Blog — Page 195 of 283

Visit to Starward Distillery

What’s constitutes a “good whisky?

There are a myriad of distilling methods and tweaked processes that go into bottling the water of life, the quality of casks, with local contexts and climates adding their very own distinct coleur.

Whisky certainly is a libation that has a near religious following with their own approaches to their bellowed tippled.

Sure, a with everything to do with personal taste, there no single common denominator. One person’s favourite is another one’s disinfectant.

Yet a bottom-line I think most can agree on is that the price tag is not necessarily an indicator and that it needs to have character.

The ability to transport you to a different place. A journey that starts with the pour, continues via the unfolding of the smell and aromas and culminates with it allowing you access to its complexity and balance upon hitting the palate.

Enter Starward Distillery based in Melbourne, Australia.

Founded by David Vitale who initially set out to create a distinctively Australian whisky by using premium Australian wine barrels for the maturation of his liquid emissions in the local “four seasons within the confines of a day”-climate.

A feat David and his team have definitely accomplished with their accolade decorated Wine Cask Single Malt. Informed by the character derived from the maturation in individually selected steamed South Australian Shiraz Wine Casks, which are not charred in a bid to retain the unique wine profile and which resonates in the red ochre colouration, it brings a balance between savory and sweet to the plate that is rarely found.

It hits you upon the first sip with a strong, borderline harsh opening on both the nose and palate, yet immediately softens and shows its complex depth with full flavours comprised of nuances of fresh fruits via honey before it mellows out leaving spicy notes into a smooth finish.   

It gets better with each sip and becomes dangerously more-ish.

A new addition to the Starward line-up is their own idiosyncratic take on the (New) Old Fashioned bottled cocktail, created by their in-house bartending and distilling team, showcasing their trademark whisky in a marriage with their self-made bitters, and rounded off with their wattleseed demevara syrup.

Now, how does one define a great bar?

Sure, there are some essential components:

Service?

Décor?

Atmosphere?

Drink selection?

Bar snacks?

The small things?

Starward Distillery’s bar, sharing an industrial space with its functional distillery, for which dedicated tours are given, in Port Melbourne has got it down pat.

Friendly, and unobtrusive service provided by a consummate host – we were lucky to be guided through the evening by the ever charming and most knowledgeable Bryan and his team, which introduces you to witty and switched-on regulars to encourage conversation.

A delight.

A well-designed, practical and spaciously laid out bartender stations. Comfortable chairs.

Robust flooring meeting minimalist décor with great atmospheric lighting that gives the bar area a cozy, warm glow.

Music serenading the guests at an appropriate volume by a designated DJ.

Drink-wise, a varied selection of beers on draughts plus a well-curated bottled selection.

A large selection of premium choice liquor brands across all categories along with the odd quirky choice and limited special editions on a rotating roaster to keep things interesting, ensuring that a treasure is to be found with each visit.

And, of course, great selection of expertly made, well-balanced cocktails made using fresh ingredients served in suitable cold, stylish glassware.

If the Starward’s sublime whisky in itself is not an incentive enough to visit, the gem that is Starward Distillery’s atmospheric Bar definitely is, no matter the occasion.

The fact that the middle-aged taxi driver who brought me to Port Melbourne upon a peak inside felt enticed to enter the premises with me to check it out, only to then sit down for a drink and document the interior with his mobile phone speaks books about Starward Distillery Bar’s appeal.

Now, you like Gin you say or you need to drink it to fight scurvy?

The good ole, versatile spirit that mixes so well with both light and summery as well as heavier variants?

Do fret now – Starward Distillery has got you covered with their limited edition gin that is only available at aforementioned distillery.

The bottle and label looks charming – the gin equivalent to a record test pressing, with the emission being categorized as a mere “project” and the colour being more reminiscent of whisky than gin.

Their “Bathtub Gin” is appropriately named as it was made utilizing the cold-compounding method without further distillation, i.e. a bathtub with high-grade neutral grain, infusions of botanicals whose adage give it its distinct colour and a taste that offers the trademark juniper hit, yet, not unlike Starward’s whisky then gives way to a complex mélange of spices and an anise note.

I am usually not too big on gin yet Starward Distllery’s Bathtub variation proved to be the ideal foundation for a Negroni with its cinnamon character and sweet finish.

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Photos by @k.a.vv

The Spirit of Bauhaus

Thames & Hudson

Walter Gropius declared in his Bauhaus manifesto, which he penned in 1919 in Weimar and which forms the genesis of one of the twentieth century’s most influential schools of art and design, that all architects, sculptors and painters must return to their crafts.

Influences that led to the existence are manifold: From medieval cathedrals via arts and craft to William Morris pervading its myriad of experimental playgrounds and media: Wood, ceramics, metal, glass, painting, sculpturing, printing, design, architecture and photography.

The Spirit of the Bauhaus has set out to explore the pillars that form the foundation of the vibrant Bauhaus movement and to be a guide that makes one of the most prominent and influential approaches to art, design and architecture accessible and one that was meant to improve our world as a result of its influence and by embracing constructivism, expressionism, elements of dad and other schools of thoughts, with the production of affordable and beautiful objects and buildings.

