Ins and Outs of Port

[mier]

Sijan,like me to sent you a pack of them?
ERic.

[Sijan]

I've heard of using unbleached cheese cloth before. At what sort of store
can I reliably find it?

[Sijan]

Eric, thanks for your kind offer, but I don't want to inconvenience you. Do you think they are notably different from the coffee filters available in the US?

[Vange]

I am almost embarrassed to post this. I got my cheese cloth from here. It goes a LONG way.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/...45618B?id=4212

[Vange]

For a pop and pour with no filtering or decanting, buy a FILTERED LBV. I know Dow's has one I liked.

[Tennessee Dave]

Galway Pipe is another excellent port.

[Vange]

This weekend when buying a Bushmills Black Bush Irish whiskey, Guiness, and Harp's I checked out the port area to see what they had in stock. I saw many filtered LBVs and a few unfiltered LBVs. I spotted a new unfiltered LBV I never saw before, Fonseca 2001 Unfiltered LBV $23. I'll have to go back and buy one and try it.

[wintermute]

I bought a 500 ml bottle of Warre's Otimo 10 yr Tawny for $20. Nice honey flavor in the back of the throat. Having only "improper pairings these last few nights, I tried it with sharp cheddar - the sharpness contrasted well with the port, feta - not a good pairing, and then Irish soda bread - worked well, especially with the bread I got not being sweet enough for my liking.

If the label on an LBV doesn't state whether it's filtered, what's the safest thing to assume (I don't have a decanter)? Also, how are Croft's offerings? My local store hand the most offerings by this house and they were realtively inexpensive.

[Vange]

If nothing is stated its definitely filtered.
Croft makes decent VP, not sure about anything else though.

[mitchshrader]

I know very little about port, having tried only a couple bottles so far. A Taylor-Fladgate 20 year old Tawny, and their 10 year old LBV.

The 20 year old was dryer, more complex, a noticeable tobacco taste, like a tobacco barn smells, with a looooooong evolving flavor that took a while to absorb. Woody and leather notes on a plummy base.. I much prefer it, over the younger.. I wish I'd tried it with a light spicy cigar. I did pair some Emmenthal cheese with it, that being available,.. and it worked very well.

The 10 year LBV was more direct, a bit sweeter, more 'quaffable'. Still a lot of flavor but shorter, more 'liqueurish' .. I think it would pair better with dark bitter chocolate, or fruit and nuts..like fresh strawberries and walnuts..

If I didn't like cognac I'd probably drink more port..