Bestle
The wine merchant company Georg Bestle A/S was one of Denmarks oldest companies and originates back to 1790. It was founded by Hans Petersen Kinckel. The company was acquired by Chr. W. F. Bestle in 1853. Chr. W. F. Bestle's son, Georg Christian Bestle, inherited the company, merged it with his own wine merchant business and changed the name of the company to Georg Bestle A/S in 1892. The company was issued a Royal warrant of appointment to the Royal Danish Court. Bestle was very well regarded as a wine merchant and was renowned for its Danish bottling’s of vintage port. Bestle had a long relationship with Sandeman and is known to have bottled Sandeman as vintage port for a long period. Bestle has also bottled Vintage Port as Buyers Own Brand, B.O.B., under the Bestle label.
In 1974 Georg Bestle A/S was purchased by Vingaarden A/S, another major wine and spirits company which later, in 2003, is merged with De Danske Spritfabrikker A/S. This results in V&S Danmark A/S, a subsidiary of the large Swedish wine and spirits company Vin & Sprit AB, included in the multinational Pernod-Ricard group since 2008.
| Bestle Vintages: | 1947, 1950, 1958 |
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| House | Bestle | Vintage | 1947 |
| Colour | Mature tawny in colour. | Number of tastings | 2 |
| Bouquet | Wonderful complex bouquet with cinnamon, Christmas raisin and much more. | Score range | 16.00 - 16.75 |
| Taste | Medium body. Elegant, complex, fully mature with a wonderful ginger bread aftertaste. Quite lovely. | Average score | |
| Last tasted | 26th December 2007 | Point this date | 16.00 |
| Comment | Tasted at home with the family. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
| House | Bestle | Vintage | 1950 |
| Colour | Mature tawny in colour. | Number of tastings | 1 |
| Bouquet | Not so attractive bouquet. A bit old and tired. | Score range | |
| Taste | Medium body. Fully mature but must have been better not quite OK and balanced. | Average score | |
| Last tasted | 15th April 2006 | Point this date | 14.50 |
| Comment | Tasted at home with the family. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |
| House | Bestle | Vintage | 1958 |
| Colour | Yellow mature rim. Thin. | Number of tastings | 1 |
| Bouquet | Very shy indeed. Ether and pharmacy in the nose. | Score range | |
| Taste | Light in body, thin, dry and short aftertaste. Must have been much better I hope. | Average score | |
| Last tasted | 20th March 2003 | Point this date | 11.50 |
| Comment | At the Wine Society 18% tasting in Malmö. Said and believed to be Kopke. | Tasters | SAI, JB, SS |