Blog — Page 113 of 284

Water of Life – Wolfburn Help for Heroes

Having resurrected its operations merely nine years ago, Wolfburn has been one of my favourite old “new” distilleries for a while now for a range of reasons, so when it was announced that they were going to release a limited expression in the tradition of the distillery collaborating for a great cause, i.e. Help For Heroes, I was intrigued. Word around the campfire had that it was going to be derived from Wolfburn’s oldest spirit, after maturation in first-fill bourbon casks before blending it with a component that has been refined in sherry casks, which on paper would promise a rich and complex drop.

With aromas on the floral and sweeter side of the spectrum, I find this limited expression to be far more accessible than the other Wolfburn whiskies as the honeyed chocolate nuance would appeal even to the uninitiated.

On the top of the mouth, vanilla unfolds its full glory, resting on a foundation of dried fruits and framed by an omnipresent malty oakyness with delicate tannic highlights from the casks shimmering through.

The elongated finish bookends the journey, closing the cycle by returning to the floral honeyed chocolate notes the nose promised and culminating in a crescendo that is topped with a subtle smokiness that makes one lust for another dram.

Nice.

Now, let’s take things up a notch or three: Wolfburn’s portfolio is comprised of quite a few heavyweights that would delight even the most seasoned aficionado, but I find their cask strength expressions to be the ones that really shine and sing.

Needless to say that expectations were set very high when I learned about their highest strength ABV release yet, i.e.  Langskip Cask Strength. This is a league or two above the Northland, Aurora and Morven releases as it packs a welcome punch in the best way possible, which is not further wondrous given its telling name of Viking origin.

What tickles the nostrils is surprisingly soft in nature, with vanilla-esque butterscotch meeting apple and zesty notes counterpointed by a nice seaside saltiness and expected ethanol highlights.

Oily in texture, swirls of buttery vanilla mix with spicy peppery nuances, accentuated by citrussy chocolatey notes that at times enter tarty territory, grounded by the barley maltiness and again slightly alcoholic notes, that add to the whole rather than detracting from it.

The medium length finish continues the journey and amplifies the spicy notes towards the end, rounding things out with reverberating crispy zesty lime accents.

A wonderful expression and so far my favourite Wolfburn expression as it clearly defines the flavours and aromas that make the DNA of the distillery, and despite having only been aged for five years,  the high alcohol content is not as raw as other cask expressions in the league of cask strength variants.

This bodes well and raises the bar for future emissions from Wolfburn.

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image from company website

The Formative Years – Dischord Records

Not unlike it is the case with a lot of great things, the premise of Dischord Records has always been and can be simmered down to a simple common denominator, i.e. the documentation of music coming out of their community in Washington D.C.

Founded by Ian McKaye in 1980 to release his band’s The Teen Idles’ first “Minor Disturbance” 7”, Dischord Records started quickly to spearhead and advance punk and hardcore at large, which is not further wondrous given the calibre of the bands on the label with either people being directly involved or their close friends.

My first exposure to Dischord Records must have been via Minor Threat – a band whose oeuvre, line-up and impact would deserve a separate dedicated instalment of this series, as would many of the over sixty bands that have found a home on Dischord Records to date.

Even quite a few years after Minor Threat’s short-lived tenure and subsequent breakup, their memorable songs propagating the very essence of DIY ethics paired with them planting the seeds for what would become known as the “straight edge” movement, had an instant impact on me, which prompted a letter to the Dischord Records along with a big order. Many more should follow.

While other early punk and hardcore labels like SST, Alternative Tentacles and Touch & Go Records had ups and downs with their bands and releases, Dischord Records was a trusted benchmark in terms of quality without falling prey to following a cookie-cutter formula with their releases – au contraire – they were at the forefront of breaking down silos and seemed very much inspired by introducing new musical style to a narrow-minded crowd, which resulted ultimately in a shift from pure hardcore punk to an active redefinition of what underground music could be with the right attitude.

