ThePortForum.com

This post to hold arrangements as and when agreed.

Where: The Red Room, The Boot & Flogger, 10-20 Redcross Way, London SE1 1TA, tel +44 20 7407 1184 (streetmap.co.uk, bing, maps.google.co.uk)

When: 6½pm on Monday 8^th February 2016.

Theme: Bring A Bottle, Sighted.

People:

1. B-KS (F85);
2. JDAW (NN87);
3. MPM (Cr63);
4. CPR (F70);
5. DRT (Ck77, O72);
6. SCD (S63);
7. IDJ (O70);
8. GLHBD (D97);
9. AHB (BN60);
10. WPS (Mz63).

Current draft of our food order;

Current draft of the placemats (and parameters by which made). (However, do not print from the link. What can happen is that computers cache copies, so printing from this link might cause an old version to be printed. To prevent this I will email the latest version to whoever is printing.)


Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 1960 Butler Nephew (AHB);
• 1963 Croft (MPM);
• 1963 Sandeman (SCD);
• 1963 Martinez (WPS);
• 1970 Fonseca (CPR);
• 1970 Offley Boa Vista (IDJ);
• 1972 Offley Boa Vista (DRT);
• 1977 Cockburn (DRT);
• 1977 Fonseca (PW);
• 1985 Fonseca (JDAW/BKS);
• 1987 Quinta do Noval Nacional (JDAW/BKS);
• 1997 Dow (GLHBD);
• Placemats (and parameters by which made);
• Planning and arrangements.

My elder brother-in-law (resolving the English language’s paucity of term for distant relations, the elder of my wife’s brothers) will be visiting London at the start of February. He normally lives in a low-Port city — Beijing — and has heard of the life-enhancing powers of vitamin P1. (It’s better than believing that tiger brains or rhino pancreas increase libido.) Indeed, he has heard the fables of the vitamin-P1 rich evenings enjoyed by his brother-in-law (other meaning of term).

This is, of course, an emergency.

Please choose between Monday 1^st, Wednesday 3^rd, and Monday 8^th February 2016. Wednesday would have the advantage that the B&F is open until 11pm rather than Mondays’ 10pm.

The theme could be Bring A Bottle, Sighted.

Presumably the usual location.

Count me in. As things stand I could do all three dates with a slight preference for the 8th.

Monday the 8th is the only date I can do. If this works for others I will look forward to joining you

It is looking like Monday 8^th February 2016, but a decision will be taken tomorrow evening based on which date works for the most people.

Any objection to the proposed theme?

jdaw1 wrote:The theme could be Bring A Bottle, Sighted.

On 1st Feb I might be in Darlington and traveling to London late afternoon, so could join late.

On 3rd Feb I will be traveling from London to Liverpool so would have to leave early and, ideally, sober.

On 8th Feb I can be in London, have an early finish at work and stay up late.

On balance, and after very careful consideration, I would prefer the 8th of Feb.

jdaw1 wrote:a decision will be taken tomorrow evening based on which date works for the most people.

That policy has been binned. In the best political fashion, it’s a U turn: not waiting. Monday 8^th February 2016 it is. First post has been updated.

Before I reveal, is the theme acceptable?

Splendid.

Yes.

Just to clarify, is this a different wife's brother to the one we shared eight bottles with in Paris? {He drinking one glass and us drinking eight bottles minus one glass}

DRT wrote:Just to clarify, is this a different wife's brother to the one we shared eight bottles with in Paris? {He drinking one glass and us drinking eight bottles minus one glass}

That was a boyfriend of a friend of the wife. But he might have had a married sister, in which case, yes indeed, a different wife’s brother.

I am sure you will understand why it is difficult to remember fine details from that evening.

I reveal F85 and NN87. Draft of placemats added to first post.

Ck77 from me.

I do love an Emergency! Please count me in. My contribution to be a Sandeman 63.

Simon

With six of us a pre-ordering the food is worthwhile.
• Current draft of our food order;
• Menu from which selection to be made.

Chicken liver parfait with toast.
Chargrilled sirloin steak 220g with hand-cut chips and grilled tomato - medium rare.

Thank you.

Smoked salmon to start and steak and chips rare for the main please.

Simon

Doggett wrote:Smoked salmon to start and steak and chips rare for the main please.

Please be warned that Julian does not cope well with unspecific descriptions.

I assume you mean: "Chargrilled sirloin steak 220g with hand-cut chips and grilled tomato" (rare), not [cold] "Rare sirloin of beef"?

Fatal mistakes have been made previously. It pays to be specific when dealing with this particular waiter

jdaw1 wrote:

DRT wrote:Just to clarify, is this a different wife's brother to the one we shared eight bottles with in Paris? {He drinking one glass and us drinking eight bottles minus one glass}

That was a boyfriend of a friend of the wife. But he might have had a married sister, in which case, yes indeed, a different wife’s brother.

