I attended a blind gin tasting with about 12 bottles all over the price spectrum. You could drink them straight or as a gin and tonic. I, of course, did both, as did a few other people. The favorites for mixing and drinking straight were totally different.
Derek T. wrote:I enjoy many of the Ruby Reserves mentioned here but I think it would be doing them a disservice to categorise them as cooking Port. Using the odd splash in an impromptu sauce when it is simply what is available is fine (I've done it with very fine Vintage Port so can't criticise anyone for doing it with these), but I think these Ports deserve a better intended end than sizzling away in the bottom of a sauce pan.
If you want to cook with Port as a regular ingredient buy basic Ruby at half the price
Those are fair comments. I like drinking reserve ruby ports also. I like the Cockburn's Special Reserve and the Ramos Pinto "Collector" reserve ruby ports. I tend to drink more LBVs but seem to make the rounds of the various ruby ports every so often. So far I haven't found any I'm not happy to drink!