276 illustrations depict the wealth of experimentation in all fields, the historical contexts, as well as the practical, cross-disciplinary courses, artisanship and theoretical curricula that formed the pedagogical model from 1919 until 1933, which culminated with the issuance of a diploma under the guidance of such avantgarde pioneers like Paul Klee, Wassily Kandisky, Marianne Brandt and Walter Peterhans.

The Spirit of Bauhaus is not a mere homage to a movement of the past but one that signifies the omnipresence and durability of its spirit to the present day and beyond.

Noma Bar – Bittersweet

Thames & Hudson

Noma Bar is quite something.

A magician channeling his alchemy in graphical design and illustrations. He has perfectioned the art of playing with perspectives and has a unique viewpoint that capture different angles simultaneously both in an intricate and the most simple manners.

Noma Bar has the gift and ability to see animals and people in objects and vice versa, to perceive things in a way that other would need psychedelica for to gain access to.

His art of masterful yet technical illusions and the way he sees our world is both mind-blowing and –opening and chances are you have come across it in some way or another as his emissions have infiltrated mainstream culture via ad campaigns and commissions by major publications.

Bar is able to detected the unique distinguishing features of people and objects, the lowest denominator, to then transport it in a sphere that is completely unrelated yet forms a symbiosis with the initial subject and what it stands for – in other words: Usually there is a message, a political comment and often humour that hits home much harder than e.g. photography as his art is subtle and unfolds its impact only upon further inspection.

Noma Bar’s innovative and playfully styled work and expert use of negative space usually starts as sketches, which are then both refined and reduced with the help of computer programs.

I will not give away any spoilers as to what can be detected in his carefully orchestrated, simple and ambiguous illustrations as it is fun to spend some time with them and be amazed by how it was assembled and the way in works on many levels as more and more meaning can be derived from it the closer you inspect it.

This tome is a must-have for anyone remotely interested in graphic design, illustrations, pop culture and politics.

Featherston

Thames & Hudson

You are familiar with Charles and Ray Eames’ “learning by doing approach”, their significant contributions as well as their heritage in terms of furniture and industrial design?

Now, if that is the case, the best way to describe Grant Featherston would be to frame him as the Australian equivalent.

Not unlike Eames’ most prominent emission, the lounge and ottoman, Featherstone also pioneered and worked with shaped and molded plywood with his Contour series being his most well-known creation.

What began with a breakthrough in terms of developing local production processes that in times of prohibitive transportation costs would allow the most sparsely parts of terra australis to experience modern décor without having access to an audience that was able to shell out what Eames was charging in the old world,

Featherston’s impact on Australian design can still be felt and reverberates through all facets of furniture design until the present day.

Featherston not only worked with wood, but a range of materials and eventually branched out into other design areas than furniture.

What makes this tome an enticing read is that the author Geoff Isaac perceives himself to be first and foremost a fan and collector of Featherston, much more than a mere subject matter expert.

His enthusiasm pervades every page, essay and is reflected in the miniscule research he has conducted to compile as much valuable information as possible for both the uninitiated as well as those unfamiliar with Featherston’s craft.

The book is richly illustrated and contains many depictions that are published here for the first time, some of which have been sourced through the Featherston family, who allowed Isaac access to their vault.

Flora Magnifica

Thames & Hudson

As Hans Christian Andersen ever so poignantly put it, merely living is not enough – one needs sunshine, freedom and a little flower. One of many of those souls that blossom in nature.

Flora Magnifica does more than merely documenting and depicting the beauty of flowers – the collaboration between flower artist Makoto and botanical photographer Shunsuke Shiinoki.

What they manage to achieve with their curated selection of plants is matching them in combinations that would not be conceivable in nature and thereby create something new – an aesthetic spawned by the beauty of existing flowers that is multiplied by the context they are put in.

It truly is a feast for the eyes and despite an overload of colours and vibrant images; Shiinoki and Makoto present them in a manner that does not seem contrived or artificial

The tome is structured into four chapters according to the four seasons, following the life cycle from the opening of petals to the beauty that spawns in seemingly averse winter conditions and pay homage to the overall transience of nature.

Needless to say that Flora Magnifica is truly a thing of beauty at times reminiscent of still life painting of the seventeenth century – not merely a book for the sake of art but a source of both meditation and inspiration that opens ones eyes to one’s surroundings that are often overlooked, i.e. the crossroads of nature and art, in a world that thrives on sensory overload.

Mazzy Star

Opera House

Sydney, Australia

June 11, 2018

Despite exerting a massive influence and having created their own lane, with crooners like Lana del Ray only being one of the more obvious epigones, Californian dream pop darlings Mazzy Star rarely incarnate on stages.

If they do, as they did tonight for the first time on terra australis after a career spanning three decades, it results in a natural extension of the aura of their songs.

The adjectives that could be best attributed to Hope Sandoval and her full backing band in a live environment – and they have been used time and time again to describe their oeuvre - would be “spacey”, “ethereal”, “haunting” and “beautiful”.

