Blog — Page 149 of 284

Water of Life - Hernö

One of the perks of roaming this earthround is that you get to try local spirits from the source. After a stint in Finland, a local juniper aficionado introduced me to Hernö Distillery for the first-time pre-ambling the experience by highlighting that it the first gin-only distillery in Sweden.

Since its inception in 2012, the small batch artisanal distillery has accumulated a range of accolades and become a staple in the world of gin lovers.

My first exposure to Hernö’s emissions was the Navy Strength Gin, which despite the higher alcohol content still had the local Swedish botanicals shine through, i.e. lingon berries and meadowsweet married with vanilla and coriander. Specifically, the fragrant meadowsweet radiates and perforates the floral flavour profile and textured mouthfeel, which is framed by juniper notes and citrussy aromas.

With a wheat-based spirit serving as the foundation and a single shot distillation method per batch, the artisanal production process is sealed off by hand-labelling, numbering and signing each bottle individually.

Being usually more of a whisk(e)y aficionado, I like the fact that Hernö’s smooth expressions can be easily sipped without the at time distracting addition of tonic water.

Painstaking attention to detail focused around emotive gins packed with layers of flavour.

Apart from the Navy Strength, the Hernö portfolio includes an Old Tom (extra heavy on the meadowsweet and with a smooth, silky texture), a Juniper Cask Aged Gin, which is matured for a month in juniper casks and benefits from the resulting woody, piney juniper notes and Blackcurrant Gin, all of which convince not only with their complex flavours but the attention to detail that went into their creation.

My personal favourite is Hernö’s Sloe Gin. Clocking in at a mere 30% ABV, it is based on London Dry Gin with sloe berries being macerated in the gin for three months before being gently sweetened. Needless to say that the result is a flavourful melange of tarty sweetness that is reminiscent of liquid jam.

Gin lovers should take note of Hernö and try to stock their shelves before constantly rising demand results in less artisanal production methods.

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Image from company website

Thus Let Es Drink Beer - Modus Operandi

My prayers for a great local, bold yet easily accessible IPA that ticks all the right boxes were answered with the fourth one in the core can range for Mona Vale’s master brewers Modus Operandi, who ever since their inception in 2012 have succeeded in their mission to put beer first with no shortcuts.

Opaque golden amber in colour and with an exuberant fluffy head, the intense aromas of the piney, fruity and borderline spicy hops of Sonic Prayer’s IPA fuses with toffee notes that tingle the nostrils.

What materializes on the palate is the natural extension with a dominant bitterness taking centre stage, flanked by fruity nuances.

The beauty of the Sonic Prayer IPA is that despite its relatively low alcohol content of 6% ABV, its complexity and body remind one of an IIPA with the goodness of a great West Coast IPA.

Things are taken up a notch in every aspect with the Modus Operandi Pangea IPA. With a slightly higher alcohol content and a character that is informed by six different hopping processes and a double dry hop, it serves as the link between the former and what has established itself to become a favourite of the Modus Operandi range, i.e. the Former Tenant Red IPA.

If you followed this series, it would not have gone unnoticed that I like a well-paired boilermaker and the Former Tenant Red IPA is always a delight when it makes its appearance.

The name being an open homage to the breweries former inhabitant who dabbled in growing whacky tobacky, its ruby red hues and intense fruity passionfruit aromas literally attack you once the can has been opened and it finds its near perfect calibration through the caramelly malt flavours and the elongated sweet finish.

I have tried many IPAs and only few reign supreme in their very own domains like the Former Tenant Red IPA does.

Thought We have peaked yet?

Wrong!

Modus Operandi Future Factory IIIPA 2019.

I have to admit that despite being excited since its announcement, I was slightly worried that it could be a novelty kind of brew having resulted from endeavours to take things over the top.

Stating that the Future Factory range is “hop forward” would be an understatement par excellence. Hitting you with a whopping 10% ABV, this limited expression is not nearly as brash as the triple factor would have you think: Not that this is not a bold and big brew, but underneath the surface lies a sophisticated melange of savoury and sweet elements that make the whole much bigger than the sum of its parts. Not unlike Modus Operandi’s other brews, it is dangerously easy to drink because of its comparably lean body.

I’d go as far as claiming that this is Modus Operandi’s masterpiece as everything that I love about their emissions is dialled up here:

Pine, an array of fruity flavours, a celebration of hops in all their glory, a subtle bitterness to calibrate it all and one lively brew to drink that demands that you make time for it.

If you just go by the name and the numbers as coordinates of the Future Factory series, you might think that such a beer would be hard to create without lacking balance – that is until you have been exposed to the masterful skills that inform Modus Operandi brewing processes.

Water of Life – Illegal Mezcal

God, I love a good sipping tequila. It does not have to be in the heat of summer to make this a thing of beauty along with a nice Mexican beer.

