TN: NV Barbeito 30 Years Old O Engenheiro Doce Tinta Negra

[Eric Menchen]

(Bottled May 2024. 94 g/l RS, 8.87 g/l TA. 22% from 1945/1946, the remainder from the 1990s.) Initially presents a musty, dusty aroma, and then it gets interesting with cola and something like horehound or sassafras, for a root beer like character. Then it went into the realms of wintergreen or beach wood. There is a really nice balance of sweetness with a medium-light body. 93-94 points.

I really enjoyed this, and the very different aromas and flavors, perhaps also slightly biased by the "O Engenheiro" name, made me pick up one to bring home.