Water of Life

Buffalo Trace Bourbon & Beer Magical Mystery Tour

The appreciation whisk(e)y and other spirits for that matter, is an entirely subjective exercise, although there are a few objective truths when it comes to realm of Bourbon, e.g. that it must be made from a mash bill comprised of a lion’s share of corn, aged in new charred oak containers, distilled in the new world and meet certain proof requirements.

Having tumbled down the rabbit hole of liquor made from fermented grain, spending exorbitantly to chase elusive expressions, these days I appreciate a reliable, accessible and affordable workhorse Bourbon, which is where Buffalo Trace Distillery’s predominantly corn based, eponymous gateway core expression comes in. 

Needless to say, I was intrigued when I learned about a curated Buffalo Trace Beer, Bourbon & BBQ-filled Brewery Magical Mystery Tour, comprised of a four-stop stint at some of the more prominent inner-west breweries of Sydney in a bid to find the identify the ideal brewed companion to match a boilermaker with Buffalo Trace’s expressions being the sole constant.

After carving my way to the first stop, i.e. the warehouse brewery in the industrial heart of White Bay and acquainting myself with the hosts of the evening, we were off to the races. 

White Bay’s cold fermented Balmain Velvet Schwarzbier proved to be an interesting entry point to easy into the proceedings: A traditional German Schwarzbier in nature with the added twist of being based on a melange of a wide selection of robust German grown base and specialty malts along with the tiniest addition of Kiwi grown Roasted Wheat for a distinct Southern hemisphere touch. Living up to its name it terms of a velvety mouthfeel, on the top of the mouth richly sweet but bitter, a little malty, and slightly earthy nuances dance against a backdrop of molasses, which aid in emphasizing the richness of caramel and cocoa. 

Despite the heady Schwarzbier characteristics, this naturally carbonated little number proved to be on the crushable end of the spectrum with its welcome crispness. Not a bad pairing to complement Buffalo Trace’s spiced toffee profile and one that set the tone for the classy evening that was to ensue.

What followed was a Buffalo Trace Distillery masterclass, MC’ed by whisky-phile par excellence and never not charming spearhead of the Fine Drinks Movement,Geraint ‘Gee’ David who not only knows how to spin a contextualised, engaging yarn but had us follow him on the chronological timeline of America’s native spirit, from the distillation of whiskey by early pioneers to the current thriving bourbon environment, confessing his love of the spirit along the way by presenting educational Bourbon fun facts along with anecdotes about his encounters with the main protagonists behind Buffalo Trace Distillery.

I was mildly excited about Wayward Brewing Co being the next stop of our tour as we have featured their excellent, micro-brewed emissions many times over the years and it was fantastic to check out their digs in the third dimension. 

The special brew conjured specifically for the occasion of the Buffalo Trace Magical Mystery Tour, i.e., the aptly named “Chasing Buffalo”, had its focus firmly set on not merely matching but enhancing the DNA of Buffalo Trace in terms on enhancing its toffee, vanilla, and molasses characteristics. 

I used the stop to stock up on Wayward Brewery’s Pavlovian response evoking juicy Triple IPA Mum Rock, which based on the triumvirate of Mosaic, Eclipse and Citra hops is a tour de force in marrying zesty citrus with stone fruit flavours. 
While the evening was dotted at each stop with generous cured meat and cheese platters, the Wayward Brewing stop constituted a local highlight with a sumptuous and generous bourbon BBQ dinner. 

Off to Marrickville we were to stop at the small-batch brewery Stockade. Set against a backdrop of stacked barrels, some of which were previously used to age Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Stockade’s light Pepperberry Porter made an appearance with its delicate botanical highlights.

On the Bourbon front, things got dialed up a notch or three with E.H. Taylor Single Barrel making an appearance: A fulminant melange of spicy notes based on a bed of oak, leaving an aftertaste of plums, fruits, and hints of figs after hitting the palate with its buttery texture. 

The fact that its long finish is veiled in smokiness only adds to its allure. Dangerously more-ish and the fact that Stockade offered a taste of their exotic, boozy Desert-wine like flat-as-a-tack Ancient Money potion with its distinct grape, raisin and port flavours certainly added in things getting loose.

The Buffalo Trace Bourbon Magical Mystery Bus tour culminated not far away in the same hood at the iconic Mixtape Brewing & Bar, where head brewer Jason Newton presented what has been specifically created for the occasion, i.e., the Buffalo Bourbon Amber Ale which with its hop driven aromas of currant and pear. 

