Blog — Page 152 of 279

Thus Let Us Drink Beer – 3 Ravens

Every now and then one cannot help but think that certain alcoholica are covered. Been there, tried that, the rest are variations. Then you come across an entity that infuses the game with its idiosyncratic twist and makes things exciting again.

Enter 3 Ravens.

Based on a common core range, i.e. European style brews and ones inspired by American Ales, that was established in the early noughts, the fine people behind 3 Ravens ventured out and upped the ante with speciality ranges on either a seasonal or limited basis.

3 Ravens’ New World IPA was the first of the range that came across my palate and boy, was I in for a treat. Claiming that it is “hop forward” would be an understatement par excellence and the resulting limey, piney dankness has made it an instant favourite for boilermakers as its tropical flavour prove to set a great canvas on which a peaty scotch can unfold its nuances.

Now, IPAs tend vary quite a bit in terms of tastes, which keeps things interesting, however, the innovative approach which informs the liquid emissions of 3 Ravens take things up a notch or two.

Take Simcoe Juicy, where not only the name but even the appearance is reminiscent of a lemonade-y beverage, but its fruitiness combined with the core IPA flavour profile makes for one refreshing beer.

The Coffee & Blueberry Shake IPA – yes, you read right, is not just alluding to berry flavours but is based on blueberry puree combined with fruity hops, fresh roasted coffee beans, lactose, vanilla and a creamy base of oats and wheat. Add Mosaic and Bramling Cross hops and you got yourself something an intense yet immensely aromatic and drinkable West Coast IPA to have a whole lot of fun with.

3 Ravens’ Double IPA is more conservative in flavour yet no less fruity – a melange of grapefruit, pineapple, peachy flavours and honey is complimented by a delicate bitterness that makes it for one smooth NEIPA.

While some of the names and flavour profiles might have you think that these are novelty beers, the opposite is the case:

3 Ravens is a brewery that has mastered the alchemy of brewing high quality IPAs and then experimented to create nuanced and well-calibrated brews with subtle nuances that take you on a journey and make drinking beer fun again.

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photo by T

Rammstein – Self-titled new album

The release of the yet untitled upcoming seventh studio album by the entity that heralded the dawn of what has been classified as “German Neue Deutsche Härte”, i.e. Rammstein, is upon us.

My personal relationship with the individual constituents of a band that has conquered this earthround multiple times over, dates back to the late eighties when excursions to Hungary exposed me to punks from the GDR, who traded tapes of such obscure bands like Sandow and Feeling B and other outfits like Zwitschermaschine and Schleimkeim.

The fact that the roots of Rammstein can be traced back to underground punk bands has always added an additional dimension and credibility, especially once Rammstein became mainstream darlings with their Depeche Mode cover version and eventually conquered the new world with their David Llynch collaboration and their hyperbolic Teutonic antics.

The fact that the phenomenon and institution that Rammstein has established itself as has never not been intriguing, with specifically their live and video incarnations always pushing the envelope of what is commonly considered to be acceptable and of good taste, speaks volumes about their significance.

Needless to say that one was eager to see if the new album's lead single, "Deutschland", was going to add yet another relevant facet to the complex theme of Germanic patriotism and not merely a lacklustre button push to get the feuilleton writers of their homeland riled up – especially given the “controversy” the mere announcement of the title of their first single ignited.

The choice of Specter, who has had a major influence on the evolution of hip hop in Berlin and therewith everything that has now infiltrated mainstream territory,  to direct the video for “Deutschland” got my hopes up: I was not disappointed as the eye candy that frames the solemn, patriotic and ambivalent discourse is an exercise par excellence in making viewers visually sensitive to Lindemann’s narrative, which guides us down the rabbit hole of German history and polarises opinions resulting in debates about what constitutes good taste, provocation merely for provocation’s sake and what can be justified under the banner of free speech in the current political climate.

I have yet to experience the album in its full glory, yet what I have heard so far is a surprisingly fresh breeze that does not tinker with the DNA of Rammstein too much – think effective dynamics and pacing,  Flake's creative keyboard work, the throning thick and tight wall of sound and guitar licks that Richard Kruspe and Paul Landers have become known for, along with Lindemann’s trademark vocal delivery.

However, the formula works better than ever and even adds previously unheard facets, most prominently the ditty going under the name of “Puppe”, which exhibits Lindemann at his rawest and presents an adequate acoustic musical equivalent to what can be found at the core of his more personal literary emissions.

Summa summarum, an album that I’d recommend to anyone remotely interested in heavy music and specifically to those who enjoyed Rammstein’s previous emissions.

Bruce Dickinson: What does this button do?

No matter if you like Iron Maiden or his other incarnation in the field of music, it would be hard to deny that Bruce Dickinson is a renaissance man of sorts as he has reinvented himself constantly, be it as a commercial pilot, cancer survivor, author, beer brewer, writer, spearhead of NWOBHM or what else you got.

Given the aforementioned gives whatever the man emits a credibility that a lot of his peers’ lack or at least what their output makes it appear less profound in comparison.

What Does This Button Do?  Is not a biography per se but via memoirs it gives an astute account of the evolution of a man that has a lot of interesting facets, which are underpinned by a passion to go beyond of what most people would be satisfied with.

