For The Love Of Port

Well, after great anticipation this rookie oenophile finally tried the Rare Wine Company Boston Bual -- my first Madeira.

Compared to port, it really misses the mark for me. It's much thinner and lacks the profound sweetness of Port. Moreover, the complexity, mouthfeel and long finish of port are just better in my palate's opinion. And quite frankly, Madeira is much too acidic!

I'm wondering if a Malmsey would be more in my wheelhouse? Hesitant to spend the money on another Madeira when there are so many great ports to be had!

Thoughts? Thanks in advance...

jason

I love both. I especially love wood aged Ports. Madeira is famous for it's high acidity, one reason it can age so long. That said, I'm sorta an acid freak. I enjoy Ports with a strong acid component as well.
Port does tend to be sweeter, at least relatively. Malvasia can be very sweet as well, but the acidity kinda mutes the sweetness.
I would say that in the best examples, the complexity, especially the aroma, of Madeira beats Port hands down.
If you like richer and sweeter, try the Broadbent 10 year old Malmsey.

Eric Ifune wrote:If you like richer and sweeter, try the Broadbent 10 year old Malmsey.

Thanks Eric...I will!

You may not just like Madeira... Acidity will be there on any style of Madeira. Do you like PX sherry? That is the opposite to Madeira in terms of acidity.

Moses Botbol wrote:You may not just like Madeira... Acidity will be there on any style of Madeira. Do you like PX sherry? That is the opposite to Madeira in terms of acidity.

Right, maybe I just don't like it. Thanks for the warning about acidity across all styles. Will maybe try some sherry with my cigars too.

Obliged,

jason

Jason Maier wrote:

Moses Botbol wrote:You may not just like Madeira... Acidity will be there on any style of Madeira. Do you like PX sherry? That is the opposite to Madeira in terms of acidity.

Right, maybe I just don't like it. Thanks for the warning about acidity across all styles. Will maybe try some sherry with my cigars too.

Obliged,

jason

The acidity I find to be vital to pairing with a cigar. Cleans the mouth between puffs. That is why I also find Champagne to go well with cigars. Actually my favorite cigar pairing is water or sparkling water...

What cigars have you been enjoying recently?

Moses Botbol wrote:

Jason Maier wrote:

Moses Botbol wrote:You may not just like Madeira... Acidity will be there on any style of Madeira. Do you like PX sherry? That is the opposite to Madeira in terms of acidity.

Right, maybe I just don't like it. Thanks for the warning about acidity across all styles. Will maybe try some sherry with my cigars too.

Obliged,

jason

The acidity I find to be vital to pairing with a cigar. Cleans the mouth between puffs. That is why I also find Champagne to go well with cigars. Actually my favorite cigar pairing is water or sparkling water...

What cigars have you been enjoying recently?

Yes, that's the same thing I've read about acidity and palate cleansing...which is what led me to Madeira! Just disappointed I'm not a fan...oh well.

Cigar-wise, I love anything Davidoff (especially the Nicaragua). They are so well-made and perfectly balanced. I just wish I had the the re$ources to smoke them daily! Big fan of the Arturo Fuente Anejo line as well. And my favorite, reasonably-priced stick is the A.J. Fernandez San Lotano Oval (Habano). It's creamy, with wonderful chocolate and cinnamon notes. How about yourself?

Jason Maier wrote:
Cigar-wise, I love anything Davidoff (especially the Nicaragua). They are so well-made and perfectly balanced. I just wish I had the the re$ources to smoke them daily! Big fan of the Arturo Fuente Anejo line as well. And my favorite, reasonably-priced stick is the A.J. Fernandez San Lotano Oval (Habano). It's creamy, with wonderful chocolate and cinnamon notes. How about yourself?

My recent favorites are Upmann No 2's, Punch Super Selection, Punch DC's, RA Gigantes, Sancho Panza Belicosos, VR Unicos... Too many cigars I like to settle with a couple...

Jason, if you're not crazy about acidity, I would not jump into sherry! Per Moses earlier in the post, you're only real option is Pedro Ximenez (if you do), which I call 'liquid raisins'. If it's sugar you're after, try some ice wines.
I would encourage you to try more than one madeira before moving on however. It's a wine with a broad spectrum of styles and complexities. Try it alone, sans the cigar... I urge everyone I expose to madeira for the first time to take a healthy sip, and resist the urge to swallow. Leave the madeira in your mouth for 10-15 seconds, expose it to every part of your mouth, THEN swallow. Sounds odd, but drinking madeira is a sensual thing. Any who... my $0.02! Cheers.

Daniel's PX "liquid raisins" would be my "liquid figs".

Eric Ifune wrote:

I love both. I especially love wood aged Ports. Madeira is famous for it's high acidity, one reason it can age so long. That said, I'm sorta an acid freak. I enjoy Ports with a strong acid component as well.
Port does tend to be sweeter, at least relatively. Malvasia can be very sweet as well, but the acidity kinda mutes the sweetness.
I would say that in the best examples, the complexity, especially the aroma, of Madeira beats Port hands down.
If you like richer and sweeter, try the Broadbent 10 year old Malmsey.

A "+1" doesn't do justice to the post above. What is written above, is EXACTLY how I view and taste the difference between Port and Madeira too. The only thing I would add to what Eric wrote about his love for wood aged Ports, would be to include Vintage Ports too. Otherwise, his comment could've been typed by my fingers.

Thanks for your observations, Roy! Instead of just giving up on Madeira, I went out today and snagged a bottle of Rare Wine Company's New York Malmsey. And you know what? I *really* enjoyed it! I had 3 glasses over a three hour period and focused on *tasting* every sip for as long as I could. It wasn't quite as acidic as the Boal, and the character just popped for me. Very glad I stuck to it. Thanks all!