10 Year Old Tawny by Taylor Fladgate

[Todd Pettinger]

Taylor Fladgate Ten Year Old Tawny [NV]
Received this as a birthday gift from my father, who, unfortunately, had to hit the road to drive 100 miles home before I could open this bottle in order to properly show my gratitude.

Opened and enjoyed immensely beside some excellent Balderson 2 Year Aged Royal Canadian Cheddar and fresh-cracked almonds. Although I have recently discovered that drinking this particular tawny next to several others tends to bring out the negative traits in this one, by itself and with the sharp aged cheddar, this is an excellent way to end a perfectly relaxing long weekend.

This bottle seems to display less of the harsh spirity notes that I have noticed in Taylor 10 Yr Tawny offerings previously. I would have suspected my palate was dulled by the aged cheddar and the nuts, I started the drinking PRIOR to the consuming of the accompaniments. This bottle is showing just perfectly.

A clear ruby, turning to dusty rose with tawny orange notes interspersed, the tears on this port are well structured and slow-running, if not fairly clear. Upon swirling, the huge, clear meniscus sticks to the side of the glass and grudgingly follows the command of gravity.

Nutty nuances dominate the palate, along with smoky oak notes. While I cannot detect any fruit, this is to be expected. Brown sugar follows on a medium-thickness mouthfeel, with a note of something that could be cinnamon, but light and muted. The spirit is very well integrated compared to most times when I have had this tawny, but shows through rapidly if a proper mouthful is held in the mouth for a longish amount of time. A warming follow through hits all the right buttons and makes me smile a content smile and appreciate life that much more. A touch of acidity balances this tawny, which I know can easily be trumped by certain others, but which, on this night, is showing itself splendidly.

This bottle will likely last a while, so it will be interesting to see if my opinion changes along the way.