Blog — Page 196 of 283

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

Brian Jonestown Massacre

Sydney, Metro Theatre

June 9, 2018

With seventeen albums under their belt, the collective known as the Brian Jonestown Massacre has been going since 1990.

Early on they firmly established themselves on the firmament of both the pantheon of psychedelic rock as well as the forefront of artists who never compromised their art for the sake of commercial success, including all the controversy, inner- and outer band strife that comes with the territory.

At the helm of the operation is the always prolific Anton Newcombe, the maestro and visionary behind tonight’s seven-headed incarnation – an invested, consumed mercurial perfectionist who orchestrates and is immersed in every note, which despite the many line-ups I have had the pleasure of seeing BJM in, results in me yet having to witness a BJM show without him directly calling his worthy constituents out on how their performance needs to be adjusted, even if the most dedicated aficionado in the audience would be hard pressed to find any fault in their performance.

Tonight was the second sold out show as part of the Vivid Festival, with an enthusiastic audience turning a rainy Sydney night into a steamy, hot sweatbox.

The outside bar area at the Metro Theatre is usually a busy spot no matter who holds court on its main stage, however, tonight it was not frequented as everyone tried to not miss a second of the gospel of the Brain Jonestown Massacre.

Playing a fantastic, tight and nuanced set, covering nearly every facet of the band’s extensive catalogue and showing their versatility, they effortlessly navigated not only the traditional waters of Californian1960s psych-rock waters, but seamlessly dipped into pools of power pop, noisy drone laden excursions and folk with the trademark BJM DNA pervading each tune.

An evening that’s testament to Brian Jonestown Massacre’s relevance and timelessness.

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Photos by T

Thus, let us drink beer! – Australian special, part 2

If you have ever been to Sydney, chances are that you passed through The Rocks, a neighborhood of quaint laneways against the backdrop of Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge.

It is fabled that The Rocks harbour the city’s first and oldest pubs, so the Endeavour Brew Bar and its Tap Rooms finds itself in suitable company.

Housed in a Queen Anne Revival style of architecture building from the 1800s, which was refurbished by accolade-decorated architects Welsh + Major, and adjoining the Brew Bar and the Endeavour Tap Rooms, the art deco referenced establishments adhere to the credo to only use all-Australian, seasonally harvested ingredients sourced directly from local hop and barley farmers with no adage of preservatives.

What makes liquid emissions of the of Endeavour Brewery’s four key lines and four rotating taps unique is the well-balanced mélange between North America’s hop culture and European malt flavours and somehow managing to sandwich a distinct Australian flavour.

Favourites of the range include the Reserve Amber Ale, a brew that is developing its sweet malty- and bitterness in the bottle as well as the English styled Growers Golden Ale with its subtle malty hop bitterness.

While I usually am not a big Red beer aficionado, Endeavour’s Red Ale got something going for it as the hop aromatics offer a bit of “je ne sais quoi” compared to the other brews crowding the market.

My better half likes the Mid 3.5 Pale Ale, which proves to be a drinkable companion for the warmer days in Sydney with an ABV that won’t tip you over if you decide to have one early on, not unlike their Lager, which is a reliable European style, flavoursome one.

However, my favourite of the many excellent Endeavour brews is by far the deliciously, rich Stacked IPA, which was created in their Brew Bar micro-brewery and named after the unique way that they stack their tanks.

A wonderful big IPA with punchy aromas of tropical and citrus fruits.  Packed to the gills with three different hops, it creates a clean, bitter finish that leaves you humble narrator thirsting for more.

The Tap Rooms’ brews are substantiated with an exquisite restaurant menu, offering sustenance in form of smoked produce to match the flavours of their beers and putting an Australian flavour on the art that is American barbeque.

The Harbour Bridge and the Rocks are must-see sights if you ever find yourself in Sydney and while you are there, you’d deprive yourself from an exquisite, welcoming and palatable experience if you decided to not hit Endeavour’s Tap Rooms to sample the range.

Having just returned from Melbourne’s Good Beer Week and been able to sample more of their range, Two Birds Brewing established its place on the forefront of my Australian favourites:

Founded by Jayne Lewis and Danielle Allen, Two Birds Brewing constitutes Australia’s first female owned brewing company – a company that houses all arms of the operations under one roof, including their in-house packaging line.

Located in Spotswood, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne, Two Birds produce sophisticated yet approachable beers whose labels are not only eye-catching and colourful yet what they decorate is  delicious to the max:

The mid-strength Two Birds’ Trail Blazer is a nice Australian lager was created in collaboration with the local Western Bulldogs AFL Women's team for the 2018 season – an ode to the strength of women that is not only a great beverage for a day out on the oval but also further afield.

My favourite Two Birds brew is the Two Birds Taco:

Yes, a full-strength fruit beer and a liquid thing of beauty.

What a beer! I had my first sip on a hot day and the subtle zesty flavours derived from the Citra and Amerillo hops lend it its distinct crispiness.

