12 October - 55 @ 55 Tasting

[Alex Bridgeman]

Timed to try and match the potential return travel plans of those US folks travelling on Roy and Mario's Harvest Tour this year, we are organising a tasting in London of as many shippers of the 1955 vintage as we can get hold of - hence the theme of "55 @ 55" since they will be celebrating the 55th anniversary of their vintage.

Arrangements are still being finalised, but the date is confirmed as Tuesday 12th October. Cost is likely to be in the region of GBP £50-60 plus a contribution of 1-2 bottles from the 1955 vintage either in the form of port or funds towards the costs of the port. (The cost of the port is likely to work out to be around £120 per bottle or £180 per person but will obviously depend on the ports we are able to source.)

Anyone who is able and would like to attend, please post a reply here so as to help me with the planning of the event. Please also let me know by PM whether you have any 1955 port you would be willing and able to offer for the tasting.

Places will be limited and will be offered on a first response, first secured basis (with some exceptions for folks who are helping me with the organisation of the tasting). This thread replaces any and all previous threads talking about this tasting - if you want a place then let me know; having a place from a previous thread does NOT give you a place at the table unless your initials are listed below. To start with, places will be limited to 14 to ensure we have decent tasting samples but if enough extra people are interested then I will look at the practicality of using two bottles of each port so that we will be able to accommodate up to 28 people.

Confirmed Attendees
1) AHB (Buckingham Palace Blend and Noval)
2) THRA (Taylor)
3) AP (Offley and Niepoort, the latter through the generosity of Dirk Niepoort)
4) Industry Guest
5) RAH (Cockburn and Fonseca)
6) NN (Cockburn and Fonseca)
7) DRT (Martinez)
8) BMHR (McKenzie)
9) GEE (Gonzales Byass)
10) CMAG (Graham)
11) CSD (Ferreira)
12) JDAW (Warre and Adam's (probably Royal Oporto))
13) RLC (Sandeman)
14) RAYC (who is right handed, bringing Dow)


Alex

[benread]

Yes please! I have 2 bottles of McKenzie 1955, sourced via UncleTom. Nothing more from 1955 I am afraid!

[Axel P]

Yes, please. However I do believe that airplane travel on the day of the event wont add any value to the bottles. Tom, could you please help me out on this?

Axel

[uncle tom]

However I do believe that airplane travel on the day of the event wont add any value to the bottles. Tom, could you please help me out on this?

Agreed - if anyone else wants their bottles settled, my cellar is available!

Tom

[Glenn E.]

I responded on FTLOP, but will mention here also that I'll need to adopt. I have nothing from 1955 in my cellar and acquiring it in the US would be rather extravagant compared to acquiring it in the EU.

[uncle tom]

I will be on parade!

My preferred contribution would be the Taylor, as I have some very well cellared bottles that have yet to be sampled.

I can also assist with adoptions...

Tom

[Chris Doty]

Sign me up!

Will need to start hunting these down...do we have a list of what is already available? I will PM Tom about something to bring...should be a lovely evening.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Sign me up!

Will need to start hunting these down...do we have a list of what is already available? I will PM Tom about something to bring...should be a lovely evening.

Consider yourself signed up.

So far, we have McKenzie offered plus Tom and I have about a dozen shippers between us - but the challenge is for everyone to find themselves a bottle or two of 1955 vintage port to bring to the evening. They are a bit pricey, but not too difficult to find. Post here or PM me with whatever you're thinking of buying and I'll confirm whether it's already included or not.

[jdaw1]

+jdaw1 please.

[Alex Bridgeman]

+jdaw1 please.

Done

[Glenn E.]

FYI - after a brief search, availability in the US is decent; pricing is not. Taylor, Graham, and Noval are available in limited quantities at $300. More at $350-$400. Others go up from there, including Ferreira, Croft, Burmester, Tuke Holdsworth, Martinez, Gonzales, Cockburn, Dow, and Warre. Those last 4 are all $400 or over. Fonseca starts at $575.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Given the fairly slow response to this specific thread organising the 55 @ 55 tasting compared to when it was mentioned in the winter, I am wondering whether I am being too ambitious in trying to organise a tasting with 2 bottles per person.

