1890 Burmester Colheita Port

[Glenn E.]

Tasted on 3/12/2010 at my house. Roy brought this taste back from L.A. with him and it seems to have survived the trip quite nicely.

1890 Burmester Colheita

Color: Muddled brown and green. Like camoflage paint that has been put through a blender. Fairly cloudy, with significant sediment floating throughout. It really doesn't look like Port.
Nose: Leather, old wood, shoe polish, and a very light vinegar note.
Palate: "Tastes like old Port." Coffee grounds without the bitterness. Good acidity. Still some fruit, but it's mostly tertiary. There's a freshness in the mouth that reminds me of mint but without any mint flavor.
Finish: A bit of a weird aftertaste, but in a unique way and not an off-putting way. Length is decent.

This is now the oldest Colheita I've ever tasted (the 2nd oldest, a 1906 Brunheda, was also provided by Roy). It's pretty amazing to realize that the Port you're drinking is 120 years old and that it's not just drinkable, it's really good. I have a hard time rating anything this old simply because the experience transcends the raw numbers, but just as a Port I'll give it 91 points.

[Roy Hersh]

There was no way with the couple of ounces left to get this back here in better shape and I was just glad to be able to share some with you. Your TN is right on the money.
I do have one thing to add to put this in perspective, it was bottled in 1969 and was in pristine condition with a fill a 1/2" into the neck.