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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

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