Thursday 11th December 2025 - The Port Forum Christmas Tasting

[Alex Bridgeman]

Tom has kindly offered to host us at The White Horse in Newport (Essex) on Thursday 11th December.

The usual theme of The Unknown Shipper and His Peculiar Friends will be adopted.

The usual procedure of the prior year attendees having first refusal will also be adopted with one exception — the last place from 2024 will be dropped to first reserve in order to create a space for an industry guest.

First refusal seats are offered to:

1. THRA (confirmed)
2. HTWH (confirmed)
3. AHB (confirmed)
4. MSC (confirmed)
5. IDJ (confirmed)
6. MPM (confirmed)
7. WS1 (confirmed)
8. CPR (confirmed)
9. PW (confirmed)
10. Held for an industry guest

RESERVES

• GEAG (confirmed)
• NAC (confirmed)
• JMK (confirmed)
• CEM (confirmed)

Please confirm your attendance no later than 31st October.


Links to previous years: 2024, ’23, ’22, ’20, ’19, ’18, ’17, ’16, ’15, ’14, ’13, ’12, ’11, ’10, ’09, ’08.

[Justin K]

Please put me on the waiting list.

[mcoulson]

I'll definitely be there ....

[flash_uk]

Wonderful - confirming, thanks.

[winesecretary]

Confirming my reserve place. Lovely event. Lovely people.

[idj123]

It’s a confirmation from me.

[PhilW]

Confirmed.

[hadge]

great news - confirming

[CPR 1]

Confirming, and very much looking forward to being back at the White Horse

[nac]

If promoted from the bench then "yes please".

[cem]

Please put me down on the reserves if a place comes up. Thanks

[jdaw1]

Links to previous years have been added to the first post. Some links missing; some imperfect — corrections welcomed.

[WS1]

Will come to this event as well!

regards

WS1

[uncle tom]

Anyone fancy being cheese meister this year?

[mcoulson]

I'm happy to collect from Toby for you .. call him and place the order ... I'll sort the rest

[jdaw1]

Do you want ‘placemats’, meaning sticky labels?

[uncle tom]

Do you want ‘placemats’, meaning sticky labels?

Yes please

[uncle tom]

I'm happy to collect from Toby for you .. call him and place the order ... I'll sort the rest

Thanks - as I don't know what he has in stock, would you like to make the choice? Budget around £50-£60

[mcoulson]

I'm happy to collect from Toby for you .. call him and place the order ... I'll sort the rest

Thanks - as I don't know what he has in stock, would you like to make the choice? Budget around £50-£60

Ok leave this with me ... Baby bells all round !

[flash_uk]

I'm happy to collect from Toby for you .. call him and place the order ... I'll sort the rest

Thanks - as I don't know what he has in stock, would you like to make the choice? Budget around £50-£60

Ok leave this with me ... Baby bells all round !

can we also have some vache qui rit...

[mcoulson]

I'm happy to collect from Toby for you .. call him and place the order ... I'll sort the rest

Thanks - as I don't know what he has in stock, would you like to make the choice? Budget around £50-£60

Leave this all with me ....

[jdaw1]

Do you want ‘placemats’, meaning sticky labels?

Yes please

Draft of the ‘placemats’, meaning sticky labels and TN sheets and voting pages.

There is an obvious bug in the software, which will soon receive attention.

[jdaw1]

Draft of the ‘placemats’, meaning sticky labels and TN sheets and voting pages.

There is an obvious bug in the software, which will soon receive attention.

Bug fixed. Likely, I was the only person who noticed.

[PhilW]

I'm happy to collect from Toby for you .. call him and place the order ... I'll sort the rest

Thanks - as I don't know what he has in stock, would you like to make the choice? Budget around £50-£60

Leave this all with me ....

Am assuming you've got it sorted, but if any last minute issues give me a shout and I can easily drop in on our local cheesemonger before heading down to the tasting.

[uncle tom]

Will be placing the steak order in the morning. Am assuming all will be on parade and none have turned veggie!

[jdaw1]

Draft of the ‘placemats’, meaning sticky labels and TN sheets and voting pages.

Satisfactory? Who is to print?

[Alex Bridgeman]

Will be placing the steak order in the morning. Am assuming all will be on parade and none have turned veggie!

Thanks Tom!

I’m not aware of anyone coming being vegetarian.

[PhilW]

Draft of the ‘placemats’, meaning sticky labels and TN sheets and voting pages.

Satisfactory? Who is to print?

Point of order: First post attendees list includes Industry Guest, but placemats do not. Do we have one? If so, needs adding to placemat (even if anonymised); if not, then potential for last minute reserve to join us?