The book is not an old world equivalent to The Dirt or anything remotely similar. Despite being borderline forensic when it comes to detailing some of his personal trials and tribulations, he refrains from shedding light on petty disputes, ex-partners, celebrity friends and foes or inner and outer band related rivalries. Bruce is much better than having to rely on such antics.

The beauty of the book is that Dickinson has mastered the craft of telling by omitting and one gets quickly what he implicitly tells in between the lines.

One cannot help but feel that the tome is also an invitation to enter the world of Bruce Dickinson, i.e. not a fantasy wanky rock star world but access to the realm of a salt of the earth guy who applies himself to whatever he feels passionate about.

The fact that Dickinson proves to be a good and witty writer certainly aids in eliciting smiles and the occasional laughter, which adds a light heartedness that goes amiss with the literary emissions of his peers.

An inspiring, entertaining, thoughtful and genuinely good read that is devoid of self-aggrandising grandeur and adds yet another dimension to an agile man whose journey has had many avenues and is far from over.

Water of Life - Amrut

I vividly recall the whisk(e)y tasting where I was first introduced to the “nectar of the good”, which is what the Sanskrit “Amrut” translates to.

The Amrut Distillery evolved from having a small focus on brandy and rum to a veritable heavyweight in the international whiskey landscape and their Single Malt based on Indian barley grown in the UK that was proffered to me, left a lasting impression: While it did not state on the bottle the amount of years the whiskey was aged, stating that would presented itself was “flavourful” would be an understatement par excellence.

The aroma of this golden drop was based on toffee notes, vanilla and caramel, causewaying into citrussy and lemony realms and from the get go the character shone through, which is rarely found with comparatively young whiskeys like Amrut’s Single Malt – it certainly does not have to hide behind well-established twelve-year-old.

What materialized on the palate only intensified the “ah ha” moment as what how the complex manner in which the creamy sweetness unfolded itself starting with oaky chocolate notes and then building up to a crescendo dominated by cinnamon and peppers is quite something.

With 46% ABV an excellent and satisfying drop that made me curious about Amrut’s other expressions and, oh boy, was I in for a treat once I got on the Amrut train.

The journey continued with Amrut Fusion.

Now, the Fusion expression takes things to the next level: Within big bold fruity, citrus, cinnamon, oaky and spicy aromas just the right amount of peat finds itself at the core, an impression that is confirmed on the palate as it is enveloped in dark yet fruity chocolate flavours and a finish that is dominated yet not overpowered by sweet notes.

A superbly harmonious, seductive, multi-faceted and complex drop that especially with the infant ghosting of smoke and peat plays in a league of its own, which is not further wondrous as the fusion aspect is informed by the usage of mixing Indian malted barley with peated Scottish one.

Okay, by now we have established that you could do much worse than try any expression of Amrut, however, we have not peaked yet.

Ready?

Amrut Peated.

Good god. Readers of our “Water of Life” series would be familiar with the fact that I harbour a weak spot for anything smoky and peaty, yet this rich and intense drop made me realise that I have missed out so far:

The aromas that hit the nose are already a thing of beauty…think peat, oh sweet peat, hints of caramel, peat, subtle smoke and, quell surprise, a bit of bacon.  Yumster!

Now, where a lot of peated whiskies would now take a sharp left to ashtray central, which I am usually very much in favour of when it comes to smokiness, Amrut’s Peated expression surprises with a delicate fruitiness as it hits the palate. Delicate in that there are layers which inform each other and seamlessly transition into the pleasant finish, which marries the fruity character with the peat from the beginning.

WoW.

In layman’s terms, I’d describe the Peated Amrut as a more elegant Bowmore 12 on steroids.

What a masterstroke in Amrut’s line-up of exquisite quality expressions - I feel deprived not having had this as a staple on my shelf.

A visit to the Amrut Distillery has become a must-do for my upcoming trip to the subcontinent.

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photo provided

Conscious Experience: A Logical Inquiry

Anil Gupta

Harvard University Press

Empiricism.

Consciousness.

Rhyme and reason.

Now, while the title of Anil Gupta’s book might at first glance invoke the impression that it is one of those airy-fairy esoteric tomes, the opposite is the case. In a very concrete manner, the book sheds light on what constitutes what we perceive to be our consciousness, the way we employ it to experience the world and how concepts can be modelled to gain a deeper understanding dichotomies, empirical reasoning and dialectic.

There is an extent of theory that is laid out and needs to be absorbed and digested, yet it serves as fertile ground and foundation on which a new outlook on the world around oneself can be built, adjusted and, if need be, reconstructed.

The way things are exemplified, e.g. the perception of colours as being an actual representation of physicality versus the empirical that colours are in essence not qualities per se at all, is both accessible, engaging and relatable.

The alignment of seemingly contrary concepts and approaches is what makes Conscious Experience a worthwhile read as it adds dimension to how rationalism is conventionally not only depicted but practiced by many without ever calibrating their approach.

While the concepts that are dealt with seem highbrow at first, it becomes apparent that they are all inextricably linked to our day to day operations and one cannot help but take two steps back to evaluate one’s take on things after each chapter, specifically when it comes to the transparency of experience and perceptual judgments.

Books like Conscious Experience serve as a motivator and wake up call when you are about to fall prey to complacency and the notion that you have arrived.