Blog — Page 121 of 280

Me by Elton John

Pan Macmillan

As far as I am concerned, the rocket man has always been around and once I overcame the self-imposed stoic juvenile orthodox phase of not being interested in anything else than what emerged from the confines of the punk rock ghetto, I was quite delighted to delve into Elton John’s back catalogue and scratch the surface of the public image he had cultivated over the decades.

Now, chances are that if you made it that long in showbiz there are reasons for it that transcend musical and pop cultural trends, which is where things get interesting when memoirs emerge that are paved with anecdotes and stories of  an illustrious rollercoaster of career – even more so when the author has a self-awareness, honesty and self-deprecation.

With Elton John there is no shortage of public feuds and at times bizarre private eccentricities, ranging from debauchery with drugs – and we talk about delusions of Howard Hughes-like grandeur -  to the evolution of becoming the elder statesman of British pop music whose country has released a collection of stamps in his honour.

The mere description of some of the excesses he indulged in, his narcissism – keep in mind that his husband titled a documentary on him “Tantrums and Tiaras” and the ups and downs of his career would be entertaining enough, but again, his level-headedness, wisdom and refined ability to spin a yarn make this an engaging and fun read, which is enhanced by the view from his cemented status he has achieved in the world of A-Listers that was never merely provisional.

It is great to see that the book avoids the pitfalls of most autobiographies in terms of self-parody and revisionism and that the one being made most fun of is Elton himself, which shows a man that has come full-circle detailing the life of someone who has done it all and lives to tell the tales in an accessible of self-lacerating, clear-eyed entertaining voice.

Water of Life – Jack Daniels Single Barrel and Sinatra Select

After having covered a myriad of distilleries as part of this series, it is almost sacrilege that we have not touched on one of the most prominent American ones that produces whiskey yet ticks the boxes of bourbon as well, i.e. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey.

Compared to other affordable and widely available mellow drops that offer an economic drinking experience, I found Jack Daniels always good value for money, especially while roaming in the more remote regions of Asia. An occasion in my early twenties, where my still virgin and underdeveloped palate got to share a coke / JD concoction with Lemmy Kilmister (at 11am) ensured that every future sip was inextricably tied to a great memory.

Today we shall venture beyond JD’s core range that even the hardcore spirit luddites would be familiar with when and start by zero-ing in on their Single Barrel bottling, which is one of the more interesting efforts as compared to blends, rule of thumb is that a single bottling does not offer any room to hide anything and must stand for itself.

Derived from what is referred to as Lincoln County Process, i.e. a process that is focussed on removing impurities and diminishing the dominating aspect of corn by steeping the whiskey for six days in ten foot vats and passing through maple charcoal that was made by burning maple wood that had been impregnated with high octane Jack Daniel’s whiskey, before being put in new charred oak barrels and aged for up to seven years.

Resting firmly on the foundation of the trademark Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 offering, a composition of corn rye and malted barley along with the charcoal filtering that makes their drops instantly recognizable, the nostrils are tickled by a warm melange of burnt banana bread, citrussy caramel, nutty, heavily toasted oak reminiscent of apples, with the profile leaning towards a more alcoholic end courtesy of  being bottled at 47% ABV. Not exactly an overly complex aroma, however, very enjoyable and I find myself coming back to it in between sips.

When it comes to what materializes on the palate with this toffee coloured dram, the aromas are further manifested, and it lacks the roughness most would associate with American brown spirits. Cinnamon is omnipresent and informed by both woody tannins and oaky nuances with a subtle honey sweetness that seamlessly transitions into a finish, which is enriched by the appearance of peppery highlights and a grainy maltiness.

Summa summarum, the Single Barrel is a higher end, well-balanced, rounded expression and should be the natural step up for anyone who enjoys the standard version and is looking for the enhancement of character that a careful selection of barrels can make, which in the case of the Single Barrels were selected from the upper floors of the warehouses as supposedly this offers the ideal conditions for more spirit interaction with the charred wood.

Now, let’s take things up a few notches, shall we?

