For The Love Of Port

This past weekend some old college buddies and I treked up to the central coast city of Cambria for some major fun and wine tasting in Paso Robles. Since we had access to a car once up there, we decided to take the train up. That way we could start some wine drinking on the way in the comfort of the train. (I must add that many of my notes from this trip were just brief impressions, as I wasn't there to focus on writing TN's.)

Funny story behind this one. I didn't bring this, but a few days earlier my friend calls me and tells me he bought this, had a couple glasses, really liked it, and put it in the freezer to keep it cold. Needless to say I told him to take it out or it would freeze, which it had by the time he got home..the bonehead :wall: He thawed it out in the refridgerator and brought it along for the train ride.

Typical Sandeman except it was a bit flat. Seems the freezing robbed some of the acidity from it leaving it a bit more on the syrupy, thick side. Still decent but not up to par for a normal non-frozen bottle. N/R
11/07/08

This has been my stand-by tawny for a year or so. I think it's on the top 5-6 easily available 20 year's in the USA. Somehow, NH Liquor stores sells it at near wholesale pricing

Actually, been kind of sick of it, but would still recommend it in a heartbeat.

I'd read much and positive about this port and I was very impressed with it when I tried it at a major tasting a couple of weeks ago. Lovely taste of nuts and vanilla and the other usual flavors of aged tawny, but the acidity really make an excellent finish. The three others I was with at the tasting thought that this was how an aged tawny is supposed to taste. Indeed.

For comparison, I tried the Portal 20 year old tawny at the same tasting, and that was just flat and boring and didn't have the lovely acid finish that the Sandeman has. I had actually bought a bottle of Portal's 20 YOT and I returned it to the store I had bought as it wasn't worth the money ...

There are so many 10 and 20 year old tawnies that disappoint me, but the Sandeman doesn't. Yummy! I don't know where to buy it but if I find it I will definitely buy a couple of them.

Morten O wrote:For comparison, I tried the Portal 20 year old tawny at the same tasting, and that was just flat and boring and didn't have the lovely acid finish that the Sandeman has.

The Barros brand has more acid than many, as I like acid finish as well.

In many of my tawny's I really like the acidity, and the Sandeman delivers that and a nice moderately complex body for a good price.

I have been touting this particular 20 year old Tawny for seemingly as long as I have had anyone who would listen. Up until a year ago, it could still be found in the USA pretty easily at $25 which was a fantastic price too. I don't think I have met anyone who does not like this one.

Of course, I prefer the Duque de Braganca by Ferreira, which also is a high acidity 20 year old Tawny, but the price is significantly higher.

Roy Hersh wrote:Up until a year ago, it could still be found in the USA pretty easily at $25 which was a fantastic price too.

Of course, I prefer the Duque de Braganca by Ferreira, which also is a high acidity 20 year old Tawny, but the price is significantly higher.

Current wholesale pricing for Sandeman 20 is around $22.00. Agreed that the Ferreira is a "better" tawny, but is also wholesales close to $45 a bottle.

It's gone up a little reently, but I can generally find it for around $35-42 a bottle at stores near me. The Ferreira typically is between $52-65. That is a big price difference between the two and although I like the Ferreira more, the Sandeman is the better QPR.