Does anyone have any comments or thoughts as to whether I should amend the tasting to be 14 people and 14 bottles? PM me if you don't wish to make your comments public.

[jdaw1]

Fourteen people, not more than thirty-six shippers.

Have you considered PM'ing those who replied to the previous threads?

[WS1]

Alex,

I am very interested to join this tasting but I highly likely cannot come on the proposed date to the tasting, hence I did not step forward. Since I am moving house in August al lot this year is preplanned/fixed and hence the dilemma.

I think 2bts per person are fine if you still allow for two stints. I expect a couple of bts being not drinkable since 1955 being also traded a lot and hence provenance issues may arise. The quality of this vintage is outstanding, but the increased transporting round the world can be an issue.

regards

WS1

[Glenn E.]

After all this time, I am still a lightweight. 2 bottles per person, even broken into two shifts, is very likely more Port than I can consume and still remain minimally functional. I'm more than happy to step up if that's the planned event, but I would be more comfortable (and more likely to produce legible TNs) if the event is somewhat smaller.

[Roy Hersh]

Glenn,

You are forgetting that the prior week you will be trying a ton of Ports. If there is ever a time where you will be well fortified and prepared for the likes of 2 bottles, I'd imagine this would be it.

One or two bottles of 1955 sounds good to me either way. Unfortunately, it looks like adoption is going to be necessary. If I was smart, I'd have brought my bottle to Spain and handed it off to a friend there who gets to the UK fairly regularly. Doh!

[Glenn E.]

Haha... I'm not forgetting that at all. In fact, that's part of what has me worried!

I've been doing some research, and due to the quirkiness of airline schedules it's going to cost me exactly $0 (in airfare) to make a pit stop in London on the way back from the Harvest Tour. The most reasonable flights (schedule-wise, not cost-wise) from Seattle to Portugal go through LHR, but the return flight leaves Porto too late in the day to make it all the way back to Seattle. I'm forced to spend the night in London and then complete my return trip the next day. Conveniently, the first flight back to Seattle on Wednesday even seems to be at a reasonable hour.

I have one question for the cognoscenti - how much time do I need in Heathrow in order to make my connection to Porto on the way out? Expedia won't offer me the exact combination of flights that I want, so I'm considering booking the two flights separately. (Which, oddly, doesn't cost anything extra. It's usually significantly more expensive to book the legs yourself.) My concern is that Expedia won't offer that combination because the layover in Heathrow is only 2.5 hours.

Is 2.5 hours sufficient to make a connection in Heathrow? I'll be switching airlines from British Airways to Iberia if that makes any difference.

[jdaw1]

BA and Iberia just merged. If the first flight is on time, 150 minutes is enough (even plenty, depending on terminals). If not, well, you know.

[Deleted_User_1]

Count me in too please...I have a Sandeman 55 for the use of.

[Glenn E.]

BA and Iberia just merged. If the first flight is on time, 150 minutes is enough (even plenty, depending on terminals). If not, well, you know.

I have a new plan that saves $200 over the old plan by booking separate round-trip flights on separate days. Icelandic Air from Seattle to London fully encompassing an Iberia flight from London to Porto. I'll spend the night in London both on the way over and on the way back, with the return trip's overnight coinciding nicely with this tasting.

Now I just need to locate a '55!

[Alex Bridgeman]

Count me in too please...I have a Sandeman 55 for the use of.

Consider yourself counted. One more place left.

[Axel P]

I am adopting Offley from Tom

Axel

[Alex Bridgeman]

I am adopting Offley from Tom

Axel

First post updated with a few minor changes as bottles start to be assigned.

[jdaw1]

JDAW: Adam’s; Taylor; Warre; Unknown; Unknown; and a case of Cockburn that I would rather not break.