Apart from the aforementioned front man of Motorhead (RIP), who was a charismatic walking and breathing authentic advertisement for Jack Daniel’s core range, at least before he had to transition to vodka towards the end of his time on this earthround, Jack Daniel’s has had another prominent advocate, i.e. Ole Blue Eyes, who was in effect the diametric opposite of Lemmy as he once quipped that rock’n roll was the most ugly, brute and vicious form of expression he had the misfortune to hear.

One could argue that catering to both ends of the spectrum speaks for the common denominator quality of Jack Daniel’s.

Needless to say that once Frank Sinatra voiced his unbridled enthusiasm for enjoying JD during, after and well, before his show, famously quipping that it is the “nectar of the gods”, the brand became, became a household name and eventually started honouring him with a special edition.

Now, I am only human, i.e. pour me a good drop and turn up the tunes of the rat pack and we got a party going, so intriguing me with an expression Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select was not that difficult.

Not unlike the Single Barrel expression we covered earlier based on the foundation of Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7, the drop is enhanced by marrying it with whiskey created from specially made Sinatra barrels: The barrels have deep grooves, which were cut into the staves of the casks. This procedure increases the amount of exposure the whiskey has to the charred virgin wood, i.e. in this case a deep red layer. The very same barrels were used for one of the better recent Ardbeg Committee releases, i.e. the appropriately labelled “Grooves”, which we covered as part of the Ardbeg 2018 feature.

What I instantly like about the dark amber coloured Sinatra Select is that upon approach, smoke and roasted oak is prominent due to the barrel impact. While the trademark JD sweetness and nuances of cinnamon and apples shine through in the middle, it rounds out in the same manner.  Very inviting from the get-go and it instantly adds another dimension to what one is used to from JD.

Now, do not get me wrong – when I mention “smoke”, we are not remotely near Islay territory and it is very subtle, however, it is a nice start of the journey. On the top of the mouth, vanilla-esque, fruity flavours greet us and delight what could be described as an orangey liquid version of crème brûlée, punctuated by oaky tannins and peppery spicy notes.

I am not usually a big fan of using the adjective “smooth” as a descriptor for whisk(e)y, but if there was a drop that would qualify as such, Sinatra Select would be an example par excellence with its dry, dark chocolate-, orange peel finish.

A very solid offering that with its packaging offers a bit of eye candy as well: Honouring the traditional Jack Daniel’s look, the massive one litre bottle with its firm base is housed in a fabric covered locker box that comes with intricate details paying homage to Frank Sinatra, including an richly illustrated hard bound booklet detailing the relationship between Frank and JD, along with an invitation to the Jack Daniel’s Country Club  - again a subtle reference for those in the know.

Despite the opulent packaging, there is much more to Sinatra Select than being a higher proof gimmicky premium edition and anyone remotely into American whiskeys and bourbons should acquaint themselves with it.

Frank is fabled to have quipped that he was in favour for anything that gets one through the night – be it prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniel’s – the third is by far more enjoyable option and while I’d prefer a bottle of Octomore, I can see why Sinatra chose this one  to be buried with.

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images from company website

May: Say the Name, George Floyd

Thanks for checking in on this month's Search/Play/Repeat playlist, but frankly it doesn't matter what I listened to this month. I can already tell you that there hasn't been enough Black representation in my playlists, and it's something I need to rectify in future playlists. To our Black readers, I apologize. Your voices matter. Your lives matter. George Floyd's life mattered. Stay Safe. Stay Loud. Support all Black lives because BLACK LIVES MATTER:

George Floyd Memorial Fund

Black Visions

Campaign Zero

Reclaim the Block

High Adventures in the Great Outdoors Outdoors - Everyday Carry Essentials

I like running whenever possible and when given the opportunity also to and from work. Now unless, you actually work in a gym and swag around in your active wear all day, chances are that you know the issue with having your gear creased once you get to the grind, let alone the issue of having to find a tornister to house your lunch, tablet, phone, keys and  whatever else you lug around.

Backpacks are available in a wide range of variations, however, I have found few of them that accommodate my needs, which are in essence not outlandish: A light shell I can put my gear in with straps that hold it in place without becoming a nuisance with all the bouncing going on.

