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Water of Life – Provenance matters

There are many factors that contribute to the creation of a whisky - there is maturation, wood and cask work, the distilling process and – not unlike it is the case with good wine – the terroir along with the local climate. While there are many great whiskies whose idiosyncratic character is defined by the provenance, it is safe to say that there is none like Octomore.

The etymology of Bruichladdich’s most heavily peated expression Octomore is an anglicised version of ‘Ochdamh-mòr’, derived from the name of the farmland in the hilly regions of Port Charlotte on Scotland’s Isle of Islay, where the barley for the distillery is grown from.

With its first bottling in 2008, Octomore has firmly established itself on the smoky and peaty firmament of whisky lovers, and its expressions since incarnated in usually four variations each, with the common denominator being that I have yet to come across one that does not offer an unrivalled complexity of layers offering so much more than the astronomically high phenol parts per million component would suggest.

New Octomore expressions are usually unleashed on a yearly basis with the variations of each being classified into four categories:

• .1 is distilled from Scottish Barley and matured in American Oak.
• .2 matured in European Oak and usually the most difficult to track down due to being a travel retail exclusive.
• .3 is all about Islay down to locally grown barley.
• .4 matured in virgin oak, and usually one of the more interesting variants of the quartet.

While up to Octomore 8.3, PPM levels were consistently upped and the character was mainly defined by smoke and peat, expression 9 and especially the 10 series saw an interesting departure – one that saddened me at the beginning but has since made me appreciate Octomore even more, i.e. the foot was taken off the peat and smoke gas and instead the focus was set more than ever on working out flavour nuances.

The benchmark pale golden 10.1 expression of the tenth series, was released after a five year maturation in American oak casks and while smoke is still dominant, what tickled the nostrils is a delicate melange of embers that carry characteristics of vanilla, citrus, leather, gingery baked apples, backed by the duality of syrup and sea salt, pervaded by subtle tropical fruity flavours.

What I have always liked about Octomore is that once you break through the smoke, unexpected flavours unfold, which in this case materialize on the top of the mouth via a chewy texture in form of honeyed oak, almonds, earthy moss and peppery vanilla, underlined by a divine industrial ashy oiliness – sound oxymoronic? Try it, I dare you!

Octomore 10.3 has been aged for six years, clocks in at 61.3% ABV at 114 PPM and things get even more interesting here: On the nose, it reminded me of smoky añejo tequila, tropical fruits, strawberry marmalade and smoke oysters.

What might sound slightly contradictive, starts to make sense on the palate where citrussy vanilla breaks through a barrier of ash, accentuated by peppered pineapples that give way to an elongated, reverberating finish.

Given its unorthodox character, I labelled the 10.3 the “summertime” expression – definitely unexpected, but delightfully so.

Octomore 10.4 takes things to the next level: Colour-wise, it is mind-blowing that a drop that has merely been aged for three years materializes with such a tawny shade due to being matured in virgin oak barrels, with Bruichladdich having refined their approach to how they calibrate their work with wood.

With merely 88 phenol parts per million, vanillin oaky smoke is still dominant but quickly gives way to molasses reminiscent of dark rum with highlights of balsamic vinegar and charred meat.

Not unlike with the other variants of the 10 series, there is a lot going on with the 10.4 as vanilla wood notes compete with peat and smoke, resting on a battlefield of charcoal, toffee and Indian relish.

Summa summarum: While I was sceptical at first because of the lower PPM levels, expression ten of the Octomore series is one of the most interesting ones and is testament to Bruichladdich’s commitment to not only blindly following tried and proven paths but to honour traditions and take things skilfully to the next level with how they channel their alchemy in the most refined manner.

I cannot wait to see what the Octomore 11 series has in store, which was just recently released.

The Formative Years - Soundtracks

What makes a great soundtrack?

It goes without saying that a movie’s score, i.e. largely instrumental and / or orchestral music between or to convey and intensify the emotions of scene, are an integral component and inextricably linked to what makes a movie resonate with the viewer with great examples being what have become the instantaneously recognizable scores of genre coining flics of Spielberg and Lucas scale.

Soundtracks, however, play in a different league yet can have an even further reaching effect, no matter if the songs were specifically recorded for the respective movie or it is a compilation of songs that are infused with meaning as they become attached to scenes and enhance the personality of a movie, with the reverse effect of making them at times bigger than the movie itself. Then there is the genre of the musical where more often than not music is not just embedded within the movie but plays an important part and have become hits in their own right.

It would be hard to imagine any music aficionado that would not have a couple of great soundtracks come to mind if asked if they were any they have an emotional attachment to.

