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Water of Life – Bladnoch x Boilermaker House collaboration

If you follow this series, you would notice that the term “boilermaker” makes frequent appearances. Pretty simple in nature as far as the concept is concerned, in essence and in this context, it usually refers to the pairing of a brew with a dram of whisk(e)y.

Word around the campfire has that etymologically “boilermaker” has its origins in blue collar workers looking for a liquid bookend to a long, hard day of work, however, there are other amusing anecdotes that people see as the reason for the name, one of which includes the negligence of a locomotive operator whose indulgence was blamed for the steam powered vehicle to catch fire.

Whatever it may be and however you enjoy it, the beer and whisk(e)y pairing is a damn fine combo in my book – as long as you refrain from the abomination that is to drop the dram into the beer.

Given my preference, I was quite delighted to see the opening of watering hole in Melbourne whose telling name “Boilermaker House” indicated that their focus was firmly set on refining the art of pairing brews with the water of life. I got even more excited when I learned about Boilermaker House’s endeavours to collaborate directly with distilleries to bottle their own expressions.

In Boilermaker House’s case, a collaboration with Bladnoch was natural, as the southernmost Scottish distillery, which is named after its water source the Bladnoch river, is Australian owned.

The expression that was agreed on became the limited Bladnoch x Boilermaker House Select Cask 18-Year-Old, which had Bladnoch’s Master Distiller Dr Nick Savage hand select the what was proffered to the Boilermaker House team in a private tasting.

Clocking in at 48.3%ABV, the aromas already hint at the impact the maturation in Muscatel casks had in the maturation process, as what stings the nostrils is pervaded by fruity sweetness with syrupy highlights.

What materializes on the palate is a seamless continuation of what the nose promised, however, things get interesting as the nuances of stewed fruit rest on a foundation of oaky caramel, which adds depth and character.

The elongated finish is an exercise par excellence in well-calibrated sweetness reminiscent of dried fruits, cinnamon and more caramel.

In a bid to compliment Boilermaker House’s exclusive bottling, they developed their own limited brew with the name being a pun on the collaboration, i.e. “Noch Out”. While the name might suggest a heavy hitter, the reality could not be more different as the beer is a finely refined melange of citrus, stouty chocolatey notes and a freshness imbued by Amarillo hops. The kicker and what makes Noch Out the predestined companion to Bladnoch’s 18 Year Old Select Cask is the addition of interesting spices like cardamom, wormwood and liquorice root, which aid in not only complementing the flavours of the whisky but create an interactive crescendo of cross-pollinating flavours with every sip yielding a differently coloured result.

With Bladnoch Distillery having over two hundred years under its belt, it is not further wondrous that they have a well-distinguished portfolio of core expressions, which should offer something for any aficionado.

In a bid to appeal to a younger crowd, Bladnoch reinvented itself and now complements their core range with two new blended Scotch whiskies.

Based on a foundation of aged grain whiskies, the newly incepted Pure Scot Blended Scotch Whisky range is taking the DNA of what has firmly been established as Bladnoch and blends it with drops from the Speyside, Highland and Islay regions, the latter of which makes it particularly interesting for me.

The relatively low ABV of 40%ABV already indicated that this is an everyday sipper, an impression reinforced by the charming vanilla and butterscotch aromas that much to my delight are topped off with the most subtle hint of smoke.

Malt is prominent on the roof of the mouth, with welcome nuance of peat that trail off via detours into stone fruit and spicy, gingery territory.

I would not call the finish elongated; however, it has its moments as it continues what was first promised on the palate with nuances of hazelnut.

An edition to the portfolio that makes sense and cements that Bladnoch knows what they are doing when it comes to channelling their alchemy of distilling.

Water of Life - Spring Bay single malt whisky

Having had a firm focus on the distilling scene in Tasmania for the longest time, I feel borderline embarrassed to have missed out on one – a feeling that is counteracted with sheer delight when I get to sample a fantastic drop and discover a distillery that so far had not been on my radar.

