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Thrones!

Opera House

Sydney, Australia

June 25, 2019

Full disclosure: I have never seen a single episode of Game of Thrones, which puts me in the same shoes as one of the main protagonists of tonight’s performance.  The beauty of Thrones! Is that despite me not having the faintest idea of what the actual show is about, the smart musical parody is nuanced enough to let one derive allusions to the show and has at the same time enough surprises to even excite the most hardcore GoT aficionados – not unlike the one I brought along with me who had a jolly good time.

The fact that the genre agnostic musical components are punchingly good (and ranging from gangster rap, via African-American spirituals to old form operatic vocal deliveries along with the odd pop cultural mash up), signalled early on that we were in for not just humour but a seriously fine night of entertainment, reverent fun and musical theatre. The fact that the performance steadily picks up pace and gets gradually more vulgar, crude, sinister and edgy, which only enhances the viewing pleasure.

The cast members gel well with each other, with each seamlessly transitioning between different roles, harmonisations and choreography that are flawlessly performed in makeshift costumes and props.

The quality and simple vim of the singing of Thrones!, which was originally performed in Los Angeles before it took on the old world in a storm, is reason enough to attend and does not really necessitate prior knowledge as one of the protagonists is educated with the audience along the way, i.e. given CliffsNotes on the series, which is a smart move to avoid preaching to the converted and provides a bit of a retrospective on plot landmarks.

While piss taking is par for the course with all the in jokes and topical gags one could hope for, one can tell that the Thrones! started from a place of sincere admiration and appreciation for the series – after all parody is the ultimate compliment.

I’d go as far as claiming that if you are a hardcore fan of the series and in need of consolation for what was commonly perceived to be an underwhelming final season and ending of Game of Thrones, this parody musical is what you need, especially since the Sydney run includes exclusive added-on bits pertaining to the finale, which is testament to the dedication and wit of Thrones!’s creators.

Water of Life – GlenAllachie

I am all about Islay and its distilleries when it comes to whiskies that excite me, which is not to say that I am unable to appreciate and enjoy drops from other regions for their own idiosyncratic flavours and merits.

Speyside is an interesting region as quite a few of the “Glen- “whiskies have established themselves as go-tos, specifically when it comes to travel in Asia. I have come to enjoy the two ends of the spectrum that most of them are situated in, i.e. the richer and sweeter one that is informed by an underlying sherry character and the lighter ones that feel like you can indulge in them at all hours of the day.

One of the more interesting varieties of Speyside whiskies is emerging from a relatively young distillery that goes by the name of GlenAllachie.

Using local water and deliberately limiting and slowing down their production to ensure that allow for a longer zymosis, it enables GlenAllachie to pay utmost attention to finetune each step of the distilling process and alter the depth of the character of their emissions, in layman’s terms: GlenAllachie refuses to take shortcuts and takes pride in their status of being one of the Scottish distilleries that have not been absorbed by a bigger multi-national conglomerate.

My first exposure to GlenAllachie was their robust and fun 10-Year-Old Cask Strength expression. Being non-coloured and matured in what reads like a dream line-up of casks, i.e., Pedro Ximénez, Oloroso as well as fresh casks from the new world and bottled at a whopping 57.1% ABV, the spiciness that tickles the nostrils was intriguing as after a peak it blends in with charred vanilla.

“Pleasant” would be an understatement when it comes to what materializes on the top of the mouth as marmalade, honey is married with light chocolate and by adding a drop or two of water, nutmeg makes an entry, but it finishes with oak and more intense honey notes.

As one would expect, their 12-year-old single malt Scotch whisky from GlenAllachie takes things up a few notches: Imagine the 10-Year-Old on steroids, i.e. bigger, bolder flavours with the nose already promising what will then serenade the palate: Buttery vanilla, almond and an elongated soft and oily finish that borderline touches milkshake territory, based on a bed of tropical flavours.

So far, so good.

Now enter the GlenAllachie 18-Year-Old and its nose heave on the cinnamon will win you over instantaneously. There is also something tarty to it, which adds intrigue that is given additional layers on your receptors with highlighted barley, sultana and peanut butter nuances.

The 18-Year-Old is one that drives my much better half crazy as it delays my replies in conversations endlessly because I tend to swirl around each sip forever before letting it go down the hatch.

Beautiful.

Caramelised stone fruits meet a dairy finish that gives this one a rounded, complete feel that covers and ticks all the boxes of a well-chosen flavour territory.

This one does not need to show off with overwhelming flavour nuances – it is sophisticated and the crown of the GlenAllachie portfolio.

