For The Love Of Port

Didn't open it but had a glass of 20 yr Sandeman at a restaurant on Friday night.

Have been having the Ferreira and the Andresen at home and it felt that the Sandeman didn't measure up. Not as rich in the mouth nor as long a finish. Still v nice though :)

You're comparing it against two of the best 20's (Andreson & Ferreira) which is fair since I consider Sandeman 20 to be in the top echelon of 20 year tawny. Come down to how acidic tasting you like older tawny to taste.

Might also have been driven by how long the bottle had been opened for.

Reg acidity, at first found it tough to bear in the Ferreira especially. By the time i had that sandeman 20 i was more used to it. You might have nailed it.

The sandeman and Ferreira are polar opposite in terms of style for a tawny with an indication of age. So it may be you prefer the style of Ferreira a little more. I'd try the sandeman from a fresh bottle (just to rule out the one you had was less than a fresh bottle) then decide for yourself wether you like it or not.

I like both styles. While the Ferreira is much more citrus and lighter weight, the Sandeman has more of a creamy and full viscous mouthfeel and far less citrus with more tropical and dried fruits and plenty of nuttiness, which the Ferreira lacks. So agree with Andy that they are really nothing alike, but why can't you like both styles? The Sandeman's pricing is often times very attractive for the 20 year old Tawny, making it quite a bargain at times.