Weekly News: Paint pots and Port Wine

This weekend was a very special one since one of my oldest friends gave us the honour of an extensive visit. We met for an afternoon of painting and an evening with cheese, some port and an amusing board game.

Let me start with the painting session. Although we wanted to get some more paint on our Napoleonic Austrians we were hindered by some historical research to do. While I decided to build my Austrians after a brigade in the advance guard during the battle of Wagram (Brigade Mayer) Auld Nick is tending to represent the 3. Infanterieregiment "Erzherzog Carl" and the brigade it was located in. So we checked up different sources like the suitable Osprey books and the Nafziger Collection. But afterwards we spent some time with the miniatures and at least some work was done. On my Infanterieregiment No. 4 I managed to paint some metallic details on the muskets and the helmet. Nothing too special but at least some progress with half of the unit:

Three of my Austrians. Still WIP...

After daylight had vanished and our daughter had gone to bed we changed to another pleasure: Cheese and port. While playing an entertaining game of "Kingdom Builder" Auld Nick and me opened the first bottle and tired two other later in the evening. And no... We didn't empty none of them!

We tested the right one, then the Taylor's and last but not least the Calem 10 yrs.

First we tried two Fine Tawny Ports without special testimony of age. The first was brought by Auld Nick and unfortunately I can't remember the correct name. Afterwards a Taylor's Fine Tawny Port which I bought and then another bottle from Nick's collection: A Calem 10 yrs. Fine Tawny Port. In any case we aren't very skilled in testing wine and we didn't experience the profound collection of scents and tastes that some examinant might tease out. Nevertheless we enjoyed every sip and noticed the smooth development from the younger to the older port. In direct comparison the harder flavours especially some ferocity seem to recede and warmer flavours of nuts and wood step forward. Therefore I liked the Taylor's Fine Tawny most because it seemed to be the most interesting compromise of all characteristics.
However later we had a lot of fun reading "professional" tasting reports about these ports. Boy, oh boy you must be either very skilled or very imaginative to find those very special scents. At the end we decided that personal taste rules and that you are able to find any taste of prunes when you only try hard enough.

Single Malt married with port and wood aroma... What a connection!

After we finished the evening with a tot of port cask finished Single Malt from the small Isle of Arran (here) we went to bed and a nice evening found its end.

Definitely an event to repeat...