Blog — Page 22 of 280

Water of Life – Westward Cascadia Series

There are quite a few things Portland, Oregon is known and loved for.

Natural beauty, serenity, the absence of sales tax and being one of the more environmental concerned cities in the US on one hand, a perplexingly amazing mecca for micro-brews and artisanal coffee roasting on the other, paired with the fact that it is the hometown that bred musical delights like Elliott Smith, Sleater Kinney and Poison Idea.

Based on Portland’s agrarian economy for ingredients that are just meant to be distilled, it should not be further wondrous that it also harbours a growing handcrafted, small-batch distillery scene as well. 

Enter Westward Whiskey and its head distiller Miles Munroe. 

What sounds like a nom de guerre, is the name of one of the more charismatic luminaries that the emergence of single malt whisky in the Northwest of the US has brought forth.

Having started out experimenting with homebrewing, Miles eventually transitioned to channelling his alchemy in a grain-to-glass approach to creating exciting new single malt barley expressions. 

Based on Munroe’s brewing expertise, Westward ferments its own beer for the wash, which is the genesis for the liquid sunshine the distillery has become known for. Devoid of distracting age statements, Westward’s ethos is firmly centred around the belief that it each expression is being released when it is perceived to be ready.

Given the aforementioned, I was intrigued when I learned about the man himself was going to hold court in Sydney to guide through a dedicated tasting of Westward’s Cascadia Creative Series.

After being eased into the proceedings with an introduction to Westward Distillery, we were off to the races and treated to an evening where the finely calibrated matching of both liquid offerings and sustenance reigned supreme.

Apart from Westward’s core expression and the Stout Cask Finish, which we have paid homage to in a dedicated article before, a first highlight of the evening was the Single Malt Rum Cask Batch: 

Having matured in Guatemalan Casa Magdalena rum casks, the bronze hued drop tickles the nostrils with sweet, fruity and citrussy aromas and subtle hints of neroli. On the top of the mouth, sugar cane is married with molasses, resulting in a rich hybrid of bananas and toffee. The reverberating finish leaves one lusting for another sip as raisiny vanilla beans and brown sugar meet an oaky piquancy, backed by the warming sensation of an ABV of 62.5%. Not bad, not bad at all.

Up next was Tempranillo Single Barrel expression, which is an incarnation of Westward unlike anything I have tasted before.

With the colour of love and affection, the nose is dominated by sweet, fruity, berry and musky aromas. On the palate a complex flavour profile is unveiled, comprised of juicy and pleasantly acidic cherry nuances, vanilla and caramel, rounded out by a lavish finish accentuated by slightly overripe melon, cinnamon and orangey, dark chocolatey facets.

Westward’s oak coloured Pinot Noir Single Barrel proved to be a tour de force in terms of big and bold flavours: What the nose promises in terms of honey, woody cherry and chocolate aromas, seamlessly transitions to the palate, where sweet, nutty almond flavours dance against a backdrop of the bitterness of coffee. 

The sheer endless finish evokes a Pavlovian reaction with a melange of a honey-like sweetness, subtle hints of berry and fresher shades of plums.

An evening that was testament to why Westward Distillery is held in such high esteem by whiskey aficionados and one that makes me look forward to future emissions. The Westward Cascadia series will be exclusively available through The Whiskey Club.

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lead image from company website, second image by T

The Formative Years – Killed By Death

Named after a song by Motörhead, the immense eye opening influence the Killed By Death bootleg series of compilations had on me as a juvenile delinquent cannot be overstated. 

Specifically the first four volumes of the series were filled with obscure punk treasures from 1977-’82, with the common denominator being the arcane nature of the recordings and the impossibility to track down original copies of the releases.

Curated by the imaginary label "Redrum Records", the original four volumes fanned the flames of an emerging die-hard collector scene, resulting in a frenzy with not only in the acronym “KBD” eventually becoming omnipresent on Ebay as a search term, but also in a myriad of subsequent volumes by other bootleggers either continuing the concept by adding their own idiosyncratic twist or alternatively using the hype and a readymade market with no rhyme or reason as to curation and a dysfunctional, inconsistent numbering system, let alone other compilation series of similar ilk that have been inspired by it.

Needless to say, due to the limited nature of the KBD compilations, the first iterations became collector pieces themselves in the early 1990s.

Long before the advent of the internet, volumes of Killed By Death documented early punk rock and offered the opportunity to listen to music that would have otherwise never crossed one’s radar or that so far had only been fabled about by old scenesters.

The Formative Years – Eyehategod

There are few records like Eyehategod’s “Take As Needed For Pain” where I fall in love with at first listen and the enjoyment just keeps growing with each revisit.

Eyehategod is a category onto itself with its agonizing brand of dirty, downtrodden sludge that conveys authentically the convulsive throes of addiction, suffering and everything miserable.

Despite neither the instrumentation nor the subject matter being remotely near uplifting, Eyehategod conveys a hypnotically fierce intensity that feels empowering. 

Heavily inspired by Black Sabbath-esque dizzying riffing and fuzzy amplifier worship, it is the blues and Southern rock informed melody lines courtesy of Crowbar’s Jimmy Bower paired with the unpredictable assaulting drumming, inextricably linked with distortion and feedback galore that makes Eyehategod unique and the powerful backdrop against which Mike Williams’ painful laments and vitriolic tirades are projected.