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photo from company website

AUDINT -- Unsound: Undead

Urbanomic / Art Editions – The MIT Press

Noises. Sounds. Frequencies. Ultra-. Infra-. Audible. Inaudible.

An endlessly fascinating realm that the UK based research unit AUDINT group has been exploring, with a focus on shedding light on the outliers and the peripheries of sonic perception (unsound) and the potential that lie therein to open portals to new dimensions. An when I say “new dimensions”, I mean transitions between the dead and the undead and passing the threshold between fiction and fact.

This wonderful tome is comprised of sixty-four essays penned by luminaries of their respective fields, which investigate from different and at times never attempted angles how the inaudible can be channelled to communicate and infuse the undead with life.

The territories that are explore demand an open mind, at times a bit of technological understanding and most importantly a readiness to follow thought experiments and how they related to tangible and intangible phenomena harking back to the eight century before Christ, drawing parallels to how we have perceived and defined until now and, most interestingly, casts projections into the future, i.e. the second half of the twenty-first century when it comes to the exploration of what holosonic, directional ultrasound and haptic feedback devices can be used for.

A testament to the fact that what we might perceive to be set in stone when it comes to “vibration” and what can be accomplished through it, is actually, based on ever changing goalposts that are being re-engineered on an on-going basis and – most importantly – in areas that are no longer perceptible.

Water of Life – Dark Mofo Winter Feast edition: Hobart Whisky and Belgrove Distillery

Dark Mofo’s Winter Feast is a definite highlight of the annual festival that not only offers access to the best of Tasmanian produce and cuisine, but also the best of what the local distilling, brewing and Wine scene has to offer.

Needless to say that we used the occasion to check in with some of the distillers we have had the privilege to cover in previous instalments of Water of Life.

John manned the Hobart Whisky stall, which not only had their core range on offer, but also a few new expressions that knocked our socks off:

As the name of the French Oak Pinot Noir Finish suggest, what we have here was matured in small American Oak ex-bourbon casks and finished in French oak Pinot Noir barrels.

One should not be lead astray but the seemingly high alcohol content  of 57.7%  ABV, as what tickles the nostrils is a melange of dark chocolate, heavily charred American Oak, stewed fruits and culminates in a fruity vanilla-ey highlight that seamlessly transition to what materializes on the palate: Creamy vanilla, butterscotch and a burst of tropical fruits greet the palate, with Papaya, Kiwi Fruit, Melons and candied orange peel all making an appearance.

The finish follows down a citrussy road that is paved with more nuances of chocolate and an elongated spicy exit that is reminiscent of a good brandy.

The American Oak Ex-Bourbon expression is softer and more subdued in comparison, with its nose being based heavily on vanilla, apple juice and saline notes. The palate is greeted by a delicious wave of chocolate, apple pie, oak nuances and jam notes, while the finish is dominated by a delectable creaminess that is punctured by a citrussy oakyness that is backed by dark fruits.

Opens sweet and creamy then builds across the palate to warm toffee pudding with the alcohol coming in late and clean. A gentle peppery chorus is there in the background to complete the picture. Complexity and subtle elegance are the keynotes.

The fulminant completion of the triumvirate however is Hobart Whisky’s Winter Feast Exclusive Release: Following a three-year maturation period in small 40L American oak ex-bourbon casks, this beauty found its way into casks that previously served as home to Guatemala rum, and more recently cask-matured maple syrup.

I pity everyone who has been at the Winter Feast and did not make a concerted effort to sample this drop as it is an experience to indulge in that engages all senses. What an stunning dram and testament to Hobart Whisky’s dedication and expertise.

It opens sweet and creamy, with the alcohol blending in and backed by peppery notes.

Layer after layer of both robust and subtle flavours, all showing themselves but without tripping over one another with a smooooth finish.

Unfortunately, as with all of Hobart Whisky’s releases, this delectable drop is another limited bottling and given the demand that I encountered during the Winter Feast, where attendants bought their whiskies in bulk, you might want to make an effort to not miss out on their current and upcoming expressions.

Some people say to never meet your heroes as you will end up being disappointed, however, sometimes the opposite is the case and you end up with an even bigger admiration after the encounter.

Point in case: Peter Bignell from Belgrove Distillery.

For the uninitiated: Belgrove Distillery and the man that created it are the epitome of craft distilling, i.e. handmade, sourcing every ingredient themselves including the grain they grow and harvest themselves and digging the peat from their own family farms, with each of the manufacturing steps being monitored and quality controlled by their palate, nostrils and eyes. Needless to say that the barrels are coopered and fired at the distillery.

Peter also manned a booth at the Winter Feast and apart from his idiosyncratic and accolade laden emissions, gave us a taste of his Hopped Malt Whisky.

