: 4
Views: 2945

Re: Marks and Spencer BOB

RAYC wrote:Anyone seen M&S starting to re-fill the shelves with VP yet? If so, what vintage?

I'm on the lookout for a 1989 if anyone sees it - around me last year i managed to find one bottle of it but otherwise it was all 1994.
Many other styles (tawny, ruby, white) but no VP at one local store here atm.
by PhilW
10:34 Wed 26 Oct 2011
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Software that makes placemats
Replies: 1268
Views: 1188054

Re: Software that makes placemats

jdaw1 wrote:What should be f[!]? I’m stumped. Suggestions please.
Perhaps:
f(h,w)=wh/(ah+bw) for all h>=H,w>=W else 0 (invalid)
where a,b are positive constants essentially defining the ideal ratio; a>b, perhaps a=kb where k>1.0, likely ~2.
by PhilW
10:26 Tue 25 Oct 2011
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Tawny suggestion pls
Replies: 21
Views: 11162

Re: Tawny suggestion pls

Thanks for all the suggestions; I'll be picking up a bottle over the next couple of days ready for this weekend. I think I would definitely like to try a good 20yr tawny myself sometime (to see if I can be convinced) but that a 10yr is probably more suitable for this tasting to fit the right place i...
by PhilW
16:23 Sun 23 Oct 2011
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: The arrival of Wiseman #3 and Wiseman #”“1
Replies: 87
Views: 46489

Re: The arrival of Wiseman #3 and Wiseman #”“1

jdaw1 wrote:When I am back at my computer this evening I will update. Meanwhile, perhaps other attendees could ensure that they have chosen.
Aye, both star (12 degrees) and bottle (also currently at 12 degrees) chosen and yearning to be opened...
BTW - What time are we aiming/booked for?
by PhilW
16:11 Wed 19 Oct 2011
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: Birth year port
Replies: 11
Views: 5916

Re: Birth year port

This discussion could be widened further by considering how misleading the terms 10, 20, 30, and Over 40 Years are given that they bear absolutely no relationship to the actual age of the wine in the bottle :? I thought I read somewhere that the indicated age must be less than the average age of th...
by PhilW
08:49 Wed 19 Oct 2011
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Software that makes placemats
Replies: 1268
Views: 1188054

Re: Software that makes placemats

The value "/NonDecanterLabelGlassesNumCopies 1 def" appears a few lines below the comment "% Non-Glasses Pages %". Changing this value to zero appears to stop the glasses pages from being printed. Is this as intended, or what is this variable intended to control? This might be s...
by PhilW
17:08 Tue 18 Oct 2011
Forum: Port Conversations
Topic: TCA Taint removal
Replies: 14
Views: 6370

Re: TCA Taint removal

Unfortunately, nothing further from Filtrox on this, but then single-bottle processing isn't exactly their target market ofc.
Have another plan up my sleeve, will report back later.
by PhilW
17:05 Tue 18 Oct 2011
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 1985 Churchill
Replies: 10
Views: 6304

Re: 1985 Churchill

:lol: If I say "I agree with Rob" again, do I sound like a politician? ;) His tasting note above is about the same as mine, though I've only had it three times so far, two of which were Rob's bottles :lol: I'd add that it's slightly softer than the more heavyweight such as F85, and slightl...
by PhilW
09:52 Tue 18 Oct 2011
Forum: Organising Tastings and Get-togethers
Topic: Software that makes placemats
Replies: 1268
Views: 1188054

Re: Software that makes placemats

The value "/NonDecanterLabelGlassesNumCopies 1 def" appears a few lines below the comment "% Non-Glasses Pages %". Changing this value to zero appears to stop the glasses pages from being printed. Is this as intended, or what is this variable intended to control? Also, perhaps a ...
by PhilW
08:26 Tue 18 Oct 2011
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 1966 Fonseca
Replies: 4
Views: 4428

Re: 1966 Fonseca

The darkest of the 66s (noticeably darker than the others); Very good overall, though not superb (as I had expected) and behind the Grahams for me.
by PhilW
08:23 Tue 18 Oct 2011
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 1966 Dow
Replies: 4
Views: 4032

Re: 1966 Dow

Another very good port, light to medium colour, very fruity to taste with a gentle sweetness and slight hint of acidity, very well balanced; good.
by PhilW
08:21 Tue 18 Oct 2011
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 1966 Graham
Replies: 4
Views: 4514

Re: 1966 Graham

Superb and my WOTN... and the only 66 against which I wrote no notes (oops!)... must have been enjoying it too much :D
by PhilW
08:18 Tue 18 Oct 2011
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 1963 Graham
Replies: 4
Views: 4377

Re: 1963 Graham

Light to medium colour (typical 63), good flavour, quite complex; not too full, but lovely; My best of the 63s and 3rd choice for WOTN.
by PhilW
08:16 Tue 18 Oct 2011
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 1963 Fonseca
Replies: 5
Views: 5002

Re: 1963 Fonseca

Light to medium colour (typical 63), slightly sweeter on the nose and slightly acidic; overall good, but perhaps not as good as it should have been; longer decant needed maybe? good.
by PhilW
08:14 Tue 18 Oct 2011
Forum: Port Tasting Notes
Topic: 1963 Taylor
Replies: 4
Views: 4272

Re: 1963 Taylor

Light to medium colour, very slightly darker than the other 63s. Medicinal hint on the nose, very flat flavour in the mouth; a little wood, and hint of VA on the finish. Overall an obviously damaged port. Poor.