A thoughtfully crafted brew that not only rounded on the palate with a toasted malt character, light fruitiness and a balanced bitter finish but also rounded out an immensely enjoyable and well-calibrated evening, which was sealed with another dram to pay homage to Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor and a bottle of Buffalo Trace Bourbon to be taken home and enjoyed within the confines of one’s abode.

Summa summarum, a masterfully executed ode to Southern hospitality, everything Bourbon and craft brews, tickling all senses in equal measures.

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image courtesy of Wasamedia

Audio = Ground Zero: JBL PartyBox series

When it comes to powerful, sleekly designed, booming Bluetooth speakers, over the last couple of years JBL has singlehandedly raised the bar to new heights with its dedicated portable, durable battery-powered speaker systems, recently peaking with the launch of the PartyBox 310. 

Equipped with the capability for programmable nuanced, refined and fun RGB light show, which takes it far beyond novelty territory and instead makes it an additional engaging feature, the Partybox 310 allows one to finetune and customize all your desired outputs, no matter if it is meant to channel your vocal delivery or instruments with its dual-mic and guitar inputs. 

The bass, echo and treble controls are easy-to-use and geared towards intuitively dialling it in, with EQ settings tailored specifically toward catering to music performance needs, with the added benefit of the Karaoke setting allowing to toggle the input on- and off. 

Needless to say, the booming and crisp performance comes with a veritable weight, however, enhanced with built-in wheels and a retractable haul handle, it can conveniently be moved around no matter if the destination is an impromptu outdoor karaoke session or if  roving live performance for small gigs are your jam. The fact that it is backed by a fantastic battery performance, allowing up to eighteen hours of continuous playback time, does not hurt either.

Ready to play right out of the box without any complicated connections, the compatibility with the JBL PartyBox app not only accommodates for remote controlling the audio output but also allows for linking multiple speakers together if needed.

While JBL is known for providing the goods when it comes to a rich bass performance with solid mids even at higher volumes, this little number is a veritable beast providing a tremendous amount of value as it not merely carpet bombs whatever environment it is placed in with immersive beats but can be flexibly used as a PA, mic, guitar amplifier and battery.

Now, for those who do not have the capacity to deal with the size, power and weight of JBL’s bold PartyBox 310, the lighter, smaller portable format JBL Party Box-On-The-Go is, well, as the telling name suggest, the way “to go” with its adjustable shoulder strap.

While in terms of size, JBL has operated in similar territory before, the Party Box On-The-Go adds an array of new features that considerably enhance the listening experience. 

Made of durable, sturdy high-end plastics and equipped with a well-built microphone for karaoke as well as an input option to plug in an instrument, it is good to see old school, tactile, physical buttons making an appearance which is rare in a world of touch interfaces. As a result, playback controls are easy to use.

Up to eight devices can be easily connected to the speaker via AUX port, Bluetooth, or even a USB drive

As the telling name suggests, PartyBox On-The-Go is designed for, well, parties and in that aspect does exactly what it is meant to do with the LED light ring adding a visually appealing quality to the allure of the 100W of Pro Sounds it provides, which despite being bass-heavy never runs danger of overpowering other frequencies.

A battery life of six-hours of playtime is not exactly optimal for an all-nighter and probably constitutes the only niggle, so it is recommendable to leave it connected to a power source.

Summa summarum, the JBL Party Box On-The-Go is a versatile and competitively priced, portable speaker that ticks all the right boxes, no matter if you use it for partying or a small gig.

Thus Let Us Drink Beer

Deeds Brewing and Ocean Reach

Having evolved from a distribution dedicated to importing beers and ciders from all corners of this earthround and establishing some of the brands firmly on the firmament of Australian bottle shops and bars, Pat Alé and Dave Milstein launched Quiet Deeds in 2012 with a core line-up of a pale ale, Kölsch and an IPA.

Following a rebranding exercise resulting in the incarnation of Deeds Brewing, which saw the duo confidently stride down more experimental avenues in 2019 with one of the foci not merely set on the creation of delicious hazy IPAs and modern hybrid styles that quickly became crowd favourites but bold limited edition and highly enjoyable one-off brews.  Given that craft breweries are mushrooming in Melbourne at a devil’s pace, there is something said for Deeds Brewing quickly carving out their idiosyncratic niche.

