Taylor Very Old Single Harvest Port, Taylor Fladgate 1961

Pale tawny brown with yellow edges. A stunningly complex nose of caramel, toasted baguette, woodsmoke, herbs de Provence, white pepper, cloves, sultanas & Xmas cake. Warmth exudes from the glass with a highly attractive ‘estery’ character, rather like a venerable old Madeira. Soft, thick, dense & palate coating. Lip smacking acidity too lending balance to this super concentrated, sweet, spicy ‘bomb’ of a fully mature Port. Precise, classy, complex and with a wonderful lasting finish which leaves a glow of warmth and spiciness which goes on and on. Wonderful stuff !

A dark-coloured tawny with a ruddy mahogany hue and saffron and olive green rim; bright but deep golden topaz with glass tilted. Taylor’s Single Harvest Port 1961 is rich, sweet and enticing on the nose, with roasted almond, candied walnut and toasted coconut nuances to its mouth-watering fruit chutney nose. A hint of smooth, creamy Café Crème cigar too, which follows through in the mouth. The palate is indeed mouth-watering. A lively, intensely concentrated core of spicy, sweet and sour apricot chutney with citrus accents makes for an animated palate. Its swirl of nutty, spicy, cedarwood flavours sing on the long, sweet, jaggery (not quite molasses, but deeper than caramel) finish. Jaggery in flavour and lively onomatopeic mouthfeel, this is a singular Single Harvest Port; very good.