[jdaw1]

First post attendees list includes Industry Guest, but placemats do not. Do we have one? If so, needs adding to placemat (even if anonymised); if not, then potential for last minute reserve to join us?

There was a blank name, the last-moment reserve; I have added “Guest”.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I’m about to book a taxi from the Cross Keys hotel to the White Horse and back.

Pick up from the Cross Keys at 17.30.

Return pick up from the White Horse at 23.55.

2 seats taken.

Who else would like to share the taxi?

[PhilW]

I'll be via train, not staying over, so no taxi need for me this year.

[flash_uk]

I’m about to book a taxi from the Cross Keys hotel to the White Horse and back.

Pick up from the Cross Keys at 17.30.

Return pick up from the White Horse at 23.55.

2 seats taken.

Who else would like to share the taxi?

Yes please Alex.

[Alex Bridgeman]

And an unrelated question. Does anyone have a set of Port tongs they’d be happy to use to open bottles?

I’ve got a pretty full load and it would help if I don’t need to bring tongs.

[PhilW]

And an unrelated question. Does anyone have a set of Port tongs they’d be happy to use to open bottles?

I’ve got a pretty full load and it would help if I don’t need to bring tongs.

Yes, I can bring tongs.

[Alex Bridgeman]

And an unrelated question. Does anyone have a set of Port tongs they’d be happy to use to open bottles?

I’ve got a pretty full load and it would help if I don’t need to bring tongs.

Yes, I can bring tongs.

Thanks. That makes life a little easier for me.

[CPR 1]

Yes please for the taxi

[jdaw1]

Pls do post here what is opened.

[uncle tom]

My bottle chosen, vintage known but only bottler's name known (Sandiford and Armstrong)

A vintage I've never opened before - the Marquess of Salisbury was First Lord of the Treasury at the time (The title 'Prime Minister' was not officially adopted until a few years later) William McKinley was in the White House

[Alex Bridgeman]

Taxis have been booked.

Leaving the Cross Keys at 17.30.

No large cars available for the return journey so 1 car booked to do two runs from the White Horse at 23.45 and (roughly) 00.01.

[PhilW]

Draft of the ‘placemats’, meaning sticky labels and TN sheets and voting pages.

Satisfactory? Who is to print?

Point of order: First post attendees list includes Industry Guest, but placemats do not. Do we have one? If so, needs adding to placemat (even if anonymised); if not, then potential for last minute reserve to join us?

I've not seen anyone mention printing. I've therefore just printed pages 37-40, 2-up, double-sided, to create a single A5-size double-sided page for notes - my personal preference given our limited space - and then printed another 10 in case others might want, along with voting sheet.

[flash_uk]

Draft of the ‘placemats’, meaning sticky labels and TN sheets and voting pages.

Satisfactory? Who is to print?

Point of order: First post attendees list includes Industry Guest, but placemats do not. Do we have one? If so, needs adding to placemat (even if anonymised); if not, then potential for last minute reserve to join us?

I've not seen anyone mention printing. I've therefore just printed pages 37-40, 2-up, double-sided, to create a single A5-size double-sided page for notes - my personal preference given our limited space - and then printed another 10 in case others might want, along with voting sheet.

I have printed sticky labels for everyone.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Voting sheets would be very useful, as would sticky labels.

Thank you both for coping.

[flash_uk]

ETA crosskeys @ 1645

[idj123]

ETA crosskeys @ 1645

I got here at 3.30pm this year-go figure!

[Alex Bridgeman]

ETA approx. 16.30

[PhilW]

ETA crosskeys @ 1645

I got here at 3.30pm this year-go figure!

A man is thirsty!

[Alex Bridgeman]

Arrived. Checked in. Unpacking and will be in the bar before 17.00.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Now in the bar at the Cross Keys.

[PhilW]

Pls do post here what is opened.

The bottles were as follows:

1. Gould Campbell 1920
2. Unknown (est 1900-ish), blank cork
3. Croft 19xx (est 1935-55)
4. Da Silva 1937 colheita, bottled 1972
5. Sandeman 1852 colheita, bottled 1886 (sic)
6. Grahams 1917
7. Warre 1963
8. Unknown 1900, bottled in 1902 by Sandiford, Son and Armstrong Ltd
9. Unknown (est 1900-ish), blank cork
10. Kopke 1963 colheita, bottled 1984
11. Unknown 1904, Burne Turner bottling
12. Tuke Holdsworth 1947
13. Okęcie Babunia mead (est 1960s/70s)
14. St Johanner Steinberg Ortega Beerenauslese 1992 Rheinhessen
15. Warre 1977
16. Unknown (est 1900-1920), blank cork

[flash_uk]

And the scores:

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