For The Love Of Port

Cockburn Special Reserve non-vintage. I decanted for 4 1/2 hours before drinking

A reserve ruby. Bright ruby color, modest but pleasing and distinct bouquet. Sweet, some spiciness, moderate length. Tastes of blackberries, some hint of licorice and mint. A little plummy-richness, if that characterization makes any sense. I liked this very well. It pleased me more than most other reserve rubies I have drunk. 86/100.

This was on sale and I got 4 over the summer. Strong nose, sweetness and a little spicy, but found the alcohol was a bit overbearing so I let it sit for a day. Better on day two. I put the rest in the fridge and that seemed to help on days 3 and 4. Still, it was always a little rough on the edges. Always seemed just a little dry on the finish, which was clipped.

2nd bottle was opened with friends--I opened 24 hours before. Similar tasting experiences and the groups consensus was "average". Still, I only paid $13.99/bottle, so while it wasn't great, or even good, it was a decent bargain. With the heat from the alcohol, this is definitely a cold weather sipper.

88 points.