Now, I for one love a great IPA, specifically if it makes one component of a boilermaker paired with a peaty whisky. Belgrove’s Hopped Malt expression combines the best of both worlds as it is in essence a distilled IPA.

Based on a dry and malty sweet IPA from TBONE Brewing Co, the distillate aged at Belgrove Distillery and bottled at 61.7%. The beauty is that despite the relatively high alcohol content, the burn is minimal.

The hoppy dram hints at the juiciness of the IPA it is derived and marries floral nuances with a well-calibrated bitterness that culminates in a wonderfully elongated crescendo of maltiness.

Given that this is yet another super limited Belgrove bottling and the fact that I have yet to encounter a whisk(e)y fiend that is not enamoured with how Peter Bignell channels his alchemy, you should seize your chance to sample it if you ever get the chance as you will be rewarded with an avalanche of great flavours.

Given the quality and renowned status Belgrove Distillery and its whiskies have attained, i.e. restaurants like Copenhagen’s Noma exclusively selecting whiskies from Peter directly or Queens of the Stone Age buying off whatever they can get their hands on while they hold court in Tasmania, it will only be a matter of time until operations will need to be scaled to appease the overwhelming world-wide demand – you do want to get in while every ingredient that went into the production went through Peter’s own hands.

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Images from company websites

Water of Life – Evolve Spirits Bar

There is the textbook definition of “fossil”, i.e. pertaining to any remains, impression, or trace of a living thing of a former geologic age, as a skeleton, footprint, et cetera, and the metaphorical one that refers to a markedly outdated or old-fashioned person or thing.

If you harbour a weak spot for great whisk(e)y bars with all the splendour and sophistication they used to effortlessly encompass, Evolve Spirits Bar in Hobart ticks all the right boxes as it does not only accomplish the former but also is also based on a fossil theme as far as the décor is concerned.

In this day and age with the advent of gin and whisk(e)y  and the poisons having firmly established themselves on the mainstream palate, there is certainly no shortage of bars that cater to drench the sheer insatiable thirst for cocktails and other spirits, however, more often than not you find yourself either in an etablissement of a bar with spirits, not a spirits bar, or in one with an elitist high-end demeanour yet a lack of substance underneath the bonnet.

Enter Evolve Spirits Bar.

Stating that Evolve is one that makes me want to go back the moment I leave would be an understatement par excellence as it comprises the very things I have come to love about a good bar.

Drawing a parallel between the work palaeontology and the craft that goes into the distilling of fine spirits, Evolve is a celebration of both worlds. Situated on prime real estate on Hobart’s picturesque waterfront within the confines of the MACq 91 hotel complex, the merits of which would warrant an expose by itself, the view along with the sophisticated interior design would be reasons enough to place it firmly on your bucket list bars, however, it is the personnel behind the bar that elevates the bar into territory that is not often conquered.

The interior design is dominated by prehistoric artefacts and fossils and we are not talking novelty here, au contraire, the exhibits are of museum grade quality and include e.g. the skeleton of a Russian cave bear, megalodon teeth and other bits and pieces that not only serve an aesthetic purpose but serve as conversation pieces and during my visit prompted quite a bit of instant Google research to gather more contextual information.

Upon entering Evolve, I was greeting by one of the most capable, accolade laden and knowledgeable bartenders I have had the privilege to encounter on terra australis: Dan Gregory, a spirit sommelier extraordinaire, who has a track record of propelling what have become some of the most renowned Australian bars under his benign guidance into the stratosphere, heads a team of individuals whose passion for spirits radiates through every conversation you engage in.

It is not further wondrous that Tasmania’s whisky royalty often convene at Evolve Spirits Bar, with not only some of their rarer bottlings on offer, but during one of my visits I bumped into a group of them, only to share the bar the next evening next to FKA Twigs’ after show party. The fact that the bar staff did not miss a beat while catering to her entourage and “regular” visitors is testament to the DNA that has been created by the bar team.

If you have been following this series, you’d know that I harbour a weak spot for Tasmanian whiskies – as everyone with a functioning palate should – and Evolve is not only a forum for telling their stories but has instantaneously established itself as a major constituent of it.

As far as the spirits on offer are concerned: I have been to a spirits bar or two on this earthround, and trust me, it is super rare to find such a collection of gems that has not been picked over and depleted – and yes, we are talking rare, one off bottlings that you will want to take a photo off as chances are you will not get to see them again in the third dimension.

A world class spirits bar that any aficionado in search for a warm and memorable experience should have on their radar.

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Photos by @k.a.vv