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At Bonhams in February there was a collective purchase of 36 bottles of Fonseca 1963, which entered the UK in 1965 or early 1966 as a single pipe and was bottled and stored for the family who purchased it. These bottles have been stored in identical environments and so make the perfect subject of another case tasting where we look for variations in flavour and profile with as many variables as possible having been eliminated.

I propose to open 6 of these bottles at a tasting on 15th June at the Boot & Flogger, if there is sufficient interest. The cost of the 6 bottles of Fonseca 1963 (approx. £980) will be split between the people attending. If lots of people choose to attend then we will add some other bottles to keep things interesting.

Who is interested and would like to attend? If there's a maximum price you'd like to commit to, please say so either in thread or by PM.

ATTENDEES

1. AHB (paid);
2. JDAW (paid);
3. CPR (paid);
4. MPM (paid);
5. BMHR (paid);
6. SCD (paid);
7. DRT (paid);
8. WPS (paid);
9. PW (paid);
10. DJ;
11. DRL (paid);
12. AP;
13. DG (paid);
14. TC.

Finally, if there is not sufficient interest to make this tasting viable then please don't worry - I already have buyers who'd like the bottles!

Current draft of the placemats.

+JDAW, please, subject to a nagging doubt about availability.

Edit: some links.

• Mon 27 Jan 2014, Taylor 1985, at The Bung Hole;
• Wed 02 Apr 2014, a trial of Graham 1980, at The Bung Hole.

Observe that lower-case Greek letters, α β γ δ ε ζ, seem to be traditional for case-tasting placemats.

Yes please

Yes please. Any chance it could be Weds 15th?

Provisionally I would love to attend. Will negotiate pass tonight!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

flash_uk wrote:Yes please. Any chance it could be Weds 15th?

Wednesday 15th would work for me. Any objections from those already on the list of attendees?

AHB wrote:Any objections from those already on the list of attendees?

Not from me. Both are after my dental appointment!

AHB wrote:Any objections from those already on the list of attendees?

Not from me.

15th works better for me

I would love to come to this, but will probably need to have found that elusive job to make sure, so can i please reserve a spot and confirm nearer the time.

Simon

Yes please

I would be interested.

regards

WS1

AHB wrote:

flash_uk wrote:Yes please. Any chance it could be Weds 15th?

Wednesday 15th would work for me. Any objections from those already on the list of attendees?

Fantastic, thanks everyone.

15th June should work for me; I'm in.

I would be interested, potentially even curious.

If still space, I'm in too please.

AHB wrote:If lots of people choose to attend then we will add some other bottles to keep things interesting.

So far nine definites (AHB CPR MPM BMHR DRT WPS PW DJ DRL) and two possibles (JDAW SCD). More bottles needed.

jdaw1 wrote:

AHB wrote:If lots of people choose to attend then we will add some other bottles to keep things interesting.

So far nine definites (AHB CPR MPM BMHR DRT WPS PW DJ DRL) and two possibles (JDAW SCD). More bottles needed.

Happy to contribute a bottle. I'm sure Alex will have a thought on a side theme!

Hi
Please can you add me to the list. I will need to negotiate a pass...
Tony

flash_uk wrote:

jdaw1 wrote:

AHB wrote:If lots of people choose to attend then we will add some other bottles to keep things interesting.

So far nine definites (AHB CPR MPM BMHR DRT WPS PW DJ DRL) and two possibles (JDAW SCD). More bottles needed.

Happy to contribute a bottle. I'm sure Alex will have a thought on a side theme!

I've been giving some thought to a suitable theme. Obvious themes considered and tentatively rejected were "Other 1963 ports" and "Fonseca through the ages". Both perfectly respectable themes but perhaps a little too predictable, so rejected at least temporarily.

I am also trying to keep in mind that we will be 12 and already have 6 bottles and it's a school night. With this in mind I suggest that we add a further 6 bottles that fit a theme of "English Bottled Vintage Port". Let me know if you have any bottles which fit this theme and I will select 6 from what are offered; those not having a bottle selected contributing additional money into the port fund to compensate those who are asked to bring a bottle. Note that unknown shippers known to be English bottled will be entirely acceptable and, if necessary, could be opened with tongs (subject to Domnhaill being willing to heat the tongs).

Alex. For the sake of good order I confirm 15th now formally approved by my diary secretary!


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Please signn me in. Thanks

I would love to attend this event if there are any spaces available please.
Many thanks, Dia

I notice one berth left on this- can I come along?
If it is any help or doesn't complicate things I can throw in a bottle from a case I purchased in this sale.

Constandia wrote:I would love to attend this event if there are any spaces available please.
Many thanks, Dia

What are your initials? (See first post.)

jdaw1 wrote:

Constandia wrote:I would love to attend this event if there are any spaces available please.
Many thanks, Dia

What are your initials? (See first post.)

Dia's initials are "DG".

forest26 wrote:I notice one berth left on this- can I come along?
If it is any help or doesn't complicate things I can throw in a bottle from a case I purchased in this sale.

You certainly can come along.

I'm happy for you to bring another bottle of F63 as your contribution to the English bottled side-theme. Does anyone feel differently?

Works for me.

OK folks. It's time to pay for the port that will be consumed on the night.

Those of you who are buying some of the collective purchase Fonseca 1963, I've included a request for your share of the case tasting bill to be paid along with the cost of your bottles of F63.

