I admit that I can't resist a pint of black Liffy water every time I go to Dublin - it would seem insulting to my hosts not to do so
However, I can report that a business associate in Dublin who was the recipient of the Taylor's 1977 & decanter that was the subject of another thread was very pleased to receive it, and even seemed to recognise what it was - the only bad point of the trip was when I was disembarking the plane at Dublin airport yesterday morning and saw one of the ground crew play football with the box containing the T1977 that was clearly marke FRAGILE in bold red letters on all sides - B*****d's ! :x - luckily it was well packed and surrvived the ordeal
Andy,
I love a glass of the black stuff meself, dont yer know, All I was saying is that theres an urban myth that they use the water from the Liffy. As Guiness is also known as Liffy water, they dont publicise that its not. The water from the Liffy isn't clean enough. I've been told that the water they do use has run through peat bogs and does have an ever so slightly different taste to it. But then again, maybe all the licencees and barmen in Ireland that I've mithered over the years are having a craic and winding me up!
Anyway, how boring am I! Just drink the stuff and be happy. :)
Alan
Speaking of myths and legends....when I was in college I had a fraternity brother who swore they put a pint of Ox blood in every batch. I just kept telling him to drink more and shut up
I sucessfully reconstructed a Fonseca 1970 cork last night using a wooded cocktail stick and no glue
Can I join "The Cork Reconstructors Club" ?
Derek
PS: Unfortunately, the Harvey's 1985 cork is beyond repair. Not sure if this was down to the state of the cork or the method of extraction - I believe a penknife was used :?
I will never allow a false reconstructor to join my club. Its glue or nothing. Where is the art and skill in sticking a great wooden spike through the centre of a crumbled cork? Where is the need for patience and dexterity? Did Michaelangelo use cocktail sticks when he was making the statue of David? No!. Did Da Vince make his helicopter model out of cocktail sticks? Again I say NO! Did Monet use cocktail sticks to paint the Water Lilies? Never!
Alex
PS - I sure hope this humour translates
Last edited by Al B. on Tue Apr 03, 2007 7:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
So what was the trick to getting the cork out in 1 piece? What equipment did you use?
I admit that each and every bottle I open, I approach with every hope that I will get the cork out in one piece, but I never succeed. Even the Warre '91 that I opened recently crumbled on me.
I removed 4 corks last Friday/Saturday and all came out intact. The oldest was a Graham's/Graham/Grahams 1963 - my proudest moment 8)
The others were Fonseca 85 and 2000 and the NN87.
The F00 was interesting as it was extremely tight and was only stained on the bottom surface of the cork with almost no penetration into the wood or up the sides. I know this bottle has been lying down for at least 3 years. I recall someone suggesting this as a theory for new looking corks in old bottles in another thread.
I'm kind of glad i discovered this thread - perhaps you'd all do me a favour and tell my wife that I'm not crazy. After opening my first VP the other day (Ferreira '97) the bottom of the cork shattered and was lost. I have kept the cork for its sentimental value, but she shot me (yet another) one of those looks that very plainly reads "you are a nut-ball, but for some reason I didn't figure that out before I married you, so now I'm stuck with you!"
I love the idea of the magnum box with the corks in it by the fireplace. Consider that my new project - to open enough special bottles of port that I can fill a box by my own fireplace. 8)
Allow her a one time read through the forum and she will realize you are still sane, and that all the rest of us are the nuts. However, she may just realize that slippery slope you're heading down is going to make you even nuttier. So just bring her to an offline with us, and she will very quickly learn that you are really a total nut like all of us and that it is best to just find something else to do why you enjoy that bottle of Port or spend every free minute of your time on this site
My partner, Jo, would be happy to provide written evidence based on first hand experience of Port Offline's that Bridgema, Alan C, KillerB, Roy, Mario, Christopher, Nicos and I are completely nuts.
Jo will also provide proxy evidence from photographs that Andy V. Stewart, Dave, Jay and Eric are just as nuts as the rest of us.
Your wife is not alone - a FTLOP Widows Support Group is surely going to be a reality at some point soon
- the only bad point of the trip was when I was disembarking the plane at Dublin airport yesterday morning and saw one of the ground crew play football with the box containing the T1977 that was clearly marke FRAGILE in bold red letters on all sides - B*****d's ! :x - luckily it was well packed and surrvived the ordeal 