The ambience of the live presentation is enhanced by Hope’s shyness, as the set-up is deliberately stripped back, with her in the front performing in near darkness set against animated projections of desert landscapes floating and starry skies floating by in the background.

There is certainly something to be said for this approach as doing without frivolous ornamentation and showy asides puts the focus firmly on the melancholy of the music and Sandoval’s dreamy vocals.

The audience was mesmerized by the hypnotic performance and did not seem to mind the Hope’s lack of interaction, engagement and banter.

Rendering herself nearly invisible and only as an unaffected, dark silhouette makes her an instrument that blends in with the rest of the band and the séance that essentially makes a Mazzy Star live show. They perform at their own terms, which adds to the mystery and reduces what is being performed to its essence.

On the other hand one cannot help but understand why quite a few people exited halfway through the set as the ones not familiar with Hope’s shyness might have hoped to experience Mazzy Star in more than the audio version.

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Photo by Prudence Upton

German Film Festival

May 22 – June 10, 2018

Sydney, Australia.

Not unlike the American Essentials Festival, the German Film Festival showcase new Teutonic cinematic talent from the ole world with exclusive Australian premieres.

In collaboration with German Films, the task of which is to promote German films and culture around the globe, this year’s incarnation celebrated the Palace Cinemas 15-year-anniversary.

The Festival program included a contemporary selection of twenty-six feature films varying from award-winning dramas and box office comedies to documentaries and a selection of short films.

An integral component of the festival was the thirteenth edition of Short Export, which presented six new short films from Germany, ranging from documentary, to animation and experimental fiction.

In addition to the tried and tested parts of the festival, this year’s program presented moving images especially dedicated to families, children and teens.

Curated and championed by the Goethe-Institut, the Kino for Kids sidebar provided a six-film feast running the gamut in terms of artistic and stylistic varieties for young audiences.

Apart from merely showing the movies, this part of the festival was informed by an educational agenda: Schools were invited to foster students’ engagement with German culture and to get them interested in learning the language.

The opening night shindig featured a banquet of German culinary extravaganza followed by the premiere of The Silent Revolution -  against the backdrop of the aftermath of World War II and its implications, it details in a historically accurate manner the act of resistance of some students in 1956 in Eastern Germany.

The Silent Revolution comes hot off the press from having been premiered at the 2018 Berlinale International Film Festival.

A film that set the tone for the festival by making a powerful and timeless statement about the DNA and importance of human interaction in times of political strife, which today is as relevant as ever.

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Photos by @ka.vv

Water of Life Part 3

Ardbeg Day 2018

Sydney, Australia

Miss Peaches

June 2, 2018

Ardbeg.

Where shall we start?

Ardbeg’s ten year old, non-chill-filtered; uncoloured variety is as good as smokey, soft peated single malts come.

Ardbeg is rich.

Strong.

Dry.

A complex cosmos of subtle notes.

In essence it embodies a well-balanced mélange of the essential flavours a good Islay malt should entail: Peat, malt, mineral rich earth, smoke, brine, iodine, hints of vanilla, salts of the sea with a pleasant fragrance that lingers in your Glencairn long after dramming it.

It is a unique one, a staple in my whisky cabinet and a fulfilling experience every time.

It should not be further wondrous that the 2018 incarnation of Ardbeg Day along with the limited edition release Ardbeg Grooves caught my attention and the prospect of sampling what was touted as a haze of apples and pears derived from bonfires and smoked spices got me excited, even though I have to admit that I was mildly concerned about the new emission being able to live up to the hype the marketing had created.

Themed a global festival of “Peat and Love” by the Celtic mothership in Islay, Sydney’s Ardbeg Day was in a bar set against a backdrop of a masterfully curated, psychedelic hippy-esque flower-power ambience with the tasting serenaded by the appropriate soundtrack, which effortlessly evoked the spirit of the 60ies for the release of the intensely mellow new Ardbeg Grooves.

Matured in intensely charred wine casks sourced from Brown Forman (for the connoisseurs among you, the name shall ring a bell as their recoopering enterprise was behind the now legendary  “Sinatra Select barrels” release), which have had “grooves” (get it?) cut inside the inside of them, enabling the whisky to have direct contact with both charcoaled and freshly exposed oak with the dual oak exposure adding to the complexity of what Ardbeg is known for.

Upon Grooves hitting the palate, the trademark Ardbeg smoke comes through, even though a tad sandier, along with dark fruits making appearances in a prominent manner, hints of vanilla and lime expose themselves on the nose along with an overall fruiti- and woodiness.

Summa summarum, the amber-copper coloured drop is a well-rounded affair that is on point with an array of flavours, which do not overpower but complement the spirit of the alcohol with an impeccably balance.

In layman’s terms, 2018’s Ardbeg Day offers a rare opportunity to experience the distillery in a new light:  Grooves is a different expression of Ardbeg, it amplifies the features of the wonderfully consistent 10 year-old Ardbeg by managing to bridge the chasm between subtlety and bombast.

The slightly shorter bottle is definitely one that you want on your shelf you are remotely into heavily peated whisky from Islay - all hail the dawn of the season of peat and love!

Read previous "Water of Life" entries here.

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Photos by @k.a. vv