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January - Part 1: An Introduction

Hiya folks!

Welcome to my new Search/Play/Repeat blog. One of the ideas and influences I got for this blog began when I started to see articles that suggest people stop discovering new music by around the age of 30. This caused a bout of introspection. Why? Well, because I was coming up on 30 and realized I was fitting into that statistic way more than I was comfortable with.

Listening to and discovering music has always been a huge part of who I am. It's one of the reasons why I'm writing for SPB to begin with, but over time, day-to-day life becomes exhausting. You start to realize you have less and less time to do the things that you enjoy, and you start to feel like you're losing a piece of yourself. It's something that was taking a toll on me and having an effect on my contributions to Scene Point Blank.

Another point of influence came when a forum I frequent proposed a challenge to listen to 50 albums that you haven't heard before. It seemed like a good start to helping me break my routine. Music is more easily accessible now than it's ever been before. Technology makes it incredibly easy to discover new music as well as venture into the past and listen to the albums you may not have actually had much interest in if it weren't so accessible. From the "classics" to the new or obscure. I mean, we live in a time where you can listen to most of, if not all, 100-something Frank Zappa albums at will. It's as simple as searching for what you want, pressing the "play" button, and repeating the process. And that's what I'm going to do.

Over the course of the year, I'm going to listen to and discover as much music as I can find the time to do. I'm going to try and listen to some "critically-acclaimed" albums I never got to growing up.  I'm going to try and listen to some new 2020 releases. I'm going to try and fill in the gaps from artists I already like and hopefully find some new ones along the way. At the end of each month, I'll share a playlist of my favorite/notable songs from some of those albums and maybe sneak in some new singles that grab my attention. I may even chime in from time to time in the middle of the month to talk about what I've been listening to. In the end, I hope you find something new that you like as well.

TL:DR Version: I listen to albums I haven't to before and then make a playlist. Head to Part 2 for January's playlist.

What’s Sumatra with You? East Forged

As I travel this earthround, more often than not on more exotic territory, I find myself reminded of Abraham Lincoln musing that if what I am proffered is supposed to be coffee, I’d rather have tea and if it is supposed to be tea, I would like some coffee instead.

There are many concoctions these days, especially when it comes to experimental novelties and few of them stand the test of time. As a matter of fact, especially when it comes to coffee, I find myself drawn back to the basics and my favourite these days is a simple double espresso.

A more interesting version of tea recently crossed my path, i.e. one of the cold brew nitro-infused variety. The underlying concept is that pure tea leaves are cold-brewed, infused with carbonation, refined by the adage of real fruits and finally made bubbly and sparkling by utilizing nitrogen, with the ultimate aim to create a drink that has the DNA of coffee and brings the refreshment of a draught beer. If you think about, the use of nitrogen is not as outlandish as it first sounds as the smoothness of e.g. Guinness can almost exclusively be attributed to its use as opposed as to CO2, which has a lemonier character.

East Forged recently launched its teas in three varieties, i.e. Black Tea & Yuzu (“yuzu” as in lemon-like citrus and much less astringent than other black tees on the market), White Tea & Calamansi (kumquat-like citrus meets white tea from China’s Fujian province resulting in a flavour that is an example par excellence for juiciness) and Post-Fermented Green Tea & Pitaya (the production of which is similar to that of Sake and kombucha without the resulting funk and a characteristic dragon fruit note that places it in a category that quite a few ice teas try to accomplish).

Now, while all of them are interesting in term of flavour profiles, the Black and White Tea variants proved to be my favourite, with the Green one not being a too distant third and being a sparkling water aficionado, the fizzy bit made them instantaneously a welcome alternative to the occasional energy drink I sometimes retreat to when things go overtime – especially since East Forged does not add any sugar.

Tea in recyclable aluminium cans might not be the most traditional way to proffer tea but it both reduces the impact on the environment and is convenient when one stacks them up to take on the road.

An interesting alternative that should appease tea aficionados as well as those into energy drinks and beers.