If you look at Dischord Records’ extensively diverse roster and the myriad of releases, it is hard to fathom that all bands hail from the same city. I would consider literally each and every release of the first half of their catalogue as a veritable classic, with bands like Government Issue;  the fantastic Void with their unhinged punk metal fusion; Iron Cross; the wonderful Embrace who essentially coined what was to evolve to become labelled as the “emotional hardcore” genre; Rites of Spring (one of my favourite bands of all time, their “End on end” compilation is flawless); Ian Svenonius’ free-jazz influenced Nation of Ulysses who perceived themselves to be more of a political party than a band; Scream;  the predecessor of Girls against Boys i.e. Soulside; Henry Garfield’s S.O.A;  Gray Matter (their “Take it back” 12” is pure gold); Jawbox; Marginal Man with their punchy dual guitar attacks; Shudder to Think with their skewed pop sensibility; Dag Nasty with their classic releases; Lungfish and of course the revolutionary Fugazi with Ian being only some of them. To name only a few...

Despite seeming unsustainable on paper, Dischord Records’ approach to releasing records and dealing with bands, i.e. defining themselves as equal partners of the bands they are working with, has been working to this day and I would be hard-pressed to recount any negative experiences from people who have worked with them, no matter if it was in front or behind the scenes.

CBD

Alright, where do we start?

When one hears “cannabis products”, there is still at times a perception that at the core of it, there is the psychoactive cannabinoid THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the component responsible for making you “high" (THC).

Being the primary yet non-psychotropic cannabinoid in the Cannabis plant, CBD seems to stimulate receptors to not only positively affect and enhance homeostasis but also modulate pain sensations and counteract organ disfunctions, inflammation as well as neurodegenerative diseases.

With the legal situation becoming more lenient and thereby CBD products becoming more accepted, there is no shortage of supply in a large variety of shapes, forms and dosage. Needless to say that it pays to do your homework and research as to where the hemp used was grown, how it had been tested, the exact ingredients and how it is meant to help with the targeted ailment.

My first exposure to CBD was in oil form, which differs from tinctures in that cannabis is infused in carrier oil as opposed to soaking it in alcohol and water. While browsing for products I discovered a range of providers that seemed to wildly differ in how and what they were offering, which can a bit of a concern, given the still unregulated territory CBD operates in.

After quite a bit of research, I landed with Formula Swiss. What I found appealing was how transparent their presentation of their products was, with detailed information about ingredients, with all of their products having a THC content of less than 0.2%) as well as clearly stating that the products are not meant to treat or cure diseases and that a doctor or pharmacist should be consulted if in doubt: No empty promises are made and their site offers insight into various scientific studies.

Using pressurized carbon dioxide extraction, Formula Swiss also put emphasis on the preservation of the purity of the hemp by using CO2 not unlike a solvent to get the benefits of the full spectrum of other cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, nutrients and antioxidants. Though there is much to be learned about the effectiveness of CBD, reports are manifold that CBD may provide a safe, powerful natural treatment for many health issues and Formula Swiss seems to be dedicated to offering quality products with ethics in mind, being actively involved in cannabis policy reform and regulation and being an actively contributor in related associations.

Now, what effects does CBD have? While THC tends to commonly cause the enhancement of both euphoria and anxiety along with short-term memory impairment, CBD acts on the other end of the spectrum, stimulating the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine and glutamate, which enhance attentiveness and cognition.

I found Formula Swiss’ CBD oil, which offers six potencies from 300-2500mg, to have subtly calming effects, however, not in a sedative way but in a manner that helps to sharpen focus and cut through the noise of the humdrum around you.

Research on the potential health benefits of CBD oil is ongoing, so new therapeutic uses for this natural remedy are sure to be discovered and given that Formula Swiss is committed to sustainability and quality instead of creating fancy sounding herbal concoctions, it is on the trustworthy and value-for money end of the spectrum on the CBD market.

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image from company website

Water of Life – Tomatin

Located in the Scottish Highlands, Tomatin is a distillery with a longstanding history that under new ownership started to elevate its endeavours to new heights from the 1990s onward, which established them as one of the more distinguished distillers from the region on the firmament of whisky lovers.

My first exposure to Tomatin was their entry level Legacy expression, which was launched in 2013 as the distillery’s entry-level non-age statement whisky. Matured in ex-Bourbon barrels and then finished for around a year in virgin oak casks.