Case in point: Spring Bay Distillery.

Now, early experimentation of Tasmanian distilleries and Australian ones at large, were a bit of hit and miss, however the ones that managed to calibrate the maturation, produced some phenomenal drops.

Spring Bay can definitely count itself to the second category, which is partly due to its founders, i.e. Cam and Suzy Brett, having a very distinct approach to distilling to achieve desired outcomes, which in terms of nuances takes things to another level. There is always Tasmania’s distinct climate that gives whiskies from the region an idiosyncratic edge, however, with the Spring Bay Bourbon cask a facet of sea saltiness is added that I would have attributed to the complexity of a dram originating from the Campbelltown region in Scotland.

Needless to say that with a telling name like Spring Bar, the local water sources contributes a distinctive note – a factor that many distilleries talk up but a factor that does often not contribute significantly to the overall character.

Clocking in at 46%, what caresses the nostrils is a melange of sweet fruity vanilla that is punctuated in the gentlest manner by the aforementioned sea saltiness. Just when you thought it had peaked, it takes a slight left turn, floral night waft in to culminate in honeyed aromas.

Now, I do like pairing whiskies with chocolate and immensely enjoy the cross-pollination of flavours, and Spring Bay’s Bourbon Cask enhances that experience immensely with its creamy texture that follows what was promised on the nose and accentuates further with savoury oak notes, vanilla chocolate and, again, the beautiful sea salt highlights.

The warming, elongated finish culminates with a smooth mouthfeel in nutty, wakame and oaky woodiness with a saline tang.

Cannot wait to try Spring Bay’s other expressions.

Thus Let Us Drink Beer – Tallboy and Moose Brewery

Quite an extravagant name, you might quip when you pick up a can that emitted from the Tallboy and Moose Brewery. Then again, after a bit of research and learning more about both the physical features, i.e. height, and cultural background, i.e. underneath the sign of the maple leaf, the moniker does not exactly constitute a stretch and a quite obvious choice.

With a passion for being the common denominator amongst the two, specifically when it came to Australian craft brews, they both entered the world of commercial beer distribution before trying their hand in the alchemy of brewing hops.

What started as a hobby eventually morphed to full scale operations in 2016, which had its focus firmly set on the creation of exquisite craft brews.

If you enter an Australian bottle shop, especially ones that have a bit of variety, the craft beer section resembles a colourful candy store, however, even amidst the most curious cans, chances are that you will find yourself intrigued by the design of the Tallboy and Moose cans.

Take for example the Lightning Axe 2020 expression. Yup, again a telling name, i.e. a beer infused with a Norwegian yeast strain, which after its initial incarnation was tweaked further and ended up as a refined Hazy IPA variant, which despite its Nordic DNA in terms of flavours is rooted in tropical territory. Think citrus, orange and what seems like a lactose heavy hybrid of mangos and pineapples, pervaded by just the right amount of spicy notes and an elongated finish, where bitterness puts its mark on the exit.

While the Lightning Axe Kveiik is an accomplishment is altering the DNA of what is commonly labelled as a Hazy IPA, their double IPA variant knocks the ball out of the park in terms of getting the best out of the cream of the American crop of resinous hops, i.e. Centennial, Cryo CTZ and Simcoe. What leaves me lusting for more is what culminates in a particularly dry finish after a crescendo that zig zags between fruity and pithy nuances.

Word around the campfire had that Tallboy and Moose are not only in the process of creating more experimental variants, but already have released ones that I definitely need to check out, such as one that is said to be a liquid homage and beer equivalent to cookie dough.

The Sports Shoe: A History from Field to Fashion

Bloomsbury Visual Arts

Both my wallet and my better half praise the fact that my sneaker collecting days are over, with only a few remnants remaining that I am unlikely to ever part with. Not that I ever camped out in front of a Footlocker to cop the umpteenth incarnation of Nike’s BRED or indulged in similar antics, but I was into the game enough to realize how much of a time intensive lifestyle it can become.

