Drink #17 Port(s)

2.8.2012

So, um, look, it’s like this: I cheated. And I kinda cheated with gusto. I’ve said all along, “only one drink of any said drink per drink”. And tiny shots aside, I’ve kept to that self-imposed rule for the last 16 drinks. But, and I’m sorry yesterday I cheated. Seven whole times. Oh the humanity!

To be fair, most of them were samplings. But then again, I suppose that’s like saying “she was a little person, so it’s not like it counts, baby.” We all know that’s a whorey lie.

But wait, wait, before you start throwing my prior blog posts out the window or dousing them with bleach in the tub, let me explain!

This adventure keep getting better and better. Aside from trying all the new and exciting drinks, one of my favorite parts has been the people I’m meeting along the way. Talented bartenders, excited restaurant owners, fellow bloggers, good friends–everyone is a new adventure in itself.

In this case, I get to blame this opportunity came about from a new friend I’ve made on the Adventure, Jamie, owner of the Blue Banana. See, he introduced my blog to Jade, a local public affairs professional & blogger and she was kind enough to invite me and Joe to a professional’s Port Wine Showcase & Mixology at Jack Rose Dining Saloon in DC.

Me? Invited to a professionals wine tasting event? The virgin? Oh, so I’m the entertainment? Like ironically hiring a clown for the teenage birthday party? Question mark?

But no, I was assured it was legit. And it actually was! And it was awesome! Exclamation point!

So it was a 7 port drink event. 5 port tastings and 2 port cocktail tastings. And by “tastings” I mean about ¼ of a normal glass of the ports and an entire cocktail of the others. Hoo-boy.

Alright, get locked and loaded, I’m going to honor the event and invitation by covering them all. If you like tollerate trust love me, let’s begin.

We started with a Sandeman 20 Years Old Tawny. (That sounds dirty, I know) and even after the other 6 drinks, it was my favorite of the bunch. It was a pretty damn good wine, it started in one place and ended in another. Right off the bat it had a strong honey flavor, it was bright, warm, rich, quite sweet. I could taste berries, vanilla and it was pleasantly alcoholy.

But the best part of the 20 Year was the fresh, nutty finish. I kept tasting the wine more for the finish than the front end of the sip. But honestly, from stem to stern, a great wine. I could have bought a whole bottle.

We then jumped into a port cocktail called a Robert Frost. It had bourbon, sherry, simple syrup, orange bitters and Ferreira White Port (White port? Who knew? Not the virgin.) It was alright. It reminded me of the Old Fashioned I had a few weeks ago, but a far milder, quieter version. So, I suppose if you like an Old Fashioned, but wanted something a bit more haunting in nature, a Robert Frost is your drink.

[Look at me. Making drink suggestions. I am getting out of hand. I should be stopped. I’ll make a note.]

So then we had a Barros 1995 Colheita. It was really sweet, almost cloyingly. I could taste something like candied orange peel, cherries, figs? a slight nuttiness. It was lighter in the alcohol flavor, but just so damn sweet. Too sweet? Maybe.

Next up was a Broadbent Auction Reserve. I learned that “reserve” meant it’s only a year old or so. This one was kinda fun. It was strongly grape, sweet, lemony, crisp with a touch of black licorice.

Now, follow me. Do you remember the Kool-Aid flavor Purplesaurous Rex? It was this rich grape flavor with a hint of lemon. This port was the adult version of that. In fact, if I were a mixologist, I would add Broadbent Auction Reserve with some fresh lemon and blah blah, something blah and call it a Purplesaurous Rex. Mmmm.

So then we had another cocktail called a Sandeman Elixir. It was made with cognac, Aperol (a dry alcohol), Dolin Rouge (a vermouth), dash of orange bitters and Sandeman Founders Reserve Tawny. People seemed to love this one. I thought it was just ok. It was smooth, strongly orange, a touch smokey. I could taste berries, black licorice and it was cool and crisp. I liked it, but I don’t know I’d ever order another down the line like I would a Purplesaurous Rex.

Ok, still with me? God love you. Great, so then we had a sample of Broadbent Ferriera White Port. The color was blond, sorta unfortunately piss yellow, but also sorta pretty. It was sweet but tart, oaky, a touch dry. I could really feel it in my sinuses. It’s a thin, quiet drink. It was a nice contrast to the others, but it didn’t engage me.

The final drink (anyone? hello? anyone?) was a Quinta Do Crasto 2006 Late Bottled Vintage (whew). This was a good final drink. It was sweet but sharp, fruity and raw, some burnt sugar notes, syrupy and had this really apple-skin flavor finish. It was a strong, robust drink. I would think it would rock any cheese or desert paring well. I liked it 2nd most for sure.

CONGRATULATIONS! You made it to the end of the port post! You’re my hero!! Double exclamation points!!

So this event was a hell of a lot of fun. Jack Rose is a great bar and restaurant, if you’re in DC and haven’t gone: run, don’t walk. And I met some amazing people including other bloggers, bar owners and even some fans of my little project, surprisingly. Many of them have asked me to follow-up with them about future projects and cross-promotion opportunities and that’s really fucking exciting.

So, I cheated, yes. Many times, yes. Will I do it again? Probably. But unlike actual human relationships, cheating on rules about drinking is fun to do and I’m sure even more fun to read (anyone?). But I plan on keeping it rule-centric and simple over the next few posts. AKA: shorter posts.

You’re welcome.

Thanks again to Jade and Jamie, good friends on the Adventure.

Cheers, Ben


PS: Coming to my #firstdrinkHappyHour next week? You should. It’s for charity. Animal charity. Not my liver’s impending charity. So come'on out