Dow's Twenty Year Tawny

Dow’s 20 Year Tawny
Shane’s Notes

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, we decided to go to the Top of the Mark for a drink. Jen donned a dress and high heels, and I actually put on a polo shirt and cotton slacks. We trekked over there only to discover that it was closed. We then tried the Tonga room and it was closed. We headed back to a wine bar near Jen’s and it was closed. We were amazed. When did San Francisco enact blue laws? Anyway, we finally found an open bar at the Monaco hotel.

After our long journey, Jen decided she required something stronger than wine and ordered a large Cosmopolitan. I tried Dow’s Twenty Year Tawny because I really enjoyed Dow’s 1998 LBV. I definitely prefer the vintage/lbv style to the tawny style but I usually have tawnies at restaurants and bars. Once opened, tawnies last much longer than vintages or lbv’s, and opened bottles of Port frequently collect dust in bars and restaurants. Dow’s Twenty Year Tawny has a brown sugar, caramelly aroma. From the aroma, I thought the palate would be very rich, but it was restrained and elegant. It had a light, butterscotch flavor with subtle, creamy undertones. It had the typical, dry Dow finish. It was okay, but I prefer more complexity and a flashier palate.