Bewertung Broadbent (Broadbent´s Weinnotizen): This wine comes from a large cask in the famous ’12 apostles’ cellar beneath the Town Hall or Ratskeller in Bremen. The first time this appeared in a Christie’s wine catalogue was in 1829 when it sold for 5 pounds per dozen, a high price at the time. An occasional half bottle has appeared at auction since that date, mainly over the past 30 years. The wine is drawn from the mother cask which is then topped up with a young Rudesheimer of appropriate quality. In this way the large volume of the old wine is kept refreshed. I first tasted the 1727 at Schloss Vollrads in 1973 at a tasting of wines of the world to celebrate Count Matushka’s 80th birthday. Another memorable occasion took place at a dinner in Sydney on the evening of my first visit to Australia in February 1977. By way of welcome, my host, the irrepressible Len Evans had invited the Prime Minister and a group of the best ‘palates’. Among other fine and rare wines was this 250 year old Hock. Just as it was about to be served, there was a shattering crash followed by an agonized Australian voice ‘Gee Len, sorry we’ll just have to have the 1928’! (The ‘waiter’ Anders Ousbach, who had dropped a handful of spoons, was a wine expert and opera singer known for his practical jokes). On my second visit to Bremen in 1981, I was able to taste the wine from the cask. It had an amber straw colour, the smell of old apples and a nutty appley taste. Dry, good length. High acidity. More recently, from a half bottle ‘Réserve du Bremer Ratskeller’: it was paler than I had previously noted, Secial Madeira-like colour, bouquet also reminded me of an old Madeira, then more like a raya sherry. After 2 hours in the glass a smell of rich old stables and an hour after that, an amazing pungency lingered in the empty glass. On the palate medium-dry, lightish weight, a soft, gentler, slightly toasted old straw flavor, tolerable acidity,and clean finish. *****