Mezcal is territory I ad so far not dabbled in and my first exposure was Ilegal Mezcal – a brand that was incepted in 2005 and one that has long intrigued me as the rustic labels and wax-sealed cork stoppers have always indicated that there is something to discover.

Turns out that the hand-numbered small emissions from the Oaxaca region of Mexico are not only based on the use of Agave Espadin, but also of a quality that rivals some of my favourite tequilas when it comes to flavour, depth and that beautiful oaky, eucalyptus wood it was matured in. Let alone the aroma derived from the agaves being cooked and roasted in earth pits before being crushed and fermented in oak vats.

Take the Ilegal Mezcal Reposado for example – one smooth drop that after maturation period of four to five months in new oak, offers a breadth of smoky nuances that are embedded in a buttery, vanilla-esque flavour profile. What some might perceived to be too amplified at both ends of the spectrum, i.e. savoury versus sweet, I find immensely well calibrated and appealing.

Things are taken to another dimension with Ilegal Mezcal’s Anejo, This drop has spent more than a full year encased by French and American oak and what results is the aforementioned Reposado variant on steroids in terms smoky- and sweetness. It brings out nuances that I value and cherish in good Islay whiskies, i.e. borderline decadent savoury flavours that are reminiscent of burnt bacon and dark chocolate. It is soft and buttery on the palate while not missing a beat when it comes to a well-rounded out, cognac-like intense flavour experience.

Despite having had an array of fantastic tequilas, this one is one of the better and more complex agave spirits I have had the pleasure of experiencing.

Given the fact that each expression to a mere thousand bottles, you might want to do a concerted effort to secure on of these truly artisanal and stylish vintage bottles, which combine not only the colours of the Mexican flag but also pay homage to the literally golden eras of the Aztecs and the Spain conquest.

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image from company website

A.Bandit: A Secret Has Two Faces

Prestel Publishing

With the collaboration that we got here, we have a a case par excellence for the resulting whole bigger much bigger than the mere sum of the individual constituents.

On one end of the spectrum we have the conceptional artist Glenn Kaino. Known for not only engineering large-scale installations and site- or situation-specific sculptural works but infusing them with socio-political commentary and pop culture issues, he has specifically over the last decade incorporated digital media as well.

On the other end we got Derek DelGaudio, who from a distance could be broadly categorized as a magician or illusionist.

The chemistry created by merging their talents resulted in what became known as “A. Bandit” and ultimately this beautifully illustrated coffee table book.

Given the aforementioned, it should not come as a surprise that the result is an exercise in magical art documenting their exhibitions, performances and other activities.

All of the artsy components are not only set in scene in what can be best described as a feast for the eyes, but also meaningfully embedded in interviews and contextualised in an overarching narrative, which adds a nice touch.

What excited me about the book is that it does not merely serve as a means to document Kaino’s and DelGaudio’s endeavours, but it clearly is another piece of art and performance.

Needless to say that this is a must-have for anyone remotely interested in performance art as well as conceptual approaches to what lies underneath the daily humdrum of this modern, highly technological and often mundane world.

The Streets

Enmore Theatre

Sydney, Australia

July 19, 2019

Alternative hip hop headed by an MC and multi-instrumentalist, huh?

Truth be told, I do not think The Streets had ever left a remarkable blip on my radar – neither before their heyday nor during what could be described as a recent resurgence in the wake of their Glastonbury appearance, which is something that could my attributed to my interesting relationship with hip hop from the UK.

Not unlike I expected from a distance, The Streets’ output is infused with an endearing laddishness that draws equally on hedonism as well as elements sourced from an eclectic array of style ranging from grimey hip hop, techno, gospel and garage rock.

What materialized on Enmore Theatre’s stage tonight was a dazzling display of explosive energy that resembled at times a full-blown rave, only to be punctuated by nuanced ballads, which came in as welcome breathers. The whole affair was carefully orchestrated by the charismatic MC and conductor Mike Skinner.

It was easy to see the appeal of the band that is based on their ability to make experiences relatable, charming and tangible and was taken to the next level, adding mainstream appeal by stylizing what they could mine from the rap and rock genres respectively to create their idiosyncratic catchy sound.

The show paid homage to their roots with songs from their Original Pirate Materials era and meandered through their catalogue including all the crowd-pleasers presented in Skinner’s trademark non-chalant demeanour that still rang true despite him and his worthy constituents having left behind the realms the bands originally was confined in, especially as the evening dragged on and the interaction with the crowd became more empathetic.

In essence, a The Streets show in 2019 is a fun and energetic exercise with the audience and its input playing an integral part.

It is not difficult to see why both die-hard aficionados as well as the uninitiated left satisfied, especially after the encore bit culminating in their anthem “Fit but you know it”.

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Photo supplied by Secret Sounds Connect