[VJR]

This would have been of great interest; unfortunately I cannot make Oct. 12th.
Have fun - look forward to the TNs.
Best, Victor

[Alex Bridgeman]

Some minor updates made to the wines being brought.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Another wine added to the list.

[Alex Bridgeman]

In the first post of this thread I list out all the wines and people who are attending this offline. There are a couple of people who have yet to decide what to bring, and one of them is only a tentative attendee as he would be flying in from Canada to take part.

So I would like opinions on whether we should look to add some more bottles to the current line up. Currently we have:
- Adam (which is probably Royal Oporto)
- Buckingham Palace Factory House Blend
- Cockburn
- Ferreira
- Fonseca
- Gonzalez Byass
- Graham
- Martinez
- McKenzie
- Offley
- Quinta do Noval
- Sandeman
- Taylor
- Warre

We could add any of the following to the line up for roughly £15 per person, per bottle:
Butler Nephew, Croft, Dow or Rebello Valente

So far, the only costs we have committed to are private arrangements for adoption of bottles plus the cost of the venue (which is about £40-50 per person). Does anyone have any thoughts or comments on whether we should add to the existing list? In the absence of a barrage of positive comments, I will leave the line up as it is at 1 bottle per person and not incur an extra cost on behalf of the team.

Incidentally, if someone has to drop out at the last minute we do not have any reserves. Does anyone have a guest who would be interested in coming along if a space opened up?

Alex

[DRT]

We could add any of the following to the line up for roughly £15 per person, per bottle:
Butler Nephew, Croft, Dow or Rebello Valente

I vote for adding the Dow and Croft but not the other two.

[Glenn E.]

I would not mind adding 1 or 2 bottles, preferably the Croft and Dow in that order. But I am also happy with the current lineup and will not be disappointed if it remains as-is.

[benread]

I would vote for some additional 'insurance' in terms of extra bottles. We know from experience that 1 per person can be marginal!

[DRT]

We could add any of the following to the line up for roughly £15 per person, per bottle:
Butler Nephew, Croft, Dow or Rebello Valente

I vote for adding the Dow and Croft but not the other two.

I am already starting to feel guilty about denying the Rebello Valente and Butler Nephew their chance to sit alongside their peers

[Axel P]

Alex,

since this will be an extremely good tasting my voting would be to bring in as many bottles of 55s as we can achieve. Knowing that this tasting will be more expensive, I would understand if others would vote not to.

Axel

[Alex Bridgeman]

Replies on adding bottles received so far have been noted. There seems to be a clear consensus to add at least two, but no clear consensus yet whether to add as many as possible.

FOOD
The menu on the evening will be exactly the same as we had last time I was at the RAF Club. That is:
Pea and Mint Soup
Steak, Kidney and Mushroom Pudding with roast potatoes and a selection of vegetables
Sherry Trifle
Coffee

Anyone who would prefer a vegetarian option or who has other dietary requirements, please let me know.

Alex

[DRT]

I vote for adding the Dow and Croft

I would not mind adding ... bottles

I would vote for ... extra bottles.

I vote for adding the ... Rebello Valente and Butler Nephew

There seems to be a clear consensus to add ... as many as possible.

That looks like an overwhelming majority in favour of adding all four

[Alex Bridgeman]

That looks like an overwhelming majority in favour of adding all four

Who votes for the vegetarian option for DRT?

[jdaw1]

First draft of placemats.

• +D, +Cr, +BN, +RV.
• Flighting needs work.
• Unfortunately I don’t have the exact cut of Garamond that was designed in 1955, but the substitute will have to suffice.
• What is the first name of MTD?
• Includes decanter labels and bottle labels, the latter to be printed onto the correct side of Ryman product 0220013460.
• Also includes pre-pour sheets, and people names.
• Mckenzie or McKenzie? Please provide evidence. Show your working.