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photo from company website

Glenturret Burns Night

Sydney Opera House

January 25, 2020

Sydney, Australia

Reimagining a traditional Sottish gathering and weaving in indigenous Australian components is an exercise that demands a delicate balance, let alone when it comes to honouring the memory of the Ayrshire-born Scottish poet Robert Burns. Then again there are commonalities that can be drawn and one could make a connection between Burns’s agency as a member of the lower middle class, who took pride in supporting his family independently to what indigenous Australian communities struggle with to this day.

This 2020 localised incarnation of a night celebrating all that Scotland stands for was well-orchestrated and rich in nuances: A nuanceful calibration honouring two different cultures, which culminated in specifically powerful crescendos when e.g. indigenous artist Eric Avery joined forces with one of Scotland’s best known musical exports, i.e. Breabach.  While it was an evening of merrymaking, one could hear a needle drop during some of the musical performances while on the other end of the spectrum proceedings where counteracted with the whole room joining in in unison when poetry was recited or toasts where delivered with poise and conviction.

Eric Avery is from the Ngiyampaa, Yuin, Gumbangirri and Bundjalung people of NSW and being an interdisciplinary artist, who is used to combine and fuse dance and music, it was interesting to see him incorporate the cultural theme of the evening.

Scottish contemporary folk band Breabach provided the soundtrack of the night, channelling their idiosyncratic melange of intensity and musical prowess in not only traditional songs but also contemporary compositions with commentary on the state of affairs of the world we live in.

Summa summarum, a well-curated musical potpourri that acknowledged and respected the origins of both Australia and Scotland. the music they play and the roots of the band whilst embracing the future with new ideas, energy and belief is a key attribute of the band and another theme that is strongly conveyed through this new release.

Having had Scotland’s what can be considered Scotland’s oldest distillery Glenturret as a sponsor certainly added not only decorum but also highlighted the merits of whisky distilling and in the distilleries case, blending, as the lion’s share of Glenturret’s liquid emissions served as the foundation for expressions of Famous Grouse.

While my favourite, i.e. the peat variety, was unfortunately not on offer, a dram of the Glenturret ten-year-old was an appropriate and nice way to open proceedings. With its apricot aromas that are married with earthy, fungal and oaky caramel undertones, the nostrils are given an idea for what is to materlize on the palate: Sweetness in honey-esque syrup and cereal form rest of a bed of fruits, framed by oaky nuances, which by adding a few drops of water open up to include a distinct nuttiness. The latter then extends into a medium finish, which goes full circle to the apricot aromas and a very welcome sooty and oaky appearance of tannins. Certainly a great starting point for anyone interested in delving into whisky territory.

The menu (of which a vegetarian alternative was available) of the evening was again an ode to both traditional Gaelic and cuisine down under, proffering seared kangaroo and Kingfish at arrival, beef with pickled local mushrooms and greens and – before an excellent dessert comprised of vanilla watlle seed mousse and local berries – a traditional shared haggis.

While Burns Night had so far not been an integral part of my calendar, tonight’s event put it on my map and I look forward to attend future one’s equipped with a bit more knowledge.

Thus Let Us Drink Beer - Moon Dog

Claiming that it is currently not a bad time for Australian craft beers and breweries would be an understatement par excellence. We are not talking brewing concoctions for the sake of novelty, but beer making that excites the palate and makes one look forward to upcoming releases.

A brewery that has intrigued me ever since I came across them at Melbourne’s Beer Week is Moon Dog , specifically because of their limited releases that proved not only to be a delight to drink but whose presentation and naming was also on point – in some ways the nomenclature reminded me a bit of the genesis of names for the expressions of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Now, if you like craft beer, the mere mention Moon Dog having created Cognac barrel-aged double IPA along other beers that run the gamut from lagers via stouts to sources, all presented in visually and aesthetically pleasing packaging that despite all its idiosyncratic features depending on the individual beers, always carries the creative DNA of Moon Dog.

As you might have gathered, experimentation is key and things get interesting once you leave the territory of their delicious core range, which I find popping up as staples in more and more quality bars, i.e. Old Mate pale ale, Mack Daddy dark ale, Beer Can and their deliciously hoppy Lager with its well-balanced bitterness.