While Deed’s ridiculously creamy, hazy and low-carbonated Juice Train is a reliable go-to in the realm of the classic New England IPA style, I have been particularly fond of Deed’s recent collaboration with Merrie Mashers, i.e. Karl’s Big Day Out. 

The brew results in a brew that no lover of hoppy and resinous IPAs would want to miss:  Based on the triumvirate of Galaxy, Azacca and Magnum hops and clocking in at a punchy ABV of 7.3%, this little number proved to be a match par excellence for a dram of Ardbeg’s recently released Hypernova expression.

The name and artwork of the DDH IPA that is Any Given Day is not merely a thinly veiled homage to Oliver Stone’s epic flic, but it kicks goals with a hop variant I had never sampled before, i.e. NZ-102 hops, with stone fruity flavours dancing against a backdrop of tropical, tart and sweet kiwi fruits.

Sunken Dream is a red IPA homage to the thin, white Duke with its Ziggy Stardust inspired artwork, moderately toasty malt and dark caramel flavours, which are further accentuated by hoppy highlights and a well calibrated bitterness.

A Wellness Session in the truest sense is Deed’s West Coast styled IPA with its wonderfully balanced, dank and resinous bitterness derived from Simcoe, Amarillo, and Mosaic hops.

The double dry-hopped IPA Maximum Effort rounds things out with Strata and Mosaic hops, conjuring a brew that aroma-wise is reminiscent of freshly sliced rock melon, which is married with pineapple and passionfruit  flavours.

I cannot wait for Deeds Brewing to channel its alchemy in the creation of Double and Triple IPAs.

Let’s continue on within the confines of Victoria yet shift to where the famous Penguin Parade takes place, i.e. Phillip Island. 
While its coastal scenery along with the unique wildlife might not have one think immediately of craft beer, it did not discourage Ocean Reach founder Simon Bismire to open his brewery in one of Victoria’s most popular holiday locations six years ago.

Having honed his craft via homebrewing over the years and learning all facets of the trade,  Ocean Reach established a popular core range comprised of classic styles, which was eventually further flanked by limited releases that constitute deliberate detours in experimental territory.

After having been accolade decorated for the elaborate efforts that go into the design of the artwork for Ocean Reach’s cans, a dedicated Artist Series was launched.  Geared at providing a platform and canvas for letting different artists not merely interpret beers but adding an aesthetically pleasing visual facet, thereby orchestrating how it will be perceived and adding to the enjoyment..

I was lucky to score an early release sample of Ocean Reach’s most recent instalment of their Artist Series, i.e. the Peach Double Dry Hopped IPA.

While in many ways the acronym “DDH” has turned into a marketing term to instantaneously evoke Pavlovian responses from hazy IPA aficionados, Ocean Reach nailed it with this little number in the increased hop department: 

Almost devoid of bitterness, flavour hits of epic proportions courtesy of Amarillo, Citra and Cashmere hops take centre stage, set in scene by a dazzling display of peachy intensity. 

Clocking in at 6.8% ABV, an immensely sessionable beer for the upcoming warmer months. 

The fact that the can is adorned by art created by Jake Ross channelling his trademark soft colours meeting bold monochrome traditional dark lines style, does not hurt either.

The Sisters Of Mercy
Enmore Theatre
Sydney, Australia
30 October 2022

Having first incarnated in 1980 in Leeds, the three albums The Sisters of Mercy have released until 1990 have left an indelible imprint on the realm of alternative music. Despite not having released anything new for the last thirty-two years, they have managed to establish themselves as a dynamic live act, centred around the continuous involvement of singer-songwriter Andrew Eldritch and the drum machine that became known as Doktor Avalanche 
Fuelled by the rarity of their sporadic, theatrical live shows and given the nearly sold out well-dressed audience’s enthusiastic willingness to celebrate the Sisters’ light and shadow play in Sydney, things were off to the races from the get go.

Driven by the monotonous, repetitive beat of the stark drum machine and obscured by fog, Eldritch’s phantom-esque, shadowy figure and rich, baritone guided us effortlessly through the Sisters’ timeless, gloomy and danceable ditties.

Incorporating new material, which proved to be fitting additions to the Sisters’ drum-synth rock oeuvre, the show culminated in a bombastic encore with the devoted, singing crowd almost drowning out Andrew’s vocals, with him surprisingly remaining front and facing the audience, as the band’s most iconic tunes like “Lucretia My Reflection” and “Temple of Love” made an appearance.

