The Auswine Forum

Hi All

I'm looking for some advice on Port Barrels. Planning to buy a port barrel soon and after reading some reviews looks like both the Keg Factory and Seppetsfield sell the best barrels for aging a tawny port.

Anyone have any experience with buying a port barrel from either place, or can make a comment on which company is supplying a better quality barrel?

Also has anyone used the bulk 2-3 year old port from seppetsfield in a port barrel? Any advice on how it turned out?

Thanks
Pete

ninjabloke wrote:Hi All

I'm looking for some advice on Port Barrels. Planning to buy a port barrel soon and after reading some reviews looks like both the Keg Factory and Seppetsfield sell the best barrels for aging a tawny port.

Anyone have any experience with buying a port barrel from either place, or can make a comment on which company is supplying a better quality barrel?

Also has anyone used the bulk 2-3 year old port from seppetsfield in a port barrel? Any advice on how it turned out?

Thanks
Pete

I've bought a number of port kegs as gifts from the Key Factory (varying sizes) - the service and quality of product is excellent. All recipients are very happy with the barrels many years down the track. From memory you can upgrade the tap, I would recommend doing this.

I filled my own 20 ltr Port Keg with 2-3 year old port from Seppetsfield about 5-6 years ago, it is a good port for the price. I don't drink a lot of it, but it certainly has developed depth of flavour and better length over that time frame. Family and guests certainly enjoy it. I top it up from time to time with a decent bottle of Tawny.

I recall a wonderful post a few years ago here, about using a surprisingly small amount of older port to blend in with a younger port, to get some complexity going from the start.

Hi Pete, the only advice I can give is on first filling your port barrel, use the cheapest port you can find (even 4l cask), leave it in the barrel for about 2 to 4 weeks or even longer, then throw out and start with port you wish to drink. Being a new barrel, the new oak will overpower any port and all you will taste is wood. It takes about 6 months to see results, but it is worth the effort. Ian is also right, there was a thread on this topic a number of years ago.

Hi All

Thanks for the comments, much appreciated.

Matt@5453 - Have you tried the 10 year old Seppetsfield they sell at the bottle shops? If you have tried it, could you make any comparison to the port you have in your barrel?

Also with topping up the barrel, what type of port do you use? Do you stick with just Seppetsfield or do you blend with other ports?

Cheers
Pete

My sister put goonbag port into a 3ltr barrel. Left it for a month and it was really smooth and pleasant. We then tasted the original stock and that was undrinkable.

Hi Pete
This thread touches on that subject and also covers some other useful stuff about what to do with a new barrel and when to top up
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6782&hilit=port+barrel
regards
Ian

I have a Seppeltsfield one filled with 10-15 yo Tokay. Big favourite when friends come around, only issue is the tap needs removing and cleaning every now and again. I pay about 100 for 5L of it from memory.

Mine is only small and you really notice the oak influence. (Me waits for 'That's what she said jokes') :-p

Hi Pete,

I started a muscat barrel about 2 1/2 years ago.
I purchased it from Stanton & Killean. It was a tubbies keg from memory. (edit: Just checked and it is from the Keg factory)
They seasoned it for me for a few months to get rid of the initial bit of oak.
I've taken a sample down twice now and they get one of the wine makers to try it and we did a blending to work out what new material to put in.
It's 15l
When I started it I went to the winery and spent an hour blending their various muscats so get something I was happy with.

A couple of tips:
Get the winery to season if possible, if not do it yourself.
Get the best tap possible
Fill it with the best material you can (I chose a blend of 10l of 12 year average plus 4l of vintage 6 years old)
Have fun - its a great discussion point and satisfying to be a part of its development.

I've only refilled mine with muscat from S&K.
I draw down to 10l, put it in old bottles and then refill the 5l of new material. I then drink from the bottles.

Good luck and have fun
Brett

ninjabloke wrote:Hi All

Matt@5453 - Have you tried the 10 year old Seppetsfield they sell at the bottle shops? If you have tried it, could you make any comparison to the port you have in your barrel?

Also with topping up the barrel, what type of port do you use? Do you stick with just Seppetsfield or do you blend with other ports?

Cheers
Pete

No comparison, just different. I have a 25 Ltr small format barrel that would be ~20 years old ex Rutherglen, Seppeltsfield will mature their tawnys in larger format oak under different storage conditions. Mine has a lovely hazelnut complexity about it, as mentioned above its developing a nice depth of flavour and richness about it. I am leaving it alone, so hopefully in other 10 years its where I want it to be.

I have blended other ports (only Tawnys) and some left over muscat at times in there.

Hi Everyone, thanks for all your comments, really appreciated.

Just wanted to find out if any of you have had experience with storing your barrel in hot conditions?

I am in Darwin where the humidity is quite high most of the time, not sure what impact this will have on the port. Any of you guys store in hotter conditions and still have success with your Port?

Thanks