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Water of Life – Kavalan Concertmaster

If you have followed my previous advice and have tried Kavalan’s Solist as well as other expressions, you would not find it further wondrous that Kavalan has transcended the well-calibrated symphony its expressions create into the realm of naming them accordingly.

This time around we got a little Single Malt number that has again earned its name: Concertmaster waves its baton over an orchestra of Port casks after having matured in American oak casks. Now, following this aging process is not exactly innovative and has been tried and tested the world over.

It would not be Kavalan if they did not up the game by not only focussing on one port but using three different ones.

The outcome is not surprisingly heavy on red wine and smells borderline like sherry, the bouquet of which tickles the nostrils enriched by berries, vanilla and honey-esque nuance as well as dark chocolate, caramel and tobacco. This is one for aromatherapy.

What materializes on the palate is heavier on the tropical and tarty fruit side, oaky flavours that blend in with a naturally sweet earthiness, almonds, jam, pepper and a subtle mintyness. Texturally it is on the lighter side and the fact that there are hints of ginger and leather keeps things interesting.

The finish is dominated by the dryness Kavalan has become known for, which is accentuated by dark, fruits, mango, cinnamon and a bit of medicinal bitterness.

Despite the curiously green bottle, the rich, red tinted Concertmaster is another remarkable, approachable and more affordable testament to the masterful, symphonic blending techniques that in this case deviate a bit from the fruity and subtropical DNA of Kavalan has become known for as it resides more in darker territory.

I cannot wait to explore the rest of the Kavalan range...

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photo from company website

Water of Life - Koval bourbon

Ah, Chicago you windy city with your colourful underbelly history. It has been a few moons since the days of prohibition, the moonshining it prompted and the emergence of a proper distillery since the eighteen hundreds: Koval is an entity dedicated to crafting the art of a sort of bourbon that challenges the status quo by their choices of secondary grains. Needless to say that intrigued me instantly, as it was the first time I have heard of millet being used in the whisky of the South.

Koval’s impressive line-up is comprised of a straight Millet whiskey, a 100% rye, an oat whiskey and a four grain, all of which are sourced from individual barrels.

Now, what sounds like something that is rather common with bigger distilleries as the sheer volume enables them to pump out a distinct and consistent product, gets interesting with more boutique-y hoocheries like Koval as their limited stock for better or for worse will vary with each bottle at least to some extent. Talking about keeping things interesting in the flavour department.

Now, you might have a preference for batched whiskies and the skill that goes into the alchemy of blending and the creation of something the totality of which is greater than the sum of its parts, but I have yet to come across a Koval expression that underwhelms.

The straw coloured Koval Bourbon is a corn / millet hybrid that literally hits the sweet spot between savoury and sweet: The nostrils are tickled with tropical fruits and honey and there a surprisingly spicy pepper note is what first arrives on the palate, which is followed by subtle waves of differently graded sweeter nuances that finish with an uplifting, light and delicate flavour that is reminiscent of lighter Irish malts.

Next expression I tried was the Koval Millet, which had been aged in oak barrels that were freshly torrefied – a trademark of this mid-western distillery as Koval tends to sell their barrels after their first use.

This one is quite spicy on the nose and unfolds citrussy, berry nuances that blend in with more than a mere hint of rye. Not unlike the Bourbon, the palate is caressed with honey-esque sweetness punctuated by spicier tones and a dominance of cinnamon, which heralds the finish: An exercise par excellence in both rounding things out and amplifying the flavours that passed the palate before adding a eucalyptus like counterpoint. A very nice experimentally crafted young drop.

The Koval Rye is another interesting one with its dominant bread and spicy notes that lead the nose eventually to a bed of berries, dark fruits and floral notes. The red threat with Koval seems to be the well-calibrated balance of sweet and spicy notes that in this case turn out to be fruitier with quite a bit of the bread flavour being carried over and culminate in a more-ish finish.

