Water of Life

Cape Byron Distillery launches whisky with Jim McEwan

When we first got to sample Cape Byron’s emissions in the realm of gin six years ago, we fell in love instantaneously. 

Distilled in a rainforest and featuring twenty-five native botanicals,  the lion’s share of which stemming from the luscious surrounding of the distillery, it made Brookie's Dry Gin stand out from other Australian gin expressions.

Upon approach the nostrils were tickled by a melange of coriander and juniper dancing against a backdrop of delicate citrus notes. On the top of the mouth raspberry, aniseed myrtle and macadamia nuances were married only to then culminate in spicy, peppery notes. All carried by a thick, luxurious mouthfeel, I enjoyed it neat as I felt that the adage of Tonic would only dilute the delicate flavours.

As if their quality emissions and unique location in Byron Bay’s Hinterland were not enough, my interest was further piqued when I learned about Jim McEwan being a close family friend of the Brook family, known for not only having been the master distiller at Ardnahoe, Bowmore and also the man who helped to resuscitate Bruichladdich distillery and incepted my favourite whisky series, i.e. Octomore.

Needless to say, we were intrigued when we learned about Jim McEwan joining Eddie Brook for an evening of celebrations to launch Cape Byron’s first single malt release.

Easing into the proceedings with a signature Brookie’s G&T on arrival, attendants were treated to a curated tasting selection centred around what will be Cape Byron’s core release single malt, an exquisite Chardonnay cask expression along with an early taste of what is to become a banging and, given McEwan’s involvement, highly-anticipated peated expression.

Cape Byron Distllery’s core expression has been aged in a carefully curated selection of Bourbon casks, ranging from Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniels, Buffalo Trace to Jim Beam, so it should not come as a surprise that there are depths of vanilla flavours that serve as the foundation for pears, kiwi and lychee to shine from.

While in terms of climate Byron Bay is not remotely close to the island of Islay, the fact that Cape Byron Distillery is also located closely to the sea is an interesting parallel, which brings forth local equivalents in terms of infusing their drops with distinct local salinity.

The taste of the peated expression, which after further maturation of another eighteen years will hopefully see the light of day in early 2024, promises big things and I cannot wait to get my paws on it.

An interesting nuance was proffered via Mac. by Brookie’s, which is a premium liqueur with the flavour profile determined by roasted Macadamia nuts and toasted Wattle seed.  The result is a tour de force in the realm of nutty flavours, which clocking in at 30%  lends itself perfectly as a dessert sipper or to add cacao- and caramelly depth to your Espresso Martini.

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image from company website

The Formative Years -  Rudimentary Peni

Of the array of British anarcho punk bands that became prominent in the early 1980s, Rudimentary Peni proved to be one-of-a-kind due to the band refraining from adopting the punk uniforms of the time, frontman Nick Blinko’s witty lyricism and his self-taught trademark highly intricate macabre monochrome artworks that adorned all of their releases.

Negotiating schizoaffective mental health issues by channelling them into his visual art and music, Nick Blinko exhibited an obsessive mania that personalised Rudimentary Peni’s transcendent music, which trailblazed territory and eventually became the foundation for what was to become known as grindcore.

Following the excellent early US hardcore inspired “Farce” 7”, “Death Church” was Rudimentary Peni’s first full-length. More catchy in nature, it preceded the HP Lovecraft inspired, wildly ambitious concept album “Cacophony”.

Pushing the envelope further by cohesively mixing a myriad of different genres from traditional punk, thrash via gothic, skits and interludes to what could be perceived as a classical approach to composing, the album stands and falls with Blinko’s layered vocals and  is set in scene via unrivalled, jaw dropping vinyl packaging that was lightyears ahead of its time.

To this day Rudimentary Peni remains a singular band with an immersive aesthetic reminiscent to a lucid surrealist nightmare whose influence cannot be overstated.

Water of Life

Tasmania Rules OK

Taylor & Smith

Every time I get remotely close to the point where I feel like having visited and covered the lion’s share of the great distilleries Tasmania has to offer, a new one pops up on my radar that adds yet another facet to the rich local tapestry of quality distilleries.

Case in point: Taylor and Smith Distilling Co., which started out as a small scale operation five years ago in a converted shed and eventually evolved to become a veritable independent artisan distillery.  

Based in Hobart, Taylor and Smith set out to experiment with Tasmanian botanicals and carefully craft their base spirits to synthesise the Tasmanian landscape in a bid to signify a sense of place with water being sourced from a lake of snow melt at Mount Field National Park. 