What tickles the nostrils in deliciously vanillin in nature, framed by zesty citrus notes that are highlighted by tropical fruits and caramel notes, counterpointed by a florally herbal backdrop that has just the faintest hint of beautiful smoke.

The vanilla fully unveils its powers on the top of the mouth, serenaded by cider flavours and just a hint of spice and pepper, the latter of which is more prominent in the medium finish that also incorporates some astringent components.

With an ABV of 43% and reasonably priced, this is a solid entry-level whisky that opens up with a few drops of water and exposure to air.

Taking things up a notch is the 12-Year-Old expression, which on the nose already presents itself as more complex with a bouquet of oaky maltiness, honeyed vanilla, raisins and layers of grass and herbal aromas.

On the palate, oaky, peppery spice nuances take turns with vanilla, cidery apples, mint and sweet smoke, resting on a foundation of buttery sweetness with characteristics derived from the maturation in Oloroso Sherry casks.

The finish is just beautiful with marmalade, barley and currant flavours weaving themselves in with vanilla.

Tomatin Sherry Cask is quite something as it is well-calibrated and balances the fine line between having the characteristics of the cask without sacrificing subtle notes of barley, honeyed apricots and sherries, backed by dark chocolate and delightful leather notes. Stating that it is “well-calibrated” would be an understatement par excellence as this expression hits a palatable sweet spot, starting with subdued flavours before the volume is turned up but never beyond the point of making sense of individual nuances contributing to the whole.

The aromas are sweet, with the expected Sherry notes taking turns with lemongrass and dried fruits meeting raisiny dark chocolate, framed by oak, honey and caramel.

What materialized on the palate makes me smack my lips as a beautiful melange of fruits, oak, ginger and clover meet nutty flavours and a dominating streak of honey that then culminates in chocolatey territory.

So far, so good.

Enter Tomatin Cask Strength.  Matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry casks, clocking in at an ABV of 57.7%, this baby knocks things out of the park.

The Tomatin typical vanilla notes tickle the nostrils along with a well-calibrated melange of apples, pears, bananas and peachy notes, sitting on a robust foundation of malt and barley, punctuated by earthy and grassy notes that eave in sugary undertones and cinnamon.

If you think that the aromas are a handful, wait until you taste the drop as this is where the Cask Strength really sings. Starting off with sweet berry notes along with orange and citrussy highlights, it meanders via peppery spicy territory via ginger and salty bits to arrive at chocolatey cinnamon and nutmeg around an okay core.

The finish is elongated and combines the highlights of the aforementioned flavours in a nuanced crescendo, with sophisticated notes of vanilla reverberating long after.

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photo from company website

Rone - Street Art and Beyond

Thames & Hudson

The unofficial and independent nature of what is labelled as “street art” is both its appeal as well as something that can be questioned as it is at times perceived to be a mere free-for-all and oftentimes hardly more than vandalism.

On the other end of the spectrum are artists like Banksy and Shepard Fairy who not only take art to the next level by bringing across underlying messages, but are masters in incorporating the natural surroundings into their art, not merely as a background but as means to amplify and enhance their creations.

Rone is an Australian artist who has honed his craft over the last two decades, evolving from local screen printing and stencilling to what has become his trademark large-scale murals that now adorn buildings all around the world.

What makes Rone’s art idiosyncratic is the perfectly orchestrated play with the often deteriorated state of the buildings that become his canvas for his graceful paintings, which often juxtapose bloom and atrophy. Given that his art is immersed in derelict spaces the fact that it is only temporary and soon to be destroyed is inherent, which adds yet another dimension to his approach and more than justifies the purchase of this tome.

Rone: Street Art and Beyond chronicles and provides a comprehensive overview of Rone’s oeuvre and is possibly the only way to get a hold of his often short-lived art.

I specifically like that not only his street art is shed light on, but it is also elaborated on how he channels his alchemy in his studio, which again gives an idea of the painstakingly planning and attention to detail that goes into his endeavours before he brings them to life in the wild.

Essays and anecdotes accompany the depictions of his boundary pushing immersive art installations and make this coffee table book a mandatory study for anyone remotely interested in what street art can be.