For the manually challenged, IAMRUNBOX comes with a folding assistant to help you make sure your clothes fit in the box and stay crease free as well as a smaller net bag to compartmentalise your sweaty wear and toiletries along with nifty pockets to keep your electronic devices protected.

Been running with the durable backpack for a couple of months now, and with its clever ergonomic design it still sits firmly in place on my back no matter how hard or far I go without causing too much friction or sore shoulders and the fact that the string attachment system adds the option to attach accessories on the outside comes in handy.

Even heavy rain that lasted throughout longer runs could not penetrate the actual water-proof inner shell and no matter how intense the downpour, the clothes inside remained nice, dry and wrinkle free.

Summa summarum: A borderline ideal backpack in terms of sturdiness and for commute runs that I have also started using for short trips, i.e. weekends dedicated to sports events hiking and work.

Change of gear – keys!

Unless you are in lock down, chances are that you got keys and have to lug them around, which, depending on what you are carrying can be a bit of a hassle if you use the traditional setup, i.e. a ring with lose keys, as they are not only more often than not an eyesore in terms of creating a bulge but also are responsible for tear and wear in your skinny jeans.

There is certainly no shortage of key organizers out there, however, most look the part but do a meagre job at doing the organising bit. Some do not really do anything at all.

Now, thing is that the ones I found doing a good job, come with the downside of making it a bit harder to actually use the keys, so if you are in charge of London Dungeon and carry ten fobs to open the sesames to your car collection, they won’t be of much advantage, i.e. the less keys the better.

Keeping it simple however, i.e. house / office keys, fob and a few other loose keys, I found that what Orbitkey has perfectioned works extraordinarily well for me both in terms of convenience and functionality, as it allows not only to give structure to your messy pile of keys but also includes their own custom-made gadgets, e.g. a small knife, bottle opener, USB stick and a multitool.

Sure, it might add a minute extra step to opening your Ford Escort Sport but compared to other contraptions, it became second nature in no time.

The fact that the look of the key organizer is easy on the eye does not hurt either along with the option to upgrade and customise the materials used, no matter if you prefer vegan materials, hand-crafted leather or rubber in the aesthetics department surrounding the stainless steel locking mechanism.

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images from company websites

Water of Life - Peat's Beast

Now we are talking – having lusted for the longest time to find out what the emission with the punchy name of quality bottler has to offer, I finally got to experience it in the old world. When it comes to peated nectar, I found blended expressions to be a bit of a hit-and-miss. There are plenty of good ones, however, there is rarely one that fully satisfies and not only serves as an appetizer and inspiration to then reach for a dram of the big and trusted Islay whiskies to get the whole show in all its glory.

Unsurprisingly, what tickles the nostrils is dominated by peat, however, not overwhelmingly and not in a one-dimensional way as apart from the expected wood smoke and wafts of tar, there are subtle citrussy nuances and highlights of apples.

What the first aroma promises, finds its natural extension on the palate but gains depth and character as one finds hints of pepper, ham and seaweed, which are counteracted by banana-esque flavours, all of which rest on a bed of phenols. Opposed to other blends, I find it immensely satisfying with a viscous, oily mouthfeel, especially as it combines a complexity with a rawness that in this form is rarely found.

Stating that Peat’s Beast has an elongated finish would be an understatement par excellence as the flavours that materializes on the top of the roof are rounded out with a smoky, peppery crescendo, the dark chocolate-y highlight of which leaves on lusting for more.

As with many blends, the distilleries and exact origins are not made transparent, however, with a phenol level of 35 ppm and emerging from the Speyside region of Scotland, this beautiful beast has some beauty in it that is reminiscent of the better parts of some of my favourite drams from Islay.

The fact that the label is a work of beauty (illustrated by Brazilian Doug Alves), completes the overall great experience with this chardonnay coloured, young heavy hitter that despite its telling name is not a one trick pony.

Merely knowing that this review covered the entry level 46% ABV version and that the Peat’s Beast range has been extended to include a cask strength version, a Pedro Ximénez finish and most importantly an Islay Single Malt, adds a few things to my whisky bucket list.

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image from company website