Sounds dreamy? 

Well, wait until you have tasted their single cask expressions, which are based on Tasmanian barley being milled, mashed and fermented onsite to then be distilled with direct firing and matured in an array of carefully curated, re-coopered Australian wine casks.

Taking on the idiosyncratic characters of the respective barrels, the whiskies are lightly flocked, i.e. they unfold nuances in the most delicate, buttery of ways.

My first exposure to Taylor & Smith’s range was via the Port Barrel expression, which upon approach tickles the nostrils with aromas of oak wood accentuated by a melange of caramel, raisins and rum, interweaved with highlights on cloves and cinnamon.

What the nose promises in terms of caramel is seamlessly transitioned to the top of the mouth where nougat, plums and red grapes dance against a backdrop of moist, woody notes with highlights of white pepper and herbal nuances shining through.

The elegant finish reverberates nicely with cinnamon and spices, culminating in a crescendo reminiscent of mulled wine.

The Bourbon / Rum cask expression combines the best of both worlds, i.e. honeyed and vanilla characteristics imparted by natural sugars from within the depth of the bourbon drenched wood, as well as vanilla flavours paired with notes of dark toffee, nutty oak and candied citrus. 

Lip-smackingly moreish.

On the gin front, Taylor and Smith delivers with its core expression, which is informed by the use of seventeen Tasmanian botanicals, including but not limited to Kunzea, Tasmanian Pepper and hand-harvested Kombo. 

The result is an exercise par excellence in terms of an evenly balanced, complex and aromatic gin that serves as a borderline ideal base for a G&T with cucumber.

Four key botanicals, i.e. red grapefruit, Huon Pine needles, abalone shell and sage inform the character of Taylor and Smith’s Dry Gin variant, which is reminiscent of the traditional London dry style, further given depth with a slightly saline, herbal, earthy, dusty sweetness that falls somewhere in the middle of grass and hay, framed by highlights of citrus rounding things out.

What catapults Taylor and Smith into another league, however, is the bespoke reusable display case the first 210 bottles came housed in, which was specifically designed by the multi-disciplinary creative Megan Perkins, adding an aesthetic aspect that was honoured with a highly covered Good Design Award.

I cannot wait to visit Taylor & Smith next time we hold court in Hobart.

Tasmanian Tiger Vodka

Water plays one of the more important roles when it comes to the production of vodka, e.g. when crops are first irrigated to mashing and especially during dilution when the ABV level is being calibrated.

All the better when the water source is of such pure quality that no further filtration or treatment is needed due to the H2O not being polluted and having liquid silk quality not unlike what can be found in remote regions of Van Diemen’s land.

As the name Tasmanian Tiger Vodka suggests, it pays homage to both the turf it is from as well as its characteristic animal life. 
Using some of this earthround’s purest water, Tasmanian Tiger Vodka has so far exclusively been available in the US and while I usually prefer whisky to vodka, I feel lucky to have had the chance to sample what is an immensely enjoyable drop to sip on.

Aesthetically, the premium spirit is adorned with a bottle that matches the quality of the product, uniting both design and functionality and thereby aligning with the brand ethos of quality and premium positioning.

Developed not merely as a way to create a quality tipple from the purest water on earth but also as a means to raise awareness and funds for the endangered species that is the Tasmanian Devil, a percentage of the proceeds of each bottle is being used towards conservation initiatives in Tasmania. 

I can only hope that the trademark issues that Tasmanian Tiger Vodka is currently dealing with will be resolved soon, as given the quality of the core expression, I cannot wait to experience their small-batch extra-proof Devil’s Edition variant.

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images from company websites

Audio = Ground Zero: JBL Bar 9.1 True Wireless

There is no shortage of advancements in the realm of TV related picture technologies, however, while the fact that most screens are wafer thin in size is perceived to be a major selling point, it also means that there is hardly any place for a proper speaker inside. 
This is where a good sound system comes in handy to make your TV sound awesome, particularly with respect to dialogue.

Having tried and tested quite a few sound bars over the years with a myriad of configurations and options, there are certain features that I pay attention to when it comes to choosing a new one, e.g. it should 

• have at least three channels to simulate sound for an immersive experience; 
• come with built-in amplifiers; it should ideally fit centred beneath or above the TV and 
• come Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth-enabled , so music can be easily streamed.

Now, while rectangular-shaped sound bars can be slim, low-profile and affordable space-savers that will certainly do better than your TV speakers, a real home theatre can pay dividends when it comes improving not merely sounds your TV emits but enhance the overall experience significantly, as a good sound system can essentially be the audio equivalent of what glasses do for your vision, i.e. making nuances distinct and crystal clear. 