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photo from company website

FKA Twigs

Carriageworks

Sydney, Australia

June 9, 2019

Full disclosure, up to tonight I had not been exposed to the microcosm that is FKA Twigs – a circumstance I quite enjoy when it comes to exploring and experiencing artists and one that is rarer to come by in this digital age where information is at your fingertips.

The venue could not have been chosen better, with Carriageworks reinventing itself and upping its game consistently and specifically for the annual ViVid Festival having refined the art of hosting events that is reminiscent of what has become the trademark of MONA’s Dark Mofo Festival. Tonight’s dimly-lit cavernous set-up magnified the performance manifold by serving as a giant canvas for what was to unfold.

From a distance, FKA Twigs evoked the impression to be an underground art pop phenomenon that seemed to be a hybrid of the more accessible components of Bjoerk and Sigur Rós paired with a dazzling display of ballet and dance.

However, what materialized on stage proved to be an audio-visual assault that went beyond the realm of what one would conventionally expect from a show of a singer. Tahliah Barnett is an artist that channels a myriad of influences into an idiosyncratic alchemy of her own.

It is delightful how FKA Twigs in a live environment defies categorization as her interdisciplinary show is abstract yet engaging, attention-grabbing yet subtle, atmospheric and ethereal.

Musically and specifically when it comes to the vocal delivery, one cannot ignore the nods to “Wuthering Heights”-era Kate Bush, however, a more fragile, tremulous, multi-tracked, polyphonic and sorrowful variant. While this could lose its appeal after a while, the fact that the very physically oblique and highly stylized show mixes a myriad of costume changes, otherworldly digitally menacing club vibes and effortlessly formidably performed intricate dance performances, which add layers of depth and dramatic reveals.

An ambitious, high pitched, effects laden and meticulously tour de force that lays bare raw emotions and with FKW Twigs’ poise and prowess, managed to hold the audience in its thrall for the whole duration of this challenging performance.

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photo courtesy of artist website

Energies in the Arts by Douglas Kahn

The MIT Press

Hmm, “energy”. . . the good ole indestructible conserved quantity that is convertible in form and can be transferred to an object in order to get work done. Douglas Kahn’s book explores that inhabit whatever is part of or expressed within the confines of the arts.

Now, claiming that this is a wide and multidisciplinary field is an understatement as the research casts its web ranging from anthropological concepts via the energies expressed through material manifestations via phenomena like sound. Each domain is illuminated and substantiated by essays of discipline leaders, the essence of which each add a facet to a whole that is much bigger than the sum of the parts this tome can contribute.

Kahn’s achievement lies in not only questioning the concept and core definition of energy by taking a more expansive view on it, but also view it from different historical angles that provide an intriguing perspective on the emergence of what eventually became schools of thought and art.

A particularly interesting field that is shed light on is photography and the capturing of energetic processes as well as innovations in the realms of electricity and electromagnetism that opened new possibilities and revolutionised the world of the arts.

Another one is spirituality and cultural exchange as well as the overlapping between music, spirituality and science and, most interestingly, the energy of actual reactions to the arts and the ramifications in terms of inspirations, critics, rumours and so forth.

It is fascinating how each extract serves as fertile ground not only on what energies are created but the how and the effect it has, which more often than not creates a perpetuum mobile.

The book itself becomes a very energetic medium that can be used as a tool to motivate and inspire more energetic acts that can be of artistic nature but do not necessarily have to be.

Water of Life - Buffalo Trace

It has been a few moons between visits to the Big Apple – visits that will never run danger of losing their appeal that comes with plugging into the electrical current that keeps the city pumping and ultimately makes it one of the most exciting places on this earthround.

Every time I hold court in NYC, there are new discoveries when it comes to bars and restaurants that set benchmarks when it comes to their offerings, service and infusing traditional approaches to hospitality with their own idiosyncratic spin on things.

