My take on Port Wines

Mr J and I are on a port wine hunt and after a few months, I made it a point for me to note my thoughts down before I forget them clean. It takes us around three weeks to finish a bottle so as of today, my memory of these wines are relatively fresh.

Port wines are generally fortified dessert wines made in Portugal, but not for the feeble. Mr J is a port lover, I'm not too big a fan because I don't usually thrive on sweets. Still, I do enjoy a glass or two everyday after dinner.

Cockburn's Special Reserve Port - One of the best there is in the world, and not too expensive for a Special Reserve range. This is our favorite so far. Sweet but subtle with its alcohol. Very gentle burn when it goes down. A gorgeous, satisfying after-taste. If you're a first timer, try this.

Sheffield Cellars Tawny Port - The cheapest port wine we have purchased so far (also because there was a promotion), I must say this is also one of our favorites. Albeit from California which is not quite the norm for port wines, it has a tang to it, like a spiced up flavor. Low alcohol content but it is harsher than Cockburns. I quite like it because it's not too sweet - Great to savor with your pastries.

Graham's Fine Tawny Port - Light. Very light. It's like the Pinot Noir in red wines, this is so light the color is almost translucent. Doesn't burn much when it goes down. I sometimes had to take a second helping to feel good about it. Maybe never again.

Dow's Fine White Port - There are not many White Ports around, and we've actually never seen one until yesterday with only two bottles on the rack. Surprisingly, it tastes just like the regular Port wine, if not sweeter, or maybe it's just Dow's. Instead of red grapes, it is made with white grapes, obviously. We can't really give a verdict on this since this is the only White Port we have ever tried, but it was surprisingly good and thick. High alcohol content and a normal pour in a port glass is too much for me. Burns like a king. I must say, this is a classic dessert wine, and if we ever have the luck to see it again, we will get it!

Offley Ruby Porto - We don't really fancy ruby port wines in general because we prefer the character in Tawny Port Wines. Anyway, this was the very first Ruby Port we tried and I must say it's a beginners' favorite, like how Merlot is always the party's favorite. Sweet, easy to go down but thick. Very smooth, indeed.

So here's my take on five different bottles of port wines! If you're gonna pick up a bottle of Port wine, try asking the person-in-charge to first check where the port wines are displayed - Most of the time, they are tucked away in a god-forsaken corner. At times, we bring back bottles covered in a layer of dust.