ThePortForum.com

Will be in London with the wife, and thought it would be nice to meet a member or three or five of TPF at the Bunghole (I will be staying over at Portman Square). I am travelling light, and not sure what I might be able to bring, but will take a look around. Might the Bunghole have a bottle I can buy, or is there one I can adopt from somebody. If not, will just see what I can find in the shops.

Am open to all suggestions.

Cheers

TLW

I'll also be in London on October 2 and would be happy to have dinner at the Bunghole.

Can I suggest that you call the Bunghole and book a table or one of the private rooms?

While you can certainly buy a bottle from the short port list at the Bunghole (choice of Smith Woodhouse 1983, Dow 1994, Offley 1977, Taylor 1980), it's also worth you taking a look at the Davy off-sales list. That has a much wider choice of ports. Provided you buy from the off-sales list at least a week before you want the bottle, you can have the bottle delivered to the Bunghole ready to be opened and drunk on October 2nd.

AHB wrote:I'll also be in London on October 2 and would be happy to have dinner at the Bunghole.

Can I suggest that you call the Bunghole and book a table or one of the private rooms?

While you can certainly buy a bottle from the short port list at the Bunghole (choice of Smith Woodhouse 1983, Dow 1994, Offley 1977, Taylor 1980), it's also worth you taking a look at the Davy off-sales list. That has a much wider choice of ports. Provided you buy from the off-sales list at least a week before you want the bottle, you can have the bottle delivered to the Bunghole ready to be opened and drunk on October 2nd.

Many thanks for the suggestions. I will probably just go for the 94 Dow from their list.

I have booked a table, initially for six, but can probably increase or decrease as needed.

For the moment please may I be a tentative acceptance.

jdaw1 wrote:For the moment please may I be a tentative acceptance.

Sounds excellent. Hope to see you there.

Are there any other likely attendees next Wednesday?

Thus far it looks like four of us, and I will amend the reservation accordingly.

Looking forward to finally meeting you gentlemen.

Potentially am now available, and if so would love to come.

However, i will need to confirm tomorrow - is that ok?

TLW wrote:Thus far it looks like four of us, and I will amend the reservation accordingly.

I would suggest that you leave the reservation as being for 6 people. If one or two extra people turn up then we have space for them. If we end up being 4 at a table for 6 there will be plenty of room to write notes.

When you made the reservation did you mention that it was for the Port Forum? Also did you mention that we would need up to 36 glasses?

RAYC wrote:Potentially am now available, and if so would love to come.

However, i will need to confirm tomorrow - is that ok?

That's absolutely fine by me.

Have I said what I am bringing? If not, does anyone want to know? (NB - DRT who cannot attend might be given a different answer to TLW, who is attending.)

AHB wrote:does anyone want to know? (NB - DRT who cannot attend might be given a different answer to TLW, who is attending.)

Please only tell me if it won't make me want to cry.

DRT wrote:

AHB wrote:does anyone want to know? (NB - DRT who cannot attend might be given a different answer to TLW, who is attending.)

Please only tell me if it won't make me want to cry.

Since you asked so nicely I will tell you only if you promise not to tell anyone else. <<whispers "Royal Oporto 1985" in his ear>>

There, does that make you feel better?

I promise not to tell anyone. {snigger}

DRT wrote:I promise not to tell anyone. {snigger}

And I have a backup plan in case I can't find a bottle of RO85. I like to be prepared.

Hi,

I cannot make it since I will be flying back from Frankfurt that evening. A horrible one day return business trip...

regards

WS1

I very much look forward to meeting everyone tomorrow evening, and will leave the reservation for six.

Whilst I did mention in the reservation that this is with The Port Forum, I did not mention that we might need up to 36 glasses (questionable as to whether my wife will drink much or will simply look at me with a profoundly bemused expression......).

Thus, I will let them know that we may need quite a few glasses.

Until tomorrow.

Cheers

TLW

TLW wrote:questionable as to whether my wife will drink much or will simply look at me with a profoundly bemused expression

!or both.

TLW wrote:Thus, I will let them know that we may need quite a few glasses.

We sometimes request 40ish, and sometimes 300ish. They’ll be able to cope.

I'm game.

I will probably just go for the 94 Dow from their list.

If you haven't already done so, I could supply a Dow '66 from my cellar for the same money..

I can also confirm attendance

Placemats: blind or sighted?

I will bring mine in tinfoil.

If space permits, i would bring a friend.

RAYC wrote:I will bring mine in tinfoil.

If space permits, i would bring a friend.

Does friend have known initials? And presumed right-handed unless otherwise specified.

jdaw1 wrote:

RAYC wrote:I will bring mine in tinfoil.

If space permits, i would bring a friend.

Does friend have known initials? And presumed right-handed unless otherwise specified.

KZZM - right handed - thanks

RAYC wrote:

jdaw1 wrote:

RAYC wrote:I will bring mine in tinfoil.

If space permits, i would bring a friend.

Does friend have known initials? And presumed right-handed unless otherwise specified.

KZZM - right handed - thanks

Quite excellent initials.