Those of you who are not buying F63, please could you pay me £90 by bank transfer as soon as possible. If you don't have my bank account details please drop me a PM. If I end up collecting too much money it will be used firstly to pay for the additional port we drink after having shared 6 bottles of Fonseca 1963 between 14 thirsty people, and if there is any money left after that it will be used to reduce the cost of the food.

I've only had four volunteers offer some English bottled port to drink after the Fonseca has run out. I need 4 more volunteers please...the theme is English bottled vintage port.

AHB wrote:please could you pay me £90 by bank transfer as soon as possible.

Done

DRT wrote:

AHB wrote:please could you pay me £90 by bank transfer as soon as possible.

Done

Thank you.

AHB wrote: please could you pay me £90 by bank transfer as soon as possible.

Done!

Gentlemen,

Rumours of my demise are much exaggerated, though please continue to speculate whether this is really me or just a stooge of British intelligence who has been detailed to impersonate me, having first disposed of me.

I have booked my flight. Alex, I'll send you £90.

Over and out.

djewesbury wrote:Rumours of my demise are much exaggerated, though please continue to speculate whether this is really me or just a stooge of British intelligence who has been detailed to impersonate me, having first disposed of me.

The fact that I am currently in Belfast has nothing to do with this. Move along. Nothing to see here.

DRT wrote:

djewesbury wrote:Rumours of my demise are much exaggerated, though please continue to speculate whether this is really me or just a stooge of British intelligence who has been detailed to impersonate me, having first disposed of me.

The fact that I am currently in Belfast has nothing to do with this. Move along. Nothing to see here.

It was always a nonsense request of Daniel’s. The ‘real’ Daniel was a stooge of British intelligence; the new Daniel will doubtless be another. Though I admit to preferring the new.

(Three posts until this.)

djewesbury wrote:Gentlemen,

Rumours of my demise are much exaggerated, though please continue to speculate whether this is really me or just a stooge of British intelligence who has been detailed to impersonate me, having first disposed of me.

I have booked my flight. Alex, I'll send you £90.

Over and out.

Excellent news. At the tasting we can speculate whether it will be you who is the next Bond rather than Idris Elba or Damien Lewis.

AHB wrote:

djewesbury wrote:Gentlemen,

Rumours of my demise are much exaggerated, though please continue to speculate whether this is really me or just a stooge of British intelligence who has been detailed to impersonate me, having first disposed of me.

I have booked my flight. Alex, I'll send you £90.

Over and out.

Excellent news. At the tasting we can speculate whether it will be you who is the next Bond rather than Idris Elba or Damien Lewis.

Please be aware that I'm unable to talk about where I've been or what I've been doing for the first half of 2016. Nor am I able to divulge why my asset Turnbull has been coming to Belfast so regularly.

djewesbury wrote:I have booked my flight. Alex, I'll send you £90.

Great news, will be good to see you.
(Excellent work Comrade Derek; your next task is to avoid being shipped to Kuala Lumpur so you don't have to drop from the tasting yourself)

PhilW wrote:Excellent work Comrade Derek; your next task is to avoid being shipped to Kuala Lumpur so you don't have to drop from the tasting yourself

If HRH needs me in Kuala Lumpur I will be there. Just carry on as though nothing happened

AHB wrote:

forest26 wrote:I notice one berth left on this- can I come along?
If it is any help or doesn't complicate things I can throw in a bottle from a case I purchased in this sale.

You certainly can come along.

I'm happy for you to bring another bottle of F63 as your contribution to the English bottled side-theme. Does anyone feel differently?

Julian - would it be worth using another currency sign for Tony's F63, and keep the Greeks for bottles from the same case?

flash_uk wrote:Julian - would it be worth using another currency sign for Tony's F63, and keep the Greeks for bottles from the same case?

Your objective heeded, even if your means not quite.

OK folks, time to start organising this tasting.

• Please post your menu choices in this thread.
• The plan is a tasting in two flights. Flight 1 is of the six bottles of Fonseca 1963. Flight 2 is of "English Bottled Port". Contributors to the English bottled port are duly thanked and are asked to let me know by PM how much they would like to receive in compensation from those who are not contributing a bottle.

The English Bottled Port flight consists of the following ports:

1. Warre 1970 bottled by Army & Navy (PW)
2. Gould Campbell 1970 (MPM)
3. Berry Brothers & Rudd 1963 own label (CPR)
4. Martinez 1963 (WS1)
5. Fonseca 1963 bottled by Findlater, Mackie & Todd from the same cellar as the case tasting (TC)
6. Fonseca 1970, unknown UK bottler (AHB)
7. Smith Woodhouse 1970 (free gift to TPF)

Placemats updated. Nearer the time, please check all correct.

AHB wrote:

• Please post your menu choices in this thread.

Starter: Potted shrimps with granary toast
Main: Chargrilled sirloin steak (black and blue) with grilled tomato (and hand-cut chips if the below not possible).
+Side: Please, chef, would some Dauphinoise potatoes be possible by special request?

Chilli squid on toast with garlic mayonnaise
Chargrilled 220g sirloin steak with hand-cut chips and grilled tomato
peas and beans with minted butter
Eton mess

Many thanks

Should I assemble the food order?

Plate of smoked salmon
Chargrilled 220g sirloin steak (rare) with hand-cut chips and grilled tomato
Peppercorn sauce

(Note for kitchen - Gluten Free please)

Thanks

jdaw1 wrote:Should I assemble the food order?

That would be most helpful, thank you.

Draft of the food order.

Would it be worth making a special team-skinny-fries request?

Yes. And a scallops and bacon (usually available as a main) starter option would be good.