Summa summarum, a communal and borderline cinematic, captivating and atmospheric evening with a regained spark. 

Eldritch’s nuanced voice was in full bloom and with two extrovert protagonists flanking him, accentuating his minimalism and brooding introversion, it rounded out a set comprised of apocalyptic masterpieces that make The Sisters of Mercy ever so fascinating. 

An evening that confounded expectations by capturing the essence of the fascinating oddity of a band that proved to be equally as enthralling as they were in their prime.

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photos by T

Audio = Ground Zero: JBL Quantum Series

In a world of audio gadget offerings crowding the market, JBL has established itself as a brand catering to a wide array of price brackets with premium products. While my focus is usually firmly set on traditional headphones and speakers, I was recently in the market for a solid, quality gaming headset with the objective to find something that would delivery in the realms of both noise cancellation and sound quality.

Enter JBL’s Quantum ONE, for which claiming that it comes equipped with a myriad of unique features would be an understatement par excellence.

Sturdy in appearance, wired in nature and designed with the PC as its foremost platform in mind, audio spatialization and head tracking prove to be characteristics that lend themselves specifically well for gaming and the fact that it excels in terms of active noise cancelling (ANC), is a feat that is seldomly achieved by competitors.

There are few things that will ruin your listening experience like an uncomfortable pair of headphones. Quantum One’s extensive padding on the easy-to-adjust headband and ear cups, the rotating nature of which allows for the headset to lie flat on a surface, demonstrate evidently that not only bit of time and effort has gone into the design process but that emphasis was put on the usage of quality materials.

In term of connectivity options and control features, offerings border on the excessive: Be it volume, a detachable microphone, muting, the ability to toggle between active noise cancelling or the possibility to centre the headset while using the JBL’s trademarked Quantum SPHERE 360 7.1 surround head tracking, which greatly adds to feeling fully immersed in your respective gaming context, this little number has got you covered:
The Quantum ONE is centred around intuitively customising your own preferences with the touch of a button. For advanced streamers, the option to calibrate and balance the volume of the game they are playing versus other audio input will come in especially handy.

Accompanying the hardware is the Windows-based JBL Quantum Engine software package, geared at audio spatialization and further enhancing the audio features, including but not limited to EQ levels, the intensity of the RGB lighting and, as we have still not peaked yet in the realm of taking customisation to the next level, an in-ear microphone aimed at assisting the software to further calibrate the headset to your ear shape for optimized surround sound.

Summa summarum, JBL Quantum ONE with all its impressive features and sound performance is a clever choice that despite being PC focussed, is still compatible with a large number of gaming consoles and handheld devices. A high-end gaming headset that not only lends itself very well for a wide range of games but one that excels with its active noise cancelling performance in a realm where most gaming headsets lack severely.
 
Talking of streaming: To complement the offering of the Quantum series, JBL offers its first standalone USB microphone catering to gamers, streamers and podcasters: Solid in nature and equipped with a removable desk stand, it offers the possibility to be either mounted to other stands or booms.

Not dissimilar to the aforementioned Quantum One headset, the microphone is geared towards gaming and comes also equipped with the Quantum Engine software to install the driver that grants access to menus allowing the customization of various settings. 

I found the Quantum microphone to be performing particularly well when attached to a boom stand when recording myself directly but it works equally well omnidirectional, i.e. when placed in the middle of a conversation held by different protagonists. The fact that it allows to easily switch between those options is another welcome feature.

Given Quantum Stream’s affordability and USB accessibility, it offers an easy-to-use and reliable light weight entry-level means to both capture and broadcast your emissions and thereby adds another accessible jewel in the crown of JBL’s Quantum range. 

Call me old-fashioned, but I do appreciate a traditional alarm clock with FM radio capabilities on my bedside table – all the better if it comes equipped with a Bluetooth speaker, USB charging abilities and with an LED screen, all of which comes together in terms of function and form with JBL’s Horizon 2.

Small, compact and easy to set up, controls – including a tactile volume control dial, snooze button and an auto-dimming ambient light emitting a warm glow at the back of the speaker - could not be more intuitive and it terms of audio experience, you would find yourself hard-pressed to find a similarly sized speaker with a more powerful and on-point performance.

With the emergence of the multi-functional Horizons 2 I bid adieu to the days where I was looking to retrieve my mobile phone in the dark to turn off the myriad alarms and instead rely on an elegant digital clock that is not only easy on the eye but subtly blends in with about any room décor.

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image from company website