All the better when the sound system comes with Dolby Atmos, i.e. the ability for speakers to fire sound upwards, so that its reflection, ideally from flat ceilings, creates a heightened, three-dimensional soundstage. 

Enter JBL’s 9.1., which is a borderline perfect hybrid marrying the best a soundbar and a home cinema system can offer.

While a lot of systems advertise “wireless” subwoofers and surrounds yet still necessitate a cord, the JBL 9.1. is an actual (not virtual) Dolby Atmos soundbar with truly wireless, battery powered surround speakers.  
Its Atmos/DTS:X - Dolby Atmos features  enable the delivery of a true 3D effect and the fact that it comes with up-firing speakers on both the main bar as well as its satellites, it creates sounds that feel like they are exactly where they should be as they pervade your inner core. 

Upon unpacking the JBL 9.1, one feels that all components are not merely well made but that quality materials have been used throughout, resulting in a weighty, quality feel, which is further supported by rubber pads under all three constituents, keeping them from vibrating off your table along with grates being thoughtfully made of metal, which aids immensely when it comes to cleaning them.

A scrolling readout on the front of the bar is sufficiently big in size to ensure that any input change, change of audio coding or setting can be easily read from a distance as it is reflected on the readout, with the lights eventually going off so that they are not being a distraction.

The JBL 9.1’s has a veritable sized ten inch sub-woofer, and upon syncing, things are so well calibrated and nuanced that it proves to be difficult to determine which part of the system is emitting them. 

The satellite speakers are being charged when attached to the main bar and can be popped free off their magnetic bonds and deployed when needed, which effectively makes them rear speakers with a battery life of ten hours and the additional the option to  plug them into a power source should the need arise.  

The Room Correction feature works like a charm, with the calibration accommodating the context and layout of your room, offering a degree of flexibility that does not necessitate to rearrange furniture.

Coming equipped with add ons like Bluetooth, WIFI, Chromecast and Apple Airplay 2 support built in, music can be streamed from any device.

Courtesy of the detachable surrounds, a punchy subwoofer and dedicated upward firing drivers, the JBL’s 9.1 Bar is a reasonably priced easy to set up system that creates a room filling true 5.1.4 wall of sound backed by an incredible subwoofer that blissfully envelopes you, with the Atmos feature giving a sense of height and depth that other soundbars struggle with.

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image from company website

A Journey Most Unusual
Hotel Palisade
Sydney, Australia
27 August 2022

The creation of immersive experiences and finding ways to augment everyday life by blurring the lines between reality and imaginary worlds that the recipient can interact with has become commonplace.

Stimulating as many senses as possible has become de rigour to ensure the audience feels like they really are in that environment and one of entities that has mastered the craft to create unique live performances that matter and capture the imagination is the trailblazing collective known as Broad Encounters.

As example par excellence for how well Broad Encounters channels its alchemy and curates remarkable experiences was its multisensory ode to the world and legacy of Edgar Allan Poe, which allowed guests to meander around over thirty mood-specific rooms to interact with characters and detailed sets, making the audience an integral ingredient that determines unique outcomes.

Needless to say, given how taken we were by Broad Encounters first large-scale work A Midnight Visit, we were intrigued when we learned about the collaboration between Broad Encounters Productions and Hendricks Gin that was meant to take over the uniquely positioned Hotel Palisade.

The experience aptly called A Journey Most Unusual amounts to a cohesive well-choreographed whole that is much more than the sum of the individual components would suggest: One leaves the confines of the mundane day-to-day behind as the threshold into a 
a night out of frivolity and oddity is crossed only to step into a parallel universe that is accentuated by textures, smells and delectable tastes of Hendrick’s Gin to create a cosmos of its own. 

Along the way the willing adventurer visits an array of engaging, mysterious multi-faceted characters like Mr Foggerty, a seductive siren, a fragrance alchemist and many more, which inhabit their specifically designed idiosyncratic worlds, in which everything from dance, drinks, song or performances can ensue.

Trying not to spoil the experience, what can be claimed is that Broad Encounters once again honed in on what the core experience should be and masterfully chose the elements that bring that idea to life, with the details making the individual intuitive experiences really shine. 

The result is a truly enjoyable immersive experience that provides a sense of place, entertains and increases brand awareness that is carried by a narrative in a meaningful way, evoking emotion and imagination in equal measure, with visitors having a stake in the outcome and feeling empowered as active participants instead of passive viewers.