Monday 15th February - a short notice emergency

[Alex Bridgeman]

It seems I will be in London on Monday night with nothing arranged. Will anyone else be in London that night and at a loose end?

Current draft of the placemats.

[DRT]

Works for me

Where, when and what?

[Alex Bridgeman]

I've not booked anything yet, but let's tentatively say it's bring a bottle to share. I'll let you know where and when after we've given other the chance to post in the thread.

[jdaw1]

Permission about to be sought.

As a precaution, I have tentatively booked the Green Room at The Boot & Flogger.

Placemats: blind? Sighted? Semi-blind: each participant to reveal one of Shipper and Vintage, and to conceal other?

[jdaw1]

“A Port tasting? On Monday? You had better …”

= Yes.

[Doggett]

Unfortunately... I still find myself with lots of free time at the moment, so I believe I am around for an emergency if there is room? Let me know the W's and I hope to see you on Monday as it really has been too long since the last tasting!

Simon

[Alex Bridgeman]

OK. Four people makes a quorum and the B&F is a great venue.

Since it's school night and I have some challenging days on Monday and Tuesday, I'd like to propose a theme of "bring a half bottle or two of port to share". Preferably an original 37.5cl bottle with the original vintage port it originally contained, but those are only preferences as some attending may not have half bottles on hand.

Or I could bring four half bottles with three offered for adoption.

[DRT]

The only half bottles I have are Symington SQVPs from the late 18=980s and early 1990s.

Is that the sort of half bottle you had in mind?

[Doggett]

I am afraid I have no half bottles other than a Noval 40yr aged tawny, so would need to adopt or struggle through with the extra volume of nectar.

Simon

[Alex Bridgeman]

Fair enough. Let's postpone the half bottle theme to another day and just make it a "bring a blind bottle to share" offline.

I'll just prove to everyone how restrained I can be.

[DRT]

Phew!

We dodged a bullet there, chaps

[Doggett]

Blind to share it is... I have just the bottle
Simon

[idj123]

Alex, you're somewhat of a saviour! Having been very disappointed to have had to miss last week's tasting, I find a replacement in short order. Therefore, count me in and I note the tried and tasted theme.

[jdaw1]

I note the tried and tasted theme.

Tried and Tasted (‘T&T’): excellent idea for a theme.

[Alex Bridgeman]

If anyone sees this thread only on Monday and wants to come along, please do. With so few people we can easily accommodate late notice attendees. Also, if anyone has been lurking on the forum not sure whether these get together are open to anyone - they are. Please feel free to invite yourself along. All you need is a bottle of port and £10 to cover your share of the costs (and another £30 if you'd like to eat). This kind of very informal gathering is where many people on the forum started.

[Alex Bridgeman]

My bottle was decanted at 7.30pm.

[DRT]

My bottle will be decanted at 06:30 tomorrow morning, or perhaps very late this evening if the sky stays clear and I am out looking at Jupiter until the early hours.

[jdaw1]

Placemats added to first post.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I will be able to print the placemats.

Could we have 3 unnamed last minute arrival placemats please. It is possible that one or two of my work colleagues will join us.

[jdaw1]

Could we have 3 unnamed last minute arrival placemats please. It is possible that one or two of my work colleagues will join us.

With extra bottles? So over two pages of A4?

Edit: assumed affirmative. Which means too many extra bottles for currencies ($ £ € ¥), so using Greeks (α β γ δ ε).

Edit edit: Greeks cancelled. Using five permanent members of UN Security Council.

[DRT]

My bottle decanted very cleanly off a well-formed crust at 08:00.

Looks like Port, smells like Port.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I will be able to print the placemats

Placemats have now been printed and will arrive with me around 6.30pm.

Could we have 3 unnamed last minute arrival placemats please. It is possible that one or two of my work colleagues will join us.

Thanks for making these changes and using your discretion for the necessary decisions.

[Doggett]

A bottle was decanted at 10am and although it smells and tastes quite delicious I will be bringing a second bottle. The reason for this is a leaker was discovered afterwards and will be decanted in a few hours after standing for a while longer.

Alex - if you are to have additional guests then I already have one additional bottle coming for this evening.

Both bottles will hopefully have some interest value at this blind emergency.

Simon

[WS1]

Hi,

I will pop by in order to have a chat about the Vesuvio tasting. Cannot join you with Port since was in Germany for the 66 VP tasting over the weekend and just realised a port tasting is on when trying to reach AHB.

cu later

WS1

[idj123]

Bottle decanted at 6.45am. All seems in order and will expect to arrive at between 6 and 6.30.