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Justin K wrote: ↑21:24 Fri 21 May 2021Just gone from a Fonseca LBV to a Taylor's; is that not a demotion?

DRT wrote: ↑21:17 Fri 21 May 2021Julian, the organisation of this tasting is a mess, can you please sort it out? Hurry along man, there is no time to lose!

It is a custom, which almost universally prevails in the northern parts of Europe, to present a dram, or glass of liqueur, before sitting down to dinner. It answers the double purpose of a whet to the appetite, and an announcement that dinner is on the point of being served up. As the practice has continued so long, most probably it has been found to answer the first of these objects, or at least to do no harm; and the other has the convenience attached to it, of letting those of the company engaged at cards or billiards know, that they should stop, without beginning a new game or party. Along with the dram, is presented on a waiter, little square pieces of cheese, slices of cold tongue, and dried toast, accompanied with fresh caviar, &c.

A celebrated physician, when far advanced in life, found a similar stimulus necessary. After his dinner, which consisted chiefly of broths and fish, (as he could not eat animal food from want of teeth), he drank a pint of port daily, and concluded with a wine glass filled with white sugar and as much rum as it could hold; so that he had fully half a glass of spirit. The same dose was taken every morning about twelve o’clock; and if visiting at that hour, he was accustomed to call for it, as regularly as when he was at home. It was never understood that his health suffered from that practice.

jdaw1 wrote: ↑21:36 Fri 21 May 2021

DRT wrote: ↑21:17 Fri 21 May 2021Julian, the organisation of this tasting is a mess, can you please sort it out? Hurry along man, there is no time to lose!

Lordy: is it time to take the food order? Should I assume that we will all still have teeth?

Glenn E. wrote: ↑19:13 Sat 15 May 2021 Are we reconfirming again? I reconfirm!

DRT wrote:

Glenn E. wrote: ↑19:13 Sat 15 May 2021 Are we reconfirming again? I reconfirm!

I reconfirm.

differentdave wrote: ↑20:12 Tue 25 May 2021I can reconfirm both my and my sons attendance. Have been itching to taste a few of the 11's this year but must show restraint. I will be celebrating my 80th birthday shortly after this offline -- My father lived to 82 and was enjoying wine until the end, I am pumped!

Justin K wrote: ↑21:28 Wed 26 May 2021 Julian, not wishing to sart an argument with you regarding non attendance of offspring but you're being a bit hasty. Wouldn't it be good idea to have someone to catch the dribbles and generally keep an eye on us (medical training not obligatory but a definite plus)? I'm also a bit worried about those narrow stairs, I don't want to risk my hip and knee replacement replacements; a young strong she, he or it would come in handy. I think Derek may have to look into this.

MigSU wrote: ↑23:22 Wed 26 May 2021Offspring as a +1: yes.

jdaw1 wrote: ↑18:41 Thu 27 May 2021

MigSU wrote: ↑23:22 Wed 26 May 2021Offspring as a +1: yes.

So bring one of mine as my +1, who thereby takes the seat of a genuine Port enthusiast? No.

• The possible attendees are being combined into a single list.
• Nearer the time, the organiser (originally Derek, now me, but not necessarily remaining me) will select the fourteen attendees. In making that selection, the organiser will have regard to the following.
  • First: Bottles that person would bring.
  • Second: Enthusiasm for Port, at least partly measured by scale and quality of role and presence, both offline and online.
  • Third: pleasurability of company.
  • Distant fourth: timeliness of requesting a place. (This isn’t quite the same as ordering by date of first request: somebody now young who becomes a Port enthusiast might be very timely even if making the request a decade from now.)

jdaw1 wrote: ↑21:25 Thu 27 May 2021 This tasting was started with the default process for handling people. That process copes well with the then-usual outcome, in which about fourteen would want to attend, a short waitlist holding the others. It has become clear that such a process isn’t robust to a tasting being announced 37¾ years before the event.

As that process doesn’t work, I will soon be announcing a change. This is its proto-announcement, in that it can be changed in the light of reasoning received.

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• The possible attendees are being combined into a single list.
• Nearer the time, the organiser (originally Derek, now me, but not necessarily remaining me) will select the fourteen attendees. In making that selection, the organiser will have regard to the following.
  • First: Bottles that person would bring.
  • Second: Enthusiasm for Port, at least partly measured by scale and quality of role and presence, both offline and online.
  • Third: pleasurability of company.
  • Distant fourth: timeliness of requesting a place. (This isn’t quite the same as ordering by date of first request: somebody now young who becomes a Port enthusiast might be very timely even if making the request a decade from now.)

---

Some people hitherto on the list won’t attend by reasons of death or incapability. Others might not attend because the organiser has chosen an attendee thought more suitable. Doubtless those losing by the change won’t like it. Even so, please recognise its broader fairness, and play nice.

— JDAW (new organiser) and DRT (founder organiser).

jdaw1 wrote: ↑21:25 Thu 27 May 2021This is its proto-announcement, in that it can be changed in the light of reasoning received.

• The possible attendees have been combined into a single list.
• Nearer the time, the organiser (originally Derek, now JDAW, but not necessarily remaining JDAW) will select the fourteen attendees. In making that selection, the organiser will have regard to the following.
  • First: bottles that person would bring.
  • Second: enthusiasm for Port, at least partly measured by scale and quality of role and presence, both offline and online.
  • Third: pleasurability of company.
  • Distant fourth: timeliness of requesting a place. (This isn’t quite the same as ordering by date of first request: somebody now young who becomes a Port enthusiast might be very timely even if making the request a decade from now.)

Doggett wrote: ↑12:15 Sat 28 Aug 2021no guarantees of a place

Andy Velebil wrote: ↑03:11 Thu 11 Jul 2013Magnum of 2011 Noval Nacional

jdaw1 wrote: ↑12:52 Sat 28 Aug 2021

Doggett wrote: ↑12:15 Sat 28 Aug 2021no guarantees of a place

The best guarantee available is …

Andy Velebil wrote: ↑03:11 Thu 11 Jul 2013Magnum of 2011 Noval Nacional