Moon Dog Mack Daddy is a Dark Ale, and again, a deliciously hoppy one at that and the more robust roasty chocolate flavours one would expect from a dark brew.

Let’s delve into more interesting emissions, shall we?

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Beer is, well, a big, rich dark Christmas beer and being a sticky date quad, it makes an ideal companion to your dessert, or, a welcome alternative to that. I had it with a dram of Laphroaig’s Quarter Cask, and it made for a boilermaker combination that took things to the next level.

Moon Dog has a range of revolving more traditional IPAs, the common denominator of which is that their hop game is on point. Take for example the Tiger’s IPA, named after the brewery’s dog, which is heavily informed by the usage of Kiwi hops, which is not as bold as other Moon Dog beers and brings with its fruity flavour that culminate in a melange of apricots and melon subtlety into the mix.

While the aforementioned should make your mouth water, we have not even covered the tip of the iceberg yet as learning more about Moon Dog’s special releases, we need to look at covering the brewery with further instalments to do justice to how they have refined the art of turning things to 11 in terms of the triumvirate of boundary pushing brewing, flavours that leave you smacking your lips and presentation that is a feast for the eyes.

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Photos from company website

Water of Life – Kavalan’s celebration of the fourth decade of the King Car Group

Kavalan is one of those distilleries that might go under the radar of the most dedicated whisky aficionado until, well, until you get to try any of its expressions. This might be partly due to the fact that Taiwan is not necessarily having a reputation for creating quality whiskies and that it the uninitiated might label it as an exotica.

Anyone who has had the fortune of trying from Kavalan’s exquisite range, will attest to the fact that they have yet to release an underwhelming expression and that the  distillers have mastered the craft of not only creating a delicious base spirit, but introduced a level of quality when it comes to the curation of their casks that in terms of consistency does not have a lot of rivals.

Needless to say that I was more than mildly excited when I learned that Kavalan was going to release a whisky aged in red wine casks to mark the fortieth anniversary of King Car Group.

Now, I love peat and smoke and anything from Islay would need to be pretty bad to at least not get a nod of approval from me.

However, Kavalan is one of the distilleries that produces fruity expressions that make my palate celebrate with the anniversary release not being an exception: Having matured in red wine casks, what materializes on my nostrils is an exercise in complexity ranging from oak undertones via a unique melange of spicy Cabernet Sauvignon nuances to wafts of berries.

What then materialized on the roof of my mouth in all its thick, textured glory meanders between the poles of spiciness and toffee notes and does it in a manner that keeps you on your toes as every time you think it has subsided, a new facet reveals itself and adds another layer of depth. Claiming that the finish is “elongated” would be an understatement par excellence as hours later, I’d still taste its delicious aftertaste.

Apart from this special release, I finally made the acquaintance of the Kavalan Solist Peaty Cask. Now, when we talk Kavalan-esque “peat”, it is not remotely in a league with what is commonly referred to as peaty whisky.

This expression has been aged in casks that previously matured peated whisky, so it is not further wondrous that it is defined by a sophisticated subtlety, which in terms of aromas is embedded ion fruits, almonds and spicy, peppery notes.

On the palate there are vestiges of my beloved peat smoky, yet again it is enriched by zesty flavours, which seamlessly transition into a finish that culminates in a marriage of vanilla and pepper. Sounds intriguing? Well, wait until you try this well-rounded drop.

Another new release is the Sherry Finish, which is released as part of the Concertmaster range – a telling name as it has spent the final stint in Sherry casks after spending time in Kavalan’s special reserve refill casks.

On the nose, I felt instantly reminded of the French Armorik as decadent aromas of crème brûlée are prevalent.

With nutty flavours being dominant, I specifically like the dark chocolate flavours with its fruity highlights, which again highlights the x-factor of most of Kavalan’s expressions, i.e. Taiwan’s unique subtropical climate.

I’d say that you should use the next chance you get to sample Kavalan’s emissions but given how well it is being received by whisky lovers, I’d recommend making a deliberate effort to get your hands on some while it is still easily available.

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Photos by T