Two Birds’ Sunset red ale with its tropical and citrus aromas back by a spine of more than a mere hint of coffee and rich malt flavours, it makes a near ideal beer to accompany food.

Two Birds’ Golden Ale is the staple of the line: Less exotic than the rest of the range, this one is the most approachable one.

Another Two Birds’ favourite is the fruity Pilsner made from Kiwi hops: Think fruity aromas a la grapes, herbs, gooseberry and white peach.

Does sound weird?

Well, it is a delight.

Given my weak spot for the Two Birds line, I jumped on their take of trying a barrel aged Belgian Ales: A rich, divine big one, to say the very, very least.

Summa summarum, I have yet to sample an emission from Two Birds Brewing that comes close to not being a winner and I look forward to what the brewery has in store for future releases.

Let’s zero in on the Sydney inner-West suburb of Marrickville and a brewer that lives and breathes its inclusive ethos  “We brew for you” by nurturing relationships and sourcing ingredients from local businesses, shall we?

Batch Brewing Co. is the empire of two Americanos, i.e. Andrew Fineran and Chris Sidwa. An empire that was built on the remains of a former panel-beater shop and one that has morphed into a buzzing, working hangout, adjacent to the actual brewery, with a “drink local” concept for locals to taste the latest batch, laze on couches, sustain themselves with fare from the changing line-up of food trucks and take home 1.89-litre growlers or 640-millilitre bombers filled with their beer of choice. 

And choice there is: The staples of the line include American pale ale and an IPA, which are complemented by a range that changes every two weeks with new, innovative, limited release batches popping up on a regular basis, inspired by the seasons and whatever tickles their fancy.

The core range most prominently epitomized by their Lager Just Beer, Pale Ale of American nature as well as a West Coast PA, is complemented by Pash the Magic Dragon is a surprisingly palatable sour, and Elisie, a nitrogen-carbonated milk stout (with lactose, not real milk). 

Batch Brewing Co. equips their brews with date stamping, letting not only connoisseurs know when exactly when a brew was made and when to consume it to get the most out of it, underpinned by the notion that it should be consumed as close to its source as possible with a firm focus on Sydney and maintaining a link between the sources of the ingredients.

Displaying the weather report for Barellan, where their malt is from, behind their bar is merely the visible tip of the iceberg.

Visiting the bar means that you can peek into the brewery, strike up a chat with a knowledgeable staff member and immerse yourself in the cultural biotope they have created, putting a visit to Batch Brewing Co. on your must-visit list when it comes to Australian beer explorations.

For more, read Thus, let us drink beer! – Australian special, part 1.

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Photos of Endeavor Brewery and Batch Brewing Co. by @k.a.vv

Two Birds Brewing image from brewery website

American Essentials Film Festival

May 8-20, 2018

Sydney, Australia

American Essentials is not your typical new world film festival with the saccharine blockbusters crowding the market.  The focus is firmly on curating a program that sheds light on the independent productions of the last year, covering quite a bit of territory  as diverse as thriller, melodrama, adventure, comedy, coming of age, horror, political, social justice, classics, music, cult, noir, romance and biographical flics.

Needless to say that the festival serves as a great source to detect newcomers who showcase their first emissions that might normally not find their way onto your radar.

The new works were all Australian premieres with some having been shown merely a few days earlier at film festivals in Toronto, Sundance, Rotterdam and SXSW festivals.

The opening night showed The Boy Downstairs, a this millennial romantic-comedy against the backdrop of hipster Brooklyn from debut director Sophie Brooks and starring Zosia Mamet known from the TV show Girls.

Other highlights included John Travolta portraying the notorious New York mob boss John Gotti, his rise to power and how he earned himself the name “Teflon Don”.

As the name suggests, the festival focuses on the essence of current relevant movies and it should become a fixture on every cineasts calendar.

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Photos by @k.a.vv

Aleksandr Zhitomirsky

Photomontage as a Weapon of World War II and the Cold War

Yale University Press

As one might have noticed, I am an aficionado of German artist John Heartfield’s photomontages and the impact it has had on popular and underground cultures, e.g. Sakevi from G.I.S.M.

Aleksandr Zhitomirsky is the soviet equivalent to John Heartfield, whose propaganda and photomontages tackled German troops during World War II.

After World War II and confined behind the iron curtain, Zhitomirsky enjoyed a career as a writer for Pravda and other publications, which he used as a vantage point to not only criticize and vilify mainly the politics and politicians from the new world, from Truman through to Ronald Reagan in the 1980s but also educate his audiences about what was out of reach for them to experience first-hand.

This tome is an encompassing, abundantly opulently illustrated account of political artist Zhitomirsky’s thought-provoking and at times hilarious emissions, which were inspired by his friend John Heartfield, and whose epinomous and classic work of image manipulation has to this date largely remained in the shadows as it was even sidelined in the USSR.

Apart from the focus on Zhitomirsky, Photomontage as a Weapon of World War II and the Cold War is an homage to the power of visual propaganda combined with political messaging and an essential source for those interested in investigating the circumstances and limitations in which he had to operate.