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Water of Life – Whiskey Makers / Master Distiller’s edition

We have established previously that when it comes to anything Jameson, Brian Nation is the authority to give his nod of approval for any emission from the hoochery based out of Midleton – given that he worked through all facets of Jameson before he was passed the baton by his predecessor Barry Crockett.

Honouring the tradition and channelling his distilling alchemy through a single pot producing different types of decoctions and utilizing a variety of cask types, the drops that Brian Nation started producing coincided with the dawn of the golden age of whisk(e)y, an era we still find ourselves in these days that even puts big players like Jameson under stress to cope with demand.

The beauty of the Whiskey Makers series special editions that have been distilled under the benign guidance of Brian Nation is that they are pushing the envelope yet stay true to the DNA of Jameson and honour its heritage.

Let’s start off by zero-ing in on Jameson Cooper’s Croze: In essence, this is a liquid homage to their Head Cooper, a gentleman going under the name of Ger Buckley, and to honour the significant influence the wood exerts on the character of a whiskey.

Having matured in what reads like a trifecta symphony of wood, i.e. sherry, Bourbon and virgin American, and clocking in at 43%, it turns out to be quite a fruity, full-bodied and citrussy number on the nose, with spices, layers of vanilla caressing the palate and the exit being made with more than the sum of bananas, spices, cinnamon backed by an underlying sweetness, which is reminiscent of more elegant drops from the Speyside.

What has become known as the Distiller's Safe is Brian’s own creation.

Being an extravagant melange of grain whiskey and small batch pot still, having undergone maturation in American oak casks and referencing the apparatus where the cut for the final distillate is taken and calibrated, aromas of apples and pears along with hints of cinnamon and lemon zestiness tickle the nostrils. 

The pitstop on the palate is best described as a delicate evolution from sweetness via butterscotch to vanilla, culminating in peppery notes. I am not surprised that he Brian was happy to put his name to this one. Not at all.

Next up is the rich Black Barrel – a blend that gets its name from being aged in re-charred bourbon barrels with the character of what a single pot has to offer reverberating through each drop.

Despite its gloomy name, this one is an elegant exercise in fruitiness with highlights of spice and an underpinning woody foundation that gives way to a creamy palate with nuances of cinnamon, vanilla and an elongated nicely balanced rich malty finish.

If you are used to merely shooting Jameson alongside your Guinness, you are missing out my friend.

Tony Robbins

Awaken the Giant Within and Unshakeable

You would have come across his name in some form or another as he has established himself as the quintessential and prolific multi-disciplinary business and life coach.

Awaken the Giant Within is one of his most prominent emissions amongst an oeuvre that has been substantiated with a constant output and specialisations.

In essence, Awaken the Giant Within  focuses on creating a framework that supports the reader in taking control of all areas of life.

Despite having seen him perform and work his magic on stage, this is the first time I encounter Tony Robbins in written form and it is quite astounding how he frames powerful scenarios and settings that one finds hard to not resonate with and feel motivated by.

My approach was informed by a healthy dose of scepticism as it usually is when it comes to self-help and his book is certainly not a panacea to make up for all the short comings of your earthly existence, but it helps put things into perspective and offers clarity when one’s judgment sometimes gets clouded, e.g. when it comes to decision making,  highlighting that moments eventually lead up to significant changes and the underlying principles that inform any decision we make.

Five major areas are covered, i.e. Emotions, Physical Body, Relationships, Finances and Time Management, with each offering ideas to gain tangible outcomes straight away and not merely providing theoretic elaborations but giving an impetus for action.

Unshakeable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook is a more recent release and again the principles presented are not necessarily reinventing the wheel – au contraire – but the point is that them by themselves as well as how they are strung up make sense.

Robbins’ channels his own learnings as well as a melange from what he has learned from collaborators, investors and successful entrepreneurs, distils it to its essence and portrays them to the reader in layman’s terms, be it identifying the right financial advisor to suit your needs, where to set up your retirement funds and how, and a whole chapter dedicated to the exemplification of  his own journey and how he created wealth in a graceful manner,

Two inspiring books that not only guide the way but instil values that are centred around self-improvement and the creation of a focused disciplined mind.

Atheism

Alexandre Kojève

Columbia University Press

Given the standing and prominence of French philosophers, Alexandre Kojève’s oeuvre was almost eclipsed in the new world but has been immensely influential in Europe and the predecessor of the union thereof.