Stanley Kubrick is a director that has an array of fantastic movies under his belt, all of which had great soundtracks, with specifically The Shining’s Eastern European classical soundtrack standing out for me as I could not imagine the movie without the musical accompaniment to premonitions or how what on the surface might appear like an innocent scene, is subversively turned upside down with the music used. Same goes for 2001 - A Space Odyssey opulently riffing on the duality of creation versus destruction with eponymous classical orchestral pieces.

Anyone growing up and remotely into what the eighties have brought forth musically would be hard pressed to not find merit in the fantastically curated Pretty in Pink soundtrack, which perfectly underlines the moody trials and tribulations of being a teenager and unrequited love, the fact that the songs were at times interweaved into the movie’s everyday scenes, e.g. through songs being played on the radio, which made it even more authentic.

Apocalypse Now is not only a cinematic masterpiece, but the soundtrack to how Francis Ford Coppola channelled his alchemy, is Wagnerian in scale – both figuratively and literally. With scenes from the movie connecting classical pieces with dialogue, contextual noises and the roar of war, this is one of the more unconventional yet no less impactful soundtracks).

Continuing with the Coppola family, Sofia teaming up with Bill Murray and them being Lost in Translation resulted in a fantastic movie, which also produced a great soundtrack that is more on the subtle side of things yet expertly accentuates the undertones of the movie as well as the covering an array of great musical moments from a diverse pool of musicians from Roxy Music via Peaches to My Blood Valentine and Jesus and the Mary Chain.

The Posthuman Dada Guide: Tzara & Lenin Play Chess, by Andrei Codrescu

Having just had the pleasure of reviewing Sakevi Yokoyama’s oeuvre, triggered me to tumble down the rabbit hole of the Dada movement, the spirit of which to this day proves to be a sheer endless source of inspiration.

What makes The Posthuman Dada Guide interesting is that it is based on a thought experiment, i.e. an imagined “chess game” (the “game” being chosen as both protagonists can agree on its framework as the common denominator) between one of the luminaries of the movement, i.e. Tristan Tzara and Vladimir Lenin, both of which were chosen for representing two different schools of thought that on a surface level seem to be in part contradictory: On one hand, the merger of what was to become the hybrid of communist capitalism and on the other the emerging and ever challenging, boundary pushing, cheeky and hedonist Dada movement.

The excellent thought experiment culminates in Lenin winning the game with the result being that we all end up being dehumanized hybrids who capabilities are augmented by technology with Dadaism being the antidote to this soulless existence.

A concise, small, informative, surreal and wonderfully executed book that not only sheds light on the history of Dada, but in the most delicate and subversive way reconnects one with the inner rebellious avant-gardist, accentuates the merits of Dadaism and with its vivid and engaging language raises questions about what we have come to accept as politically and technologically “normal” and the way to be. The fact that it is a lot of fun to read does not hurt either.

What’s Sumatra with you? – Hey Tiger

As the Beatles ever so eloquently put it, all you need is love – but a lil’ chocolate every now and then certainly does not hurt, especially if it is being produced in a sustainable manner, i.e. not only by reducing harm but doing more good.

Started as grassroots small-scale operation fuelled by not only a passion for making quality chocolate but with the aim of having a social impact while doing so, Hey Tiger has organically evolved into a social enterprise whose dealings impact the communities the lion’s share of the world’s cocoa is grown, i.e. West Africa, by a partnership with The Hunger Project to fund their women led community development programs in the cocoa farming belt of Ghana.

Now, when it comes to Hey Tiger’s portfolio of chocolate bars, things are taken to the next level in every aspect imaginable – we are talking about a multi-sensory experience before one gets to the delicious crux of the matter.

The packaging and the designs that adorn not only the bar but also the boxes – no matter if your order comes in a specifically designed colourful gift box that is graced with their opulently designed spirit animal, the regular post boxes or satchels, attention to detail reigns supreme and brings back some of the playful excitement that has been associated with indulging in chocolatey treats from childhood.

Once unwrapped, the handmade chocolate bars, which come in a carefully array of flavour combinations start the flavour experience that is accentuated in equal measure by flavours and texture.

The first bar I experienced I loved for the flavour hybrid alone, as it combines some of my favourite treats, i.e. the NYC-style salty peanut butter and pretzel praline. What could have ended up as double whammy in terms of calories, feels surprisingly on the lighter side of things due to the carefully selected fresh ingredients.

With Hey Tiger’s ambitious plans to launch a new flavour variations each month, each of which transcend the realms of classic pairings the European school relies on and essentially based more on the approach of an inventive chef rather than a classic chocolatier, my anticipation for new releases is not dissimilar to new 7”s being announced for members of the Pushead and Sub Pop fan clubs in the nineties.

Given my love for whisk(e)y, Hey Tiger’s vegan woodsmoke infused whisky chocolate went down a treat with a recent Octomore tasting and it served as an example par excellence that even the more exotic flavours are not merely created for novelty’s sake, but are refined deliberate experiments with carefully calibrated delicious outcomes.

