Water of Life

Father’s Day with Glenmorangie and Ardbeg 

When it comes to whisky bars in Australia, specifically within the confines of New South Wales, there are few that play in the same league as The Baxter Inn. 

Pearl in the crown of the Swillhouse Venue Group, over the last twelve years the attention to detail, curation of rare bottlings and unwavering devotion to hospitality has not only established the venue as a veritable heavyweight on the firmament of whisky bars, but created a culture that seems to organically attract like-minded, intrinsically motivated staff.  

After all, every great experience starts and finishes with the people representing it, a thought that allows a seamless transition to Kurtis Bosley, who after having emerged as one of the more innovative figures within the confines of Sydney’s bar management scene, has recently commenced as the face of LVMH’s award-decorated whisky brands portfolio on terra australis.

Given that there was a rather sad time when The Baxter Inn had an Ardbeg / Glenmorangie shaped whole in their backbar, it was fantastic to see an exclusive Father’s Day tasting eventuating, emceed by a knowledgeable and highly engaging maverick of a brand ambassador with an infectious passion for turning education into fun experiences to ignite the imagination of both aficionados as well as the uninitiated.

After easing into the proceedings with a cocktail proffered by the very team that has recently been granted the highly covered Whisky Bar of 2022 award, we were off to the races to sample the emissions of Scotland’s tallest stills. 

With a bold branding strategy that saw the introduction of French terminology along with elegantly designed curvaceous bottles, the toponym Glenmorangie has over the last eighteen years significantly increased its appeal in the overseas luxury goods market and given that I had not been overly familiar with its expressions, I was looking forward to be wowed.

The common denominator of Glenmorangie can be simmered down to all of their variants first undergoing maturation in white oak casks that are specifically sourced and manufactured in the Ozarks. 

After letting them air for two years and leasing them out to local distilleries to mature their Bourbon in them, Glenmorangie then uses them to finetune the tail end of the maturation process, with the core expression (yup, the one that Conner MacLeod ordered a double of in Highlander) maturing entirely in ex-bourbon casks, while the Extra Matured range are being finished in a range of sherry, wine and port casks.

Glenmorangie’s 10 Year Old flagship single malt proves to be an exercise par excellence when it comes to easily accessible aperitifs: On approach the nostrils are tickled by a luxurious avalanche of lemony, fruity and slightly floral notes, vetiver and a bramble of berries, rounded out with spicy highlights.

On the palate, the creamy texture unveils honeyed vanilla, butterscotch and strong black coffee nuances, culminating in a mid-length fruity and malty finish. 

A reliable and accessible go-to dram for beginners and enthusiasts alike. 

Glenmorangie Quinta 14 Year Old is an example of the Extra Matured range and has enjoyed a palpable Port cask finish expression, which imparts waves of scrumptious fruit and chocolate notes to the spirit. The result is a borderline ideal candidate for the perfect postprandial dram (and counterpart to the Ten Year Old aperitif), given the complex fruity tarty, chocolate mousey and toasted almond informed flavour profile, which climxes in a crescendo of tart blueberries and dark chocolate. 

Next up was one of Glenmorangie’s premium expressions and one that I have been wanting to try for the longest time, i.e. Signet, which in terms of the malted barley used is a hybrid between the single estate Cad boll variety and malted chocolate barley, the latter of which is better known as a basis for craft beers. 

Distilled twice through Glenmorangie's tall copper-pot stills, it is fabled to be comprised of rare stocks. Housed in one of the more ornate and visually appealing whisky bottles on this earthround, the nose tantalizes with chocolate raisins and sugared mixed peels. 
Toasted spices, bread and butter pudding and golden syrup complement the aforementioned aromas, while a note of Angostura bitters lingers hidden underneath.

On the top of the mouth, cinnamon and chocolatey orange notes dance against a backdrop of honeyed peanuts, delicate smoke and freshly roasted espresso beans.

The seductive, elongated finish leaves on lusting for another dram and makes one relate to whisky luminary Dr. Bill Lumsden’s claim that the Signet is the accomplishment of a "lifetime of experimentation and innovation". 

So far, so good.

Let’s take a stroll down along the winding road from Port Ellen on the Isle of Islay and move on to a Hebridean distillery that produces some of my favourite expressions in the realm of heavily peated Malts that are focussed around aromas of spices and sweet tones like vanilla and chocolate.

Having had a chance to see Ardbeg’s former head distiller "Mickey" Heads channel his alchemy in the third dimension and spending time at Ardbeg’s cottage on Islay has only intensified my love for their exquisite emissions, with the liquid homage to the lake that is the water source for the distillery, i.e. Uigedail, and the cask strength Corryvreckan being favourites when it comes to finding companions to complete a Boilermaker with a resinous, hopped out IPA.

On offer tonight was a carefully calibrated vertically arranged tasting with the youthful Wee Beastie chosen to be the first cab off the rank. 

Due to having been bottled up at less than six years, it has punchy peaty nuances sitting at the front and centre.

While the age statement could have one think that we are dealing with a blunt and uncomplex drop, it could not be further from the truth: 

Once softened by air, damp, earthy and musty bonfire aromas evoke a borderline Pavlovian response as they blend in with waves of vegetal smoke, which is pervaded by highlights of vanilla sweetness and black peppery spice.

What the nose promises, finds a seamless transition to the palate in that dry wood smoke provides the stage on which delicately tart dark berries dance intimately with coal tar and hints of salted caramel.

The elongated finish reverberates with an oily mouthfeel, unfolding a hybrid of dominant smoke and a tangy citrus taste.

Next up was Ardbeg’s 2022 Ardcore release, which in terms of the punk tinged marketing it was presented with, was an interesting exercise with love and attention to detail down to curated, quite catchy Spotify playlist to serenade the experience of tasting what was portrayed to be equivalent of "biting a spiky ball". 

Despite the hyperbolic advertising, I found this little number to be rather tame and accessible. 

While sensing smoky or burning smells can be common types of phantosmia, having a dram of Ardcore in front of you could be the explanation as notes of zesty grapefruit, minty fresh scents and a seductive core of tarry peat reign supreme on a foundation of burnt toast.

Roasted barley dominates the palate, backed by ashy peat, honeyed vanilla, liquorice root, fennel and caraway, with the finish exhibiting a distinctly earthy, slightly spicy character further enhanced by sandalwood and cloves.

The tasting culminated with an Ardbeg expression that was originally released during Fèis Ìle 2015 in celebration of the distillery’s 200th anniversary. 

Ardbeg’s Perpetuum embodies everything I love about the distillery and the creations of Dr. Bill Lumsden: A full-bodied drop, rich in coastal peat, smoked meat flavours and well-rounded vanilla notes, with the blend having matured in a carefully curated mix of Bourbon and Sherry casks. 

In some aspects the Perpetuum expression tastes like a notch up from the 10 Year Old in that the nose is a bit subdued in the smoke department to allow chocolatey and dried fruity aromas to take on centre stage.

What I love about the Perpetuum is that one can taste the influence of the Bourbon casks upfront in that a peppery and chilli informed piquancy frames and accentuates the peat smoke, which results in an intriguing melange of Ardbeg's signature smokiness and dominant sweet and fruity notes. 

An interesting experiment in venturing a bit away from the DNA Ardbeg is known for towards territory that e.g. Laphroaig’s Cairdeas excels in.

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photos by @k.a.vv

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