Jeff Love’s new translation of Kojève’s unfinished emission, i.e. Atheism, is focused on what can be described as the impossibility of determining a central authority of transcendence outside the confines of politics, i.e. what is commonly referred to as “god”

In essence, Atheism is a profound exploration of the deeper questions of life and death.

It touches and questions belief systems, notions, literature and what seems to be proven by science, specifically mathematics.

What I find most interesting is that Kojève not only questions god’s existence per se in a borderline Dostoyevsky-an manner, but the fundamental question is raised if we as more humans even have the capability to question it.

If you have read your Heidegger and you are remotely interested in anthropology, Kojève’s mostly pessimistic take on things will intrigue you as he ups the ante with a more radical approach that elevates essential questions to the next level far beyond the Hegelian Phenomenology of Spirit.

Having indulged in Alexandre Kojève’s thoughts, Francis Bacon’s take on atheism came to mind as he stated that a bit of philosophy leads to atheism, but a lot leads to a profound faith in god, specifically when Kojève muses on action negating being and pure nothingness ultimately being the prerequisite to enable becoming, which replaces being.

Sounds confusing? Give this one a go – I found it most enlightening and asking questions that lie underneath the surface that is usually not scratched by other atheist philosophers.

Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness 1st Edition

Richard M. Ryan and Edward L. Deci

The Guilford Press

Alright.

Self-help and all that garbage. You don’t need that.

I hear you. However, Self-determination theory (SDT) might sound like one of those airy-fairy concepts that are being marketed end masse.

However, if you spare a few minutes to look under the hood you will find that what it is is a provision of a framework for a deeper understanding of the factors that essentially promote the stimulus to substantiate the maintenance of health – both physiologically and psychologically.

With the aforementioned framework come sub-categories, which serve as the foundation that is informed by how each component can be applied to the different phases one passes through during our short and mundane existence.

Once rebellion has worn off, one might take a deeper look at their own competencies and how one can improve one’s performance in the realms of work, sports, education and everything in between – that is where this beautifully written tome comes in handy as it bases its approach on a well-calibrated and -explained middle ground between science and tangible proof.

Easily accessible in nature, the book is one useful exercise in articulating fascinating treatises which are drawn from philosophical and psychological perspectives and culminate in a valuable compendium of theories. A compendium which aid sin researching the common application of relevant theories of self-discovery, e.g. perspectives on development and how they changed throughout the ages, philosophical perspectives as well as the intrinsic deciding factors and values of what drives our stimuli, the essence of self-esteem and authenticity as well as the creation of conducive environments to satisfy elementary psychological needs.

In a subtle manner, merely reading and actively engaging with the content boosts productivity and coming from an angle that very much zeros in on the satisfaction of what nurtures our very being, it helps to optimise a launch pad for motivation to grow and expand on an on-going basis.

Water of Life - Bushmills 21-Year Old

I dig Scotches.

The more peat and smoke, the better.

While I have yet to encounter one that is an utter disappointment, Irish whiskeys that blow my mind are few and far between.

The milk chocolatey nuances of Bushmills Single Malt Whiskey 10-year-old is a gateway into Irish whiskey territory that I find rarely entered.

The heavily sweet yet soft Bushmills Single Malt Whiskey 16-year-old is something that truly hits the pause button as one finds it difficult to put an end to it caressing one’s palate.

However, Bushmills Single Malt Whiskey 21-year-old plays in a league of its own: Learning that it has been matured in a mixture of Oloroso Sherry and Bourbon casks, before a two-year marrying period spent in Madeira casks sets high expectations.

Expectations that are exceeded ones it is uncorked.

It is rare to find whiskey with such a delicate nose as the nostrils are tickled with hints of honey, marzipan, musty oak, almonds and grapey wine notes buried in the back that make one salivate straight away. 

With malt nuances that serve as a foundation for the claviature of spiciness, hints of Sulphur, raisings and a pronounced nuttiness, the thick and creamy 21 -year-old melts in your mouth in a manner with waves of caramel, feint ginger, creamy toffee and subtle tobacco notes that redefine mellowness and is in some aspects reminiscent of what I get out of a smooth Michter’s Bourbon.

One hell of a complex full-bodied drop from start to its dry finish with a deliciously malty and spicy aftertaste and a mesmerizing one for special occasions – if you ever fell prey to the notion that Irish whiskeys lack the multi-dimensionality that is found in scotches, you will find yourself converted with this finely-calibrated exercise in aromas and flavours.

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