Taylors 325 anniversary port?

Anyone had this or heard anything about it? “A superb blend of aged tawny ports”.

Hi, Tim. We bought a couple of bottles. I am by no means a Port Expert, so hopefully others with more experience with Port can chime in. We opened this over the Thanksgiving weekend. From a qualitative standpoint, I would say it is somewhere between a 10-yr and a 20-yr. For a few dollars more, I would next time buy a 20-yr. A good 20-yr to me has more complexity and a wider array of flavors. This did improve over a few days. We have a little more left over and I will probably try it again this weekend.

We bought ours for $35. The bottles are very cool and that alone was a good reason for me to purchase a few.

Thanks,
Ed

It’s a Reserve Tawny Port. Nothing flashy or old in the bottle. Average age would be less than 10 years and probably closer to 8 (7 is the min for a wood aged Port). The bottle itself however is very cool.

Thanks guys, good info. I’ll get one for $35 for a cool decanter for vintage stuff.

I’ve been keeping an eye out around my area but I’ve not seen it yet. I just want one for the cool bottle design.

andy velebil wrote:
I’ve been keeping an eye out around my area but I’ve not seen it yet. I just want one for the cool bottle design.

Andy, if you are near the K&L in Southern California, they currently have them in stock. No affiliation but a long-time customer.

Thanks,
Ed

Thanks I’ll order one.

So i ordered one from K&L right now and saw the reviews they listed for this…

97 points Wine Enthusiast
This is a superb blend of aged tawny Ports, blended to celebrate the company’s 325th anniversary. Filled with rich fruit, it has great depth and spicy richness although it is also impressively fresh. Dried fruits and red plums are lifted with a hint of smoky wood and good acidity. Like any tawny Port, it is ready to drink. (10/2017)


94 points Decanter
Lifted but dense dried and candied fruit nose along with chocolate-covered coffee beans and Christmas baking spices. Multilayered, plush palate with a concentrated, juicy, bright mulberry core of acidity surrounded by rich sticky toffee pudding and warm gingerbread notes. Complex but approachable - a delicious tawny. (5/2017)


93 points James Suckling
A compelling tawny showing cooked fruits, Indian spice and hints of toffee as well as dried flowers. Full body, layered and dynamic on the palate with a sweet and dried fruit aftertaste. Some figs as well. Lightly tannic. Makes you want to curl up next to a fire. Drink now. (7/2017)

Now let me give you a Cellartracker note from someone I know who’s a serious Port lover and who has a great palate.

(name removed) favorite wrote: 88 Points

Nice packaging but a bit disappointing. Pop and pour. Tasted like a nice, soft 10 year old tawny at a 20 year tawny price. Light and easy drinking, but I would prefer more zing and focus. Fades off a bit too quickly. Perhaps this will improve on day 2? UPDATE: This did improve ever so slightly on day 2, but I don’t think I would re-purchase. Too round and short for my tastes.

I knew to avoid this garbage the second I read that the majority of this blend was in fact just a 10 year old Tawny port. The balloon decanter is nice but they clearly don’t think much of their own anniversary if this is what they felt was worth pouring into said bottle.

Actually with 2015 not being a Classic Declaration (it would be released this year if it had) and 2017 not looking good for Port either Probably had something to do with it.

If you read the Taylors website info page on this very carefully you’ll see this isn’t even a 10 year blend. Granted you have to read it carefully and probably have to know a little about how Port is aged and made to understand the subtleties of the wording. But this isn’t like the “Never refreshed” Scion which any Port lover knows was total BS. Lol.

Interesting–was just there in June and saw absolutely no sign or mention of this at the estate. (tasted their tawny line up of 10,20,30, 40 year, plus a single vintage 1966 tawny. My problem is that I vastly prefer the old stuff…)

So I finally picked up my bottled and opened it. Here’s a TN.

This comes in a really neat old style onion bottle. Despite some creative wording, this is nothing more than a NV Reserve Tawny. Based on the mostly redish with a little brown color, this is probably pretty close to the minimum age of 7 years to be a tawny. Some fresh strawberries and alcohol on the nose. Thin and a bit harsh due to the disjointed brandy. Though strawberries and menthol are pleasant. Rather straight forward and simple and would make a good “Monday night” Port. I bought solely for the aforementioned bottle and wasn’t concerned about the contents.
83 Points

I’ve finished a bottle and have another yet to open. I will mostly echo others’ comments except to note that the very cool bottle is NOT of much use as a decanter because a) the glass is dark so seeing sediment is an issue; b) its opening is small and thus not easily poured into; and c) 750ml of wine will fill it to the neck. Though I suppose if you don’t mind using a funnel and aren’t worried about sediment it would make a cool-looking decanter for a 375ml bottle of something.

As for the repetitive part, I too was suspicious about the lack of an official age statement and the lack of any specifics about the age of the wines in the blend, so I assumed it was going to be a fairly young tawny in a cool bottle, particularly given the price. I was heartened by the big review scores, but would have bought it anyway for the bottle and to take a flyer at that price. My impressions are closer to Andy’s than to the professional reviews quoted to sell the stuff. Decent enough tawny but not any better than a good 10yo. But the bottle is now on the shelf in my office at home and looks pretty cool!

Posted by John Stimson
Interesting–was just there in June and saw absolutely no sign or mention of this at the estate. (tasted their tawny line up of 10,20,30, 40 year, plus a single vintage 1966 tawny. My problem is that I vastly prefer the old stuff…)

I think that’s a pretty common problem.

Add me to the list of the underwhelmed. I concluded this was a marketer’s brainstorm - take extra juice, throw it in a cool package, and sell for a premium relative to the actual quality of the product. If that was the goal, it worked…I fell for it. Unless you are particularly attached to intersting bottles, I would advise steering clear.