No, I think it was my younger brother. DRT is right. Good memory. In fact, this 'emergency tasting' on the 8th was inspired by a conversation I had with my younger brother just recently over the holidays. He asked me, "Do you know if Julian has any port tastings coming up while Ken is visiting? I think he'd really like it. When I went, I thought is was excellent." So I asked Julian if he had any tastings coming up and if Ken could join in. "Oh, I think one can be rounded up for emergency purposes."

So, yes, I think DRT is thinking about the time when Jun, my younger brother, went a few years ago back in Paris. (Julian, I don't even know who this 'boyfriend of a friend' of mine is. Which friend? Which boyf?)

No. It was Laurent (boyf of wife’s friend Alexa) whose name appears on pp7-9 of the placemats. As I said. My wife’s other brother went to the Dow Magnumonicon.

The Green Room at the B&F has been booked.

DRT wrote:

Doggett wrote:Smoked salmon to start and steak and chips rare for the main please.

Please be warned that Julian does not cope well with unspecific descriptions.

I assume you mean: "Chargrilled sirloin steak 220g with hand-cut chips and grilled tomato" (rare), not [cold] "Rare sirloin of beef"?

Fatal mistakes have been made previously. It pays to be specific when dealing with this particular waiter

Derek's assumption was correct and I humbly apologise for my lack of detail

Magnificent. My food order:
Crab toast with chilli, fennel and avocado
Chargrilled sirloin steak 220g (rare) with hand-cut chips and grilled tomato
Peas and beans with mint lemon and butter

Which offering would folks prefer from Cr63, GC70 and T77?

flash_uk wrote:Which offering would folks prefer from Cr63, GC70 and T77?

I would vote for the Cr63. Haven't had it in a while but recall it being a lovely, elegant glass of Port.

DRT wrote:

flash_uk wrote:Which offering would folks prefer from Cr63, GC70 and T77?

I would vote for the Cr63. Haven't had it in a while but recall it being a lovely, elegant glass of Port.

I would put my vote with Derek (Cr63) on the basis that I am looking forward to a GC70 in April at the Gould Campbell vertical. having said that, any of the three should be delicious and it would be great to taste any of those proposed.

Simon

I'm in. Will revert with bottle and food order.

My food order:
Crab toast with chilli, fennel and avocado
Chargrilled sirloin steak 220g (black and blue) with hand-cut chips and grilled tomato
Peas and beans with mint lemon and butter
For port I will bring a F70

CPR 1 wrote:My food order:
Crab toast with chilli, fennel and avocado
Chargrilled sirloin steak 220g (black and blue) with hand-cut chips and grilled tomato
Peas and beans with mint lemon and butter

Did you really want that order, or was it just easier to cut and paste my order (amending the steak cooking style)

yes I really did want that order, but you made it so much easier - Thank you

Sadly I will be elsewhere on Monday 8th Feb - and in a worse port desert than Beijing.

AHB wrote:Sadly I will be elsewhere on Monday 8th Feb - and in a worse port desert than Beijing.

You're not going to France, are you?

DRT wrote:

AHB wrote:Sadly I will be elsewhere on Monday 8th Feb - and in a worse port desert than Beijing.

You're not going to France, are you?

I have some Cruz '89 you could take back to them if you are.

PhilW wrote:

DRT wrote:

AHB wrote:Sadly I will be elsewhere on Monday 8th Feb - and in a worse port desert than Beijing.

You're not going to France, are you?

I have some Cruz '89 you could take back to them if you are.

Any room for eleven bottles of OBV72 and seven Real Vomitcola 83?

DRT wrote:Any room for eleven bottles of OBV72 and seven Real Vomitcola 83?

Please bring on the 8^th, as well as the welcome Ck77, a bonus bottle of revulsion (either type but say which) as part of the education of a bro’-in-law.

jdaw1 wrote:

DRT wrote:Any room for eleven bottles of OBV72 and seven Real Vomitcola 83?

Please bring on the 8^th, as well as the welcome Ck77, a bonus bottle of revulsion (either type but say which) as part of the education of a bro’-in-law.

An attendee has privately expressed a desire to wallow in a bath of the OBV72, so I shall bring one of those.

It might taste better after the bath

DRT wrote:

AHB wrote:Sadly I will be elsewhere on Monday 8th Feb - and in a worse port desert than Beijing.

You're not going to France, are you?

Worse. The UAE.

AHB wrote:The UAE.

This is a simple problem. You would rather be in London. The people in the UAE would rather be in London. Move the meeting to London. Everybody wins.