Apart from sports shoes having become an accepted and integral part of the fashion world, functional sports shoes have always been of significance to me growing up, no matter if it was soccer or running shoes, some of which I remember fondly as they were inextricably tied to emotionally charged events.

With the author Thomas Turner being a historian, this tome carefully examines the history of the sports shoe and its evolution over the last hundred years with a fantastic eye for the detail that lends perspective on the rise of once strictly utilitarian footwear and the transformation to the mainstream and something that portrays attitude and carries a whole world of dedicated subcultures.

Apart from the forensically researched history, the book is opulently illustrated with eye candy galore and insights that reveal why both certain stylistic abominations as well as enhancements have been implemented and sold over the years.

The fact that the book pursues a holistic approach and  goes beyond the realm of what collectors and athletes would look for in terms of looks, form and function; i.e. shedding light on societal contexts and interactions and thereby expanding its significance, makes it a both educational and entertaining addition for the bookshelf of anyone not only interested in fashion but anyone who has enjoyed a sports shoe in one form or another.

The Formative Years – Maximumrocknroll

There are many ways to skin a cat when it comes to the creation of a fanzine.

Having the core interests and common denominator somewhat defined as it was the case with punk rock in the 1980s and the potential audience having had to overcome to an obstacle or two to find their way to the scene, the creation of engaging content with a resulting emotional connection and a sense of belonging was a tad easier to achieve as at least in the beginning, the recipients of fanzines was a rather exclusive club looking to immerse themselves in and find information about their passion.

Delivering content in a relatable, conversational style and having idiosyncratic writers that infuse the publication with their own personality, always helps to further refine a personal style that make the editorial content stand out, to add character and ultimately – at least back in the day – it trumped stylish design.

A major drawcard for me as a juvenile delinquent that attracted me to reading – fanzines or other literary emissions – was that I learned something from it, no matter if it was something factual, inspiring, opinions and insights and that it was challenging in some way and, almost equally important, to experience a reduced barrier between the writer and myself.

Enter “MRR”, i.e. Maximumrocknroll from San Francisco.

I do not think that it would be considered a hyperbole to claim that what was initially derived from a radio show and found its first incarnation as the accompanying booklet to the fantastic “Not so quiet on the Western front” compilation, MRR in the pre-internet age quickly became the bible for anyone looking to learn about punk rock subculture and its branches outside the confines of their own scene, city, country and continent.

Founder Tim Yohannan and his crew managed to create a consistent beat and an overarching structure that enabled readers to easily find what they were looking for, while the diversity of the contributors kept the reading experience fresh and engaging.

With the usual ingredients of music related interviews, news and review, especially the columns section with a wide array of relatable international scenesters sharing insights on their scenes and independent coverage that other established mainstream magazines could only dream of.

Literally every reading session of the hefty magazine, ended with me employing an English dictionary to write to contributors and engage with people from the ad section to trade records or order in bulk from distributions that advertised in MRR from all over the world.

Given the interactive environment MRR created, it should not be further wondrous that when they published their guide “Book Your Own Fuckin’ Life” in the early 1990s, it became the ultimate guide for bands to book tours, finding venues and likeminded people when traveling overseas, and to initiate contacts on the ground and go from there.

My first visits to the US and other countries saw me armed with the aforementioned book and the most recent issue of MRR to guide me through the respective cities via the addresses for record stores and venue advertised. Many friendships resulted and evolved, some of which eventually transitioned into the electronic realm and continue to this day.

After MRR created the blueprint of what a worldwide punk rock fanzine could look like and by never not championing a DIY attitude, it spawned the welcome advent of many other fanzines, which again enriched and cross-pollinated the scene and at times helped to ignite a feud or two.

Eventually, in 2019 and after over four hundred issues, MRR ceased to have a physical release and moved online, which naturally took away a bit from the tangible charm it once had before the advent of an age where information was readily available at your fingertips without ever sacrificing its relevant for punk rock.