One that has established itself firmly on my radar is Employees Only, which not only replicated tried and tested speakeasy aesthetics but managed to create an DNA of its own by creating a refined hybrid of a cocktail bar mixed offerings sustenance that brings a bit more to the table than the bar food one finds elsewhere, i.e. hearty bistro inspired fare drawing on the French background of the head chefs, including the brand’s signature “staff special” at a discounted price. The fact that it is opened until the wee hours only contributed to the allure.

Needless to say that I was excited and intrigued to explore when it came my attention that a branch had opened on terra australis – a quite timely endeavour given the prohibition theme and Sydney’s current antics when it comes night life.

Upon tumbling down the stairs of the heritage listed building, subdued lighting and an ambience amplified by the dark timber fitout eased on into the stylish haunt that is Employees Only Sydney, with the beautiful brass-topped bar being the centrepiece of the operation and a tarot reading by the resident Tarot Reader thrown in for good measure. Given that Employees Only’s co-founder Dushan Zaric and partner-in-crime Robert Krueger made sure that the Australian branch is in line with the original idea that informed the establishment of the NYC staple, it is not further wondrous that attention to detail had been given priority.

Now, as if Employees Only did not have enough to offer for itself, tonight saw the descent of Dan Ritchie – a gentleman wearing many hats as part of his involvement with SouthTrade Int, with tonight’s one pertaining to his Buffalo Trace brand ambassadorship.

After a general induction into the world of bourbon, how it is classified and what determines its components and production process, the eclectic group of individuals comprising tonight’s group was guided through a tasting that started with the classic Buffalo Trace, which is fabled to be batched from no more than 50 barrels at a time and is aged on the middle floors of BT’s various warehouses where it experiences the most temperature changes.

What hit the nostrils was proved hard to resist – think notes of caramel and vanilla that is pervaded with an intriguing hint of spice.

What materializes on the palate continues the journey and adds some more prominent spice and coffee notes as well as nuances of oak. Given that Employees Food was to be served, the fact that the finish was full-flavoured helped evoke a Pavlovian response. A solid example of what an affordable Bourbon can be.

Things were taken up a notch and a half with the Eagle Rare expression, i.e. one that proved to be dangerously moreish, as the other attendants of the tasting could attest to.

Fruity notes tickle the nose – there’s citrussy nuances blending in with orangey bits that rest on a bed of caramel and sweet oak. Now, the palate experience is something else: Peppery spice, leathery walnuts and more oak, which transitions nicely to the culmination of and spicy oak finish.

Brand ambassador Dan ‘s comparing the Eagle Rare to a “Chardonnay bourbon” instantly made sense.

Blanton's was next, the only one that I was familiar with as some of its expressions take a liquor shelf space in my humble abode.

Sweet and spicy on the nose with caramel-ey and vanilla notes, it hits the palate with what I would compare to the top end taste notes of a dark chocolate caramel milkshake with burnt fruity brown sugar topping and hints of leather in background. Sounds confusing? Trust me, makes perfect sense once it passes your lips.

The finish is elongated and rides on waves that of what was hinted at the palatal stage.

Dark, rich, very enjoyable indeed and I am tempted to compare it to the excellent 1792 line.

Now, just when one thought we had peaked, Dan pulled out another bottle from under his chair and much to the delight of the group, a highly sought-after bottle of Colonel E.H. Taylor found its way to the table.

It was my first exposure to the Colonel and claiming that I was delighted to make his acquaintance would be an understatement par excellence.

On the nose, a complex smorgasbord of goodness unfolds – there is honey, cinnamon, vanilla and lots of oak, the latter of which transcend over to the palate, where it is married with pepper and more of the components in an amplified manner.

The finish is elongated, warm and brings the best parts together again for a revival.

Summa summarum, a complex, finely calibrated bourbon that will make my list of go-tos and one that concluded a wonderful evening in the surrounds of Employees Only, which I hope will host similar tastings going forward.

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Photo by T