Probably I will bring another guest, Greg (initials GLHBD): near neighbour; good egg; will play.

jdaw1 wrote:

AHB wrote:The UAE.

This is a simple problem. You would rather be in London. The people in the UAE would rather be in London. Move the meeting to London. Everybody wins.

It seems that JDAW was correct, the people in UAE would rather be in London. If space is still available, I will plan to be in London on the evening of Monday 8th Feb.

AHB wrote:It seems that JDAW was correct, the people in UAE would rather be in London. If space is still available, I will plan to be in London on the evening of Monday 8th Feb.

Yes — sighted: show your hand (both food and Port).

Reservation changed from Green Room to Red Room.

Food:
Potted Shrimps
Chargrilled sirloin steak (black and blue) with handcut fries - béarnaise sauce if available by special request
Dessert on the day

Port:
Would there be any objection to a magnum of F77 or should I hold this back for a couple of years for our '77 Magnums in '17 offline? On reflection, I think I'll hold it back until next year - so I will bring a bottle of Butler Nephew 1960.

AHB wrote:Would there be any objection to a magnum of F77

No.

AHB wrote:or should I hold this back for a couple of years for our '77 Magnums in '17 offline? On reflection, I think I'll hold it back until next year

If you have only one, it is not necessarily the wrong decision to wait one year (couple: now 2016).

AHB wrote:so I will bring a bottle of Butler Nephew 1960.

Excellent, thank you. How long will you decant it?

AHB, in [url=http://www.theportforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=93175]the only :tpf: tasting note of Butler Nephew 1960[/url], wrote:Bronzed red in colour, 70% opaque. Caramel and strawberry on the nose, somewhat unclean. Delicious first impact on the palate with lots of caramel and fragrant rose hips with bright berry fruit. A lovely freshness to the palate and some interesting cinnamon complexity. Good aftertaste with fruity burnt sugar. A long finish with a lingering combination of burnt sugar and bright berries. Slightly better 24 hours later. 90/100. Drunk 16 July 2015. Double decanted for 3 hours.

Part of the Old Port in Newport offline.

Placemats and food order updated.

jdaw1 wrote:

AHB wrote:so I will bring a bottle of Butler Nephew 1960.

Excellent, thank you. How long will you decant it?

AHB, in [url=http://www.theportforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=93175]the only :tpf: tasting note of Butler Nephew 1960[/url], wrote:Bronzed red in colour, 70% opaque. Caramel and strawberry on the nose, somewhat unclean. Delicious first impact on the palate with lots of caramel and fragrant rose hips with bright berry fruit. A lovely freshness to the palate and some interesting cinnamon complexity. Good aftertaste with fruity burnt sugar. A long finish with a lingering combination of burnt sugar and bright berries. Slightly better 24 hours later. 90/100. Drunk 16 July 2015. Double decanted for 3 hours.

Part of the Old Port in Newport offline.

Placemats and food order updated.

I'll aim to decant it on the Monday morning, giving it 10-12 hours exposure to air.

On Mondays the Boot & Flogger closes at 10pm. This might cause us to be somewhat rushed.

As a possible amelioration of this, we could start earlier. Traditionally, we start at 6½pm. Would there be great upset if we were to start at 6pm? Or even 5¾pm?

Relatedly, who is to print, and at what time can that person arrive?

My last meeting that day finishes at 18:00. An earlier start does not work for me.

I would be happy to meet earlier to help set up and have a bonus glass or two to precede the main event if there is any appetite for that?

I am afraid I am still not in a position to print at the moment, but will take on those duties at a future tasting. I also wondered if those coming would enjoy a mag of Chateau Musar to accompany dinner? If so I will happily bring one along.

Simon

DRT wrote:My last meeting that day finishes at 18:00. An earlier start does not work for me.

Very well, 6½pm it is.

Doggett wrote:I also wondered if those coming would enjoy a mag of Chateau Musar to accompany dinner? If so I will happily bring one along.

We would, but there is a risk that we will have insufficient time to finish the Port. If that is the consensus, then please save it for a non-Monday tasting.

jdaw1 wrote:Relatedly, who is to print, and at what time can that person arrive?

I can print, should be able to get there for 5, do a call for 30 mins, then setup from 5.30.

Hi,

if there is still space I would also want to attend. Need to make last arrangements for the Vesuvio tasting as well as would like to join you for a glass or two of Port. Contribution would be a Martinez 63.

regards

WS1

Apologies for the tardiness in responding (things have been very busy recently). However, I propose to bring an OBV 70 (now stood up). Will almost certainly be decanted around 7am.

For the food I will revert to type and order:

the Potted Shrimp on granary

Gammon, chips and black pudding (no egg) plus the peas and beans i

And finished by the cheesy Welsh Rarebit.