RAYC wrote:KZZM - right handed - thanks

Presumably an office colleague, whose ‟KM” initials had already been bagsied by somebody more senior.

jdaw1 wrote:

RAYC wrote:KZZM - right handed - thanks

Presumably an office colleague, whose ‟KM” initials had already been bagsied by somebody more senior.

In the absence of a pre-existing, more senior KM in the Bung Hole, I prefer to imagine that the middle names both begin with Z.

First draft of the placemats (and parameters by which made).


I could print, but won’t be there until 7pm.

I should arrive about 6pm, but can't print.

I won't foil mine, because it has no label..

..first bottle from a ten bottle stash that I bought two years ago, where I only have the vendor's word for the ID.

If it is what it it was sold as, it is a major vintage and a major shipper that has only had one previous appearance at a TPF event, when it was well received.

Happy to print (and just have), will target 6.30-6.45

RAYC wrote:Happy to print (and just have)

Thank you.

jdaw1 wrote:

RAYC wrote:KZZM - right handed - thanks

Presumably an office colleague, whose ‟KM” initials had already been bagsied by somebody more senior.

Yes and no. KZM would be sort of correct outside the office (we think HR were just having fun when adding the second "Z"), though only as the "americanised" translation of his real name (马致远) which is not really capable of reduction to initials in original language.

Does that work on placemats...?!

RAYC wrote:马致远!

Does that work on placemats...?!

I think you might have opened a can of worms.

This is starting to look very interesting but, unfortunately, I am still confined to barracks so cannot join you in person.

However, in order to mitigate my disappointment I intend opening "a nice bottle of vintage port" and sipping my way through it* at the same time you are enjoying whatever turns up at The Bunghole.

I am happy to provide clues as the evening progresses so that my bottle can be included in the blind guessing, perhaps as a tiebreaker in the event that everyone scores the usual near-zero points.


* subject to life coach permission

DRT wrote:

RAYC wrote:马致远!

Does that work on placemats...?!

I think you might have opened a can of worms.

new parameters please!

uncle tom wrote:I'm game.

I will probably just go for the 94 Dow from their list.

If you haven't already done so, I could supply a Dow '66 from my cellar for the same money..

If the offer is still good, I would very much like to take you up on it!

jdaw1 wrote:Placemats: blind or sighted?

Why not blind - matches at least me ratherr well.

TLW wrote:

uncle tom wrote:I'm game.

I will probably just go for the 94 Dow from their list.

If you haven't already done so, I could supply a Dow '66 from my cellar for the same money..

If the offer is still good, I would very much like to take you up on it!

I have sent Tom a text in case he doesn't see this

If the offer is still good, I would very much like to take you up on it!

Will grab a bottle and double decant it for you.

My bottle just decanted - ID confirmed - looking good!

djewesbury wrote:

DRT wrote:

RAYC wrote:马致远!

Does that work on placemats...?!

I think you might have opened a can of worms.

new parameters please!

Sigh. For some years the manual has had a ¶:

The program was designed for left-to-right script, and the alphabets successfully used have been Roman (mostly), Greek (occasionally), and Cyrillic (rarely). Users with knowledge of PostScript who are able to assist with testing in other scripts including right-to-left are invited to contact the the author, perhaps after reading this request for assistance rendering ‟泉十段”.

jdaw1 wrote:

djewesbury wrote:

DRT wrote:

RAYC wrote:马致远!

Does that work on placemats...?!

I think you might have opened a can of worms.

new parameters please!

Sigh. For some years the manual has had a ¶:

The program was designed for left-to-right script, and the alphabets successfully used have been Roman (mostly), Greek (occasionally), and Cyrillic (rarely). Users with knowledge of PostScript who are able to assist with testing in other scripts including right-to-left are invited to contact the the author, perhaps after reading this request for assistance rendering ‟泉十段”.

Excellent. Tonight is your chance to find out if KZZM has any knowledge of Postscript!

My wife, YM (Why me?) I often think, will also be joining, but will probably just taste from my glasses.

I will contact the Bunghole to let them know that it will probably be seven in the end.

See everyone there.

Oops: wrong date on placemats.

D66 decanted

Mine decanted at 2pm.

Mine at 3pm - I've started

And we have started too

A package was just delivered to my house containing four samples marked G63, S67, D83, "G50 VC07". I am confused by the latter, but thank you to the very kind gentlemen who sent these to me.

DRT wrote:...G63, S67, D83, "G50 VC07"...

I have some bad news. Not all is as was labelled...

AHB wrote:

DRT wrote:...G63, S67, D83, "G50 VC07"...

I have some bad news. Not all is as was labelled...

So what is the game? Am I to guess and post here? Are any of the labels relevant?

I don't think there is a game. I think it was a consequence of filling sample bottles late at night after having consumed a little bit of Port. No-one else consumed Graham 1963 on Wednesday. As much as we miss you, we would not send you our only 60ml sample of that fine nectar.

If you care to think of it as a game, think of it as a blind sample tasting challenge - tell us what you think is in each of the sample bottles before we post a review thread.