WineXpert Aging recommendation for WE Blackberry Port kit fortified with Everclear

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TallTexan

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I have a WE Blackberry Port kit that I fortified with Everclear 190 using George's calculations for fortification. I added the Everclear with the F-pack, and according to the kit timeline it should be ready to bottle in about a week. I plan to bottle age as opposed to bulk aging. I have made other port kits but without fortifying, and they tasted great at bottling time and improved steadily with up to 2 years of aging. At this point, the Blackberry Port has a strong medicinal taste,like the cough syrup prescription that our family doctor gave us when I was a child many years ago.

Can anyone tell me if they have fortified a port kit with Everclear and, if so, how much additional aging time did it take for the medicinal taste to soften? I am hoping to have this ready to drink in Nov/Dec of this year.
 
How did this work? My la bodega port kit just turned 5, still developing!
 
Keep us posted and I'll be watching for others comments too.

(Just had to add Everclear to a Black Currant batch as it totally quit fermenting at an ABV of 7.9% so I used Everclear to raise that to 11%. It's now beginning aging time (1 year normally for most Fruit wines))
 
The fortified Blackberry Port had finally softened enough to be acceptable by October 2018. As of about 2 weeks ago, it is quite smooth and I am not hesitant to share or gift it to family and friends. I don't know that I will ever fortify with Everclear again. I think that I will try using VSOP brandy instead, even though it will probably affect the overall flavor profile more than Everclear does.
 
The fortified Blackberry Port had finally softened enough to be acceptable by October 2018. As of about 2 weeks ago, it is quite smooth and I am not hesitant to share or gift it to family and friends. I don't know that I will ever fortify with Everclear again. I think that I will try using VSOP brandy instead, even though it will probably affect the overall flavor profile more than Everclear does.

I hear you! Since making the kit, I’ve tried making with fresh grapes and the wine is much further along than the mm labodega kits I made in 2014. I don’t know why, but the kits take a long time to move along. Btw, I’ve always used brandy and it still needs time to settle into itself. Good luck!
 

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