[benread]

[*]Mckenzie or McKenzie? Please provide evidence. Show your working.[/list]

My notes show Mackenzie but as the bottles are buried away under the stairs in my 'cellar' I have no easy way of verifying that for a few days at least. Uncle Tom may be able to help as he supplied the bottles to me.

[jdaw1]

When you can please post a picture.

The picture might inform the book, so please show the whole label.

[DRT]

Mckenzie or McKenzie? Please provide evidence. Show your working.

Oporto, Old & New by Charles Sellers 1899, page 245, has it as Mackenzie.
Many books by A. L. Simon have it as Mackenzie.
Port, by Rupert Croft-Cooke has it as Mackenzie.
Other books that I own all have it as Mackenzie.

I think it's Mackenzie.

[jdaw1]

I think it's Mackenzie.

Which has the happy merit of agreeing with my spreadsheet. Official abbreviation shortened to ‟Mk”.

Updated draft of placemats.

• Flighting still needs work.
• What is the first name of MTD?
• Includes decanter labels and bottle labels, the latter to be printed onto the correct side of Ryman product 0220013460.

[Alex Bridgeman]

What is the first name of MTD

It is Markus

[jdaw1]

Updated draft of placemats.

• Flighting still needs work.

[Glenn E.]

That looks like an overwhelming majority in favour of adding all four

Who votes for the vegetarian option for DRT?

Cabbage only, methinks.

In all seriousness, if we add all 4 the tasting will have grown too large. I'm fine with adding 1 or 2 of the bottles, but even that will be sorely testing my ability to give these old Ports their due respect.

[DRT]

Having reflected on this I am changing my vote to stick with the bottles already listed in the first post of this thread and not add any more. 1955 VP deserves to be given a chance of being tasted by a collection of palates capable of doing so.

Derek

[jdaw1]

The placemats would look more elegant with fifteen rather than fourteen, so I am unilaterally deciding to keep the Dow.

Updated draft of placemats.

• +D.
• ”“Cr, ”“BN, ”“RV.
• Flighting needs work.

[DRT]

The placemats would look more elegant with fifteen rather than fourteen, so I am unilaterally deciding to keep the Dow.

I can live with that logic, especially as 15 is a Quadro Prime, which makes the solution both aesthetically and mathematically elegant.

[jdaw1]

Careful with that reasoning: sixteen is both 2^4 and 4^2, and is the only integer expressible as n^m = m^n with n, m ∈ ℕ.

Then seventeen, ah, now you’re talking, as a heptadecagon is one of very few constructible regular polygons. (Also 3, 5, 257 and 65537, the last two being generous for a single flight.)

[Alex Bridgeman]

Will you two please behave. This is a public forum!

Bottle numbers - from the views and comments offered so far, I have decided that we will limit the tasting to 15 bottles of 1955 vintage port. This will make the cost per person £65 plus a bottle of port. I will shortly send an email to everyone asking for money to be transferred to my bank account.

Flights - I don't want to taste all 15 bottles in a single flight. As a starting suggestion, I propose to have Blockbusters before dinner and Elegance after dinner. This would mean before dinner we have:
- Buckingham Palace Blend
- Dow
- Fonseca
- Graham
- Taylor
- Warre

And after dinner we have (split between British and Portuguese shippers):
- Cockburn
- Mackenzie
- Offley
- Sandeman

- Adam (which is probably Royal Oporto)
- Ferreira
- Gonzalez Byass
- Martinez
- Noval

Any comments or thoughts on my proposed flights?

Alex

[jdaw1]

Factory House Blends have had a reputation for being made of non-first-rank components. So it’s odd to have that in the ‘blockbusters’. Should it move to the post-dinner British shippers?

Cockburn’s reputation, or at least pricing, was excellent until the 1960s. (My most recent C55, pre-TPF website so no TN here, was excellent.) Move to the ‘blockbusters’?

It’s a shame to have lost the aesthetic pleasure of the 5-5-5 split.