The album feels like it was cast in one piece and while it might not be particularly appealing for those in search for musical diversity, it is a rich, bleak and squalid testament to acidic, internal scar tissue from a resilient and enduring band that always seems to be coming back from something.A caustic and filthy ode to misanthropy.

Water of Life – Fable Whisky

The universal language that is storytelling, i.e. painting a picture with words, is an art that requires creativity, vision and skill.

Especially in the realm of whiskies, weaving compelling tales sets vibrant brands apart from mundane ones and aids in creating a connection and sense of loyalty – all the better when the narrative resonates, ignites the recipient’s imagination and pulls the audience in with engaging and surprising elements, resulting in a picture show being run in the mind of the listener with added imaginative details.

Enter Pendulum Spirits Directors Andrew Torrance and Calum Lawrie, who chose the telling name “Fable” as a moniker for their independent whisky bottling brand for a reason as at its core, it is centred around a memorable, mythical animation – titled “The Legend of the Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay” based on artwork created by the Bolivian illustrator Hugo Cuellar.

The illustrious characters from the animation, i.e. The Crows, The Hound, The Piper and The Labyrinth are avatars and find themselves adorning the visually appealing labels of the eleven initial, limited Fable expressions, the common denominator of which is that all of them are from single casks with interesting age profiles at cask strength and sourced from carefully curated distilleries across Scotland.

Launched globally in June 2021, it took a while until Fable and its expressions carved their way onto terra australis and I could not wait to get a chance to engage with the raw, first volume of its liquid chapters, all of which have in common that they have been matured in ex-Bourbon casks. 

My first exposure to Fable was via their 10 Year Old Caol Ila expression and if you follow this series remotely, it should not be further wondrous that I was delighted given my fondness for everything Islay. 

Representing the Clanyard component of Fable’s overarching long form storytelling, upon approach I was tantalized  by the bacon-esque BBQ aromas, which are flanked by nuances of citrus and a peppery piquancy, which seamlessly transitions to the top of the mouth, enhanced by ashy and leathery goodness. The elongated, smoky finish had me smacking my lips, lusting for another sip. 

A cracker.

Benrinnes is a distillery that has provided quite a few delightful surprises over the years and Fable’s bottling was no exception: Having matured for twelve years, dominant orange and spicy cinnamon notes tickle the nostrils. Things take a turn into savoury and nutty territory on the palate, with the finish reverberating with malty oak and tropical highlights.

Never not excited about making new discoveries, Dailuaine is a Diageo owned distillery expressions of which I have never encountered in the wild, apart from being a component in blends. I was pulled in by a nose dominated by crisp, green apple aromas dancing on a solid barley backbone, with the flavour profile being enhanced by charred oak, vanilla nuances and a delicate sweetness that is anchored by earthy notes. Culminating in a crescendo of apples, vanilla and citrus, a delightful dram to have with a resinous, hoppy IPA.

Fable’s Linkwood chapter catapults us into floral territory, where honey-ed mango aromas prepare one for finely calibrated citrus and apple flavours, which are complemented by traces of nutty nougat. The medium finish peaks with citrussy grapefruits.

Mannochmore is a located in the region of Speyside, so the fact that the nose of Fable’s expression is on the fruity end of the spectrum, interweaved with honeyed vanilla notes and a solid oaky backbone, should not come as a surprise. Via a waxy and oily mouthfeel, orchard fruits delight the tastebuds with sweet vanilla and creamy malt notes, before the sheer endless finish reverberates with the best a mix poached pears, chives and cinnamon could offer.

Given the carefully curated selections, the limited nature of the releases and the attention to detail when it comes to the presentation, if encountered in the wild any whisky aficionado would be well advised to not go past a Fable ( https://fablewhisky.com ) expression from one’s favourite distillery region of distillery.

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image from company website

Peter Hook & the Light
Enmore Theatre
Sydney, Australia 
19 November 2022

There are few bands on this earthround that despite a short career span comprised of merely four years, have exerted the wide-reaching influence of Joy Division. Having presaged the genre that was to become gothic rock with Peter Hook’s trademark high-pitched bass lines and their idiosyncratic gloomy  expressionist sounds, the members regrouped after the untimely departure of Ian Curtis to form New Order, which integrated electronic dance music into the mix and thereby established a slow-burning career, resulting in not merely becoming one of the most acclaimed bands of the 1980s but influential legends in their own right.

With Peter Hook & the Light being an entity with the authenticity of one of the founding members, formed to keep the legacy of both Joy Division and New Order alive, it shall go without saying that the announcement of their rare incarnations on terra australis resulted in the Australian leg being sold out almost instantaneously.

Easing us into the proceedings, the first component of the evening was comprised of an eclectic melange of synth-poppy New Order hits, before both of Joy Division’s stellar albums, i.e. the energetic yet melancholic Unknown Pleasures and the panic-ridden and passionate classic Closer, were celebrated in all their timeless glory with a spirit-filled, on point and dedicated performance.

With the ode to nostalgia being divided into four well-calibrated and curated parts, Peter Hook & the Light sounded tighter and more powerful than ever with Hook’s vocals being particularly impressive.

While not wasting an outrageous amount of energy on crowd interaction, the note-perfect fitting tribute performance elicited a sense of reverberating euphoric elation in the audience, including raving going on in the seated section and omnipresent anthemic sing-a-longs galore culminating in an emotional rendition of "Love Will Tear Us Part."

A fantastic evening and befitting tribute to the sound that has revolutionised music and a performance that was testament to the fact that the songs have only grown in appeal and esteem.

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photos courtesy of @k.a.vv