Think of combining wild flavour variants that have become commonplace on the chocolate firmament in the US infused with dessert experiences and voila – you got Hey Tiger: Do good chocolate with both milk and vegan variants that not try to mimic traditional ingredients but reinvent the traditional approach and take the enjoyment that chocolate is to the next level.

Pie International Publishing

The name of the publishing house “PIE” is an acronym standing for “Pretty”, “Impressive”, “Entertaining” and was founded by a graphic designer with long-standing experience. Given the founder’s pedigree and expertise, it is not further wondrous that Pie International’s releases have an edge to them that is informed by the background of someone who thoroughly understands how designs works and what the merits of great design are. The tenet of Pie International and its publications is not merely to release great looking books for the uninitiated, but to also offer a source of inspiration for aficionados and creatives and enable them to discover new designers from different realms they might have not had access to.

What started with a Japanese focus has now evolved into a worldwide network incorporating not only art and culture from all corners of this earthround, but also publications on lifestyle, comics and cookbooks with the focus on quality – both content-wise as well as printing – being the common denominator.

Hell in Japanese Art

Shakespeare might have been of the opinion that hell is empty and all the devils are here, but Pie International’s highly imaginative tome on how the netherworld is perceived in Japanese culture suggests otherwise. Based on traditional Japanese artworks, this collection comprises emissions from both established artists like Kazunobu Kano, Nhichosai, Yoshitoshi Tsukioka and Kyosai Kawanabe as well as unknown ones from the twelfth to the nineteenth century.

A fantastic resource specifically for those interested in design, as details are enlarged to showcase the craft that went into the respective creations, which help to elicit a wide spectrum of emotions far beyond the realm of what “hell” is usually associated with, i.e. some of the depictions do not lack humour and there is hardly a depictions that is not thought-provoking.

A gorgeous, high quality, opulently illustrated book that is accompanied by insightful texts, resource materials and essays by historians that contextualises the vivid portrayal of what awaits us South of heaven.

Gateway to Another World

The Real-life World of Fantasy Games and Animations

Online gaming has not only become a profitable industry but a veritable world in itself, a world that for the younger generation does not only come close to real life, but has partly become a substitution and thereby changed the way they interact with their environments.

The Real-life World of Fantasy Games and Animations conveys the excitement that thrills children when they immerse themselves in not only virtual worlds but also fantasy novels and anime and how their experiences transcend, redefine and translate to the real world.

With the author Shimizu Daisuke being a bona fide luminary and accolade decorated creator in the realm of virtual gaming, we got someone qualified at the helm of inducting the recipient into imaginary worlds and it is nothing less than fascinating to be able to share his viewpoint on life, reality and how it can be bent

Hokusai Manga

Hokusai and his woodblock printing technique is known the world over not merely because it was exported to the old world in the nineteenth century, but because once other artists laid eyes on his work, they instantaneously recognized the unique craft Hokusai channelled, which was unlike anything else that was known in the Western world.

Being a master of Ukiyo-e and having refined the way of depicting the lives and habits of his contemporaries as well as mythical events, Pie International’s book on the master serves not only as an introduction for the uninitiated but also as a charming reference book with pieces selected from his extensive catalogue of artworks.

Nobu's Vegetarian Cookbook

I love Japanese cuisine – all facets of it, from the rituals around the meticulous preparation to the deliciously calibrated flavours that materialize on the top of your roof.

Nobu is a master chef and if you have ever had the fortune to sample from his cuisine, you would be aware that his approach to food takes things to the next level.

Nobu's Vegetarian Cookbook is a telling name for this beautifully illustrated cookbook as the focus is firmly set not only on replacing fish and meat but using vegetable in ways in variation that is rarely seen.

The World of Mucha: A Journey to Two Fairylands: Paris and Czech

Last time I was exposed to the world of Mucha was in Seoul, where I had the privilege to attend an exhaustive exhibition. Pie International’s collection of Mucha’s romantic art is the equivalent in book form to what I experience, comprised of over three hundred and fifty paintings that highlight the alchemy this precise artist channelled to not only lift what was known as Art Nouveau to new heights, but also transport the recipient to pleasantly alien, at times psychedelic, absinthe tinged worlds.

The resurgence and popularity of Art Nouveau in the nineteen sixties only helped to elevate Alphonse Mucha’s legacy to prominence and cemented his status.

Pie International’s take on Mucha is a comprehensive, wonderfully illustrated journey documenting Mucha’s humble beginnings in France and depicting his most characteristic works in the realms of fine art but also graphic design at large up until his career ended in Czechoslovakia.

Accompanied by essays shedding light on the historical context as well as details in how Mucha created his art, the book not only offers eye candy galore, but makes it an excellent resource for designers looking for inspiration to infuse their practice with magical elements.