Blog — Page 74 of 281

Water of Life – Kiwi Spirits’ Watui Whiskey and Laceys Hill Gin

While New Zealand has not exactly been overrepresented in this series, I have yet to come across a distillery from across the pond that does not blow my mind with new, never done before ways of creating exciting whiskey variations.

Case in point: Kiwi Spirits Distillery, a family-owned entity focusing their efforts on the creation of great tastes and handcrafting their drops from homegrown ingredients. With their family history deeply engrained in decades of distilling excellence, their specialty lies in utilizing what the Golden Bay region has to offer – an area they use for the cultivation of their own orchards and gardens to produce the ingredients that serves as the foundation for their idiosyncratic experimental approach.

An example par excellence for Kiwi Spirits’ accomplishments in the more experimental realm of spirits creation is their unique Waitui Whiskey.

Following the aged, tested and tried recipes that have been refined by monasteries and the monks inhabitating them, the honey character is imbued to the spirit after a maturation period of eight years spent in Manuka honey mead barrels, the result is an idiosyncratic tour de force in a flavourful, small batch honey New Zealand malted barley whiskey.

Needless to say, the result is a way to easy to drink, more-ish and finely balanced drop based on the water of the local Te Waikoropupu.

On the nose, a subtle smokiness punctures dominant manuka honey and butterscotch notes, which rest on a backbone of oak maltiness. What then excites the palate is a delightful manuka warming honey flavoured, woody nuttiness that inspires one to chew on the drop.

A definitely unique expression that hits the spot in so many places that it makes me very curious to try Kiwi Spirits’ other spirits, which curiously not only include gins and liqueurs but a blue agave tequilana spirit.

Once travel restrictions allow, a visit to Kiwi Spirits’ distillery will become mandatory.

Let’s revert to gin and the North-Eastern region of terra australis:

Laceys Hill Distilling Co. is based not too far from Brisbane, Queensland, an area that proves to be fertile ground when it comes to new, promising distilleries.

Artisanal and handcrafted in nature, ever since its inception in 2018, Lacey’s Hill has been dedicated to provenance and incorporating the local flavours the Laceys Creek area provides in an authentic manner, specifically the native botanicals.

Being in control of each facet of the distillation process is an integral part of Laceys Hill approach, which starts with the fermentation and production of their own base spirit and being at the micro end of the distillery spectrum, they ensure that each of the limited batches they take to markets meets their self-imposed high quality standards.

My first exposure to Laceys Hills was via their award winning Lemon Myrtle Dry gin – quite a telling name as it is made from lemon myrtle grown on their own property.

With a mouthfeel that gives creaminess a new dimension, with this expression Laceys Hill’s focus is firmly set on traditional clean gins and with the excellence they achieve, a myriad of complex and subtle flavour nuances are to be explored. A nice entry point to their portfolio.

The Moreton Sunrise gin is another expression, which is an ode to the Moreton Bay area, with local fig berries and rose petals used in it resulting in a nice, nuanceful floral bouquet of flavours.

The fact that it is visually appealing when to colour changes from blue to pink due to the infusion with butterfly pea flower once tonic is added, only contributes to the appealing of this light yet flavourful drop.

Given the quality of Laceys Hill’s gin expressions, I can only hope that we will see them venture into whiskey territory soon.

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The Monocle Book of Italy

Thames and Hudson

For the uninitiated: Monocle is the empire Tyler Brûlé has built from scratch, at the very core of which is the concept of the conveyance of an enlightened cosmopolitan outlook and place- and timeless luxury when it comes to the enhancement of the overall quality of life.

With a faithful following, international sensibility and globalist chic, the “briefing on global affairs, business, culture and design” has established itself as a taste making authority when it comes to making lifestyle choices for the affluent and the identification of new trends to the extent where even lifeless items are stylized to have life enhancing qualities.

With its ever-expanding nature, the Monocle empire encompasses not only the original magazine but branded clothing, a streaming radio station, retail stores and a beautiful series of carefully curated and opulently illustrated coffee table books.

The newest instalment of the country-specific series is dedicated to the celebration of all things Italian.

Scratching the surface to unearth more than the cliché, the effortlessly cool, energetic and traditional charm that forms the DNA of Italy is zeroed in on, to then elaborate on what makes Italian fashion, design, architecture, culture and food unique, desirable, stylish, functionable and timeless.

By shedding light on both cities as well as places off the beaten path, what is considered to be the undeniable appeal of  “la dolce vita” is set in scene in a way that makes one long for a visit to experience the enigma that is Italy first-hand.

A beautiful and unique portrayal of Italy channelled through the idiosyncratic lens of Monocle.

The Formative Years – Dutch Hardcore part 1

Despite small in size, the influence punk and hardcore bands from the Netherlands had on the European and even global scene in the 1980s cannot be overstated.

Take for example LÄRM, who with their messages catered simultaneously to a range of audiences from left-wing politics via straight edge and a PMA outlook to those merely in it for the sheer intensity of their own idiosyncratic brand of super-fast, noisy and disharmonic hardcore, which very much lived up to their name.

Having emerged from a range of short lived bands, the first incarnation of LÄRM manifested itself as early as 1980 and it took four years before they recorded for the first time, the result of which became the split LP with Stanx.

Set against the context of the Reagan and Thatcher eras and lyrically heavily influenced by the implications of the cold war, the arm’s race, apartheid and other tenets of the left wing movement of said time, their first recordings served not only as a musical outlet for their frustrations but also as a vehicle to propagate their ideas, which did not remain unheard during the heydays of tape trading as it placed LÄRM firmly on the forefront of European and international hardcore bands and enabled them to tour Europe.

1986 their LP “Straight on View” was released, followed by a 7“ titled „“No one can be that dumb“ and a final 7” in 1987 (“Nothing is hard in this world..”) before they split up to seamlessly reincarnate as SEEIN RED.

One of the most heralded bands within the context of punk and hardcore in the 1980s is the outfit behind the acronym B.G.K., an homage to the assassinator of the Dutch king in the sixteenth century, i.e. Balthasar Gerards Kommando.

Having risen out of the ashes of the fantastic THE NITWITZ in 1981 (check out their LP “Scorched Earth Policy”), the band perceived themselves as a musical countermovement to the popular, stereotypical Oi! Bands of the era.

Inspired by proto-punk bands like the STOOGES, MC5 and the first American hardcore bands, they were inspired to focus on writing furiously fast, intense and aggressive music paired with heartfelt lyrics infused with their DIY spirit.

Their first LP Jonestown Aloha!, which was released on their own label

Vögelspin Records remains a timeless classic and given its calibre, it should not come as a surprise that it was re-released a year later in the US by R Radical Records.

Another classic is their “White Male Dumbinance” 7” from 1984, which was followed by their “Nothing Can Go Wrogn!” LP from 1986, which saw a US release in the same year via Alternative Tentacles.

The Formative Years – Oasis

Think of them what you will, given their influences and the way they channelled them – controversies , theatrics and drama aside - one would be hard pressed to not deem Oasis a decent band.

The UK has always been a hotbed for genre coining rock bands starting with the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, Black Sabbath, Joy Division, Sex Pistols, The Smiths, et cetera.

However, at a time when rock music became more fragmented as a genre and the emergence of new subgenres that started to infiltrate the mainstreams, out of the blue a band from Manchester appeared on the horizon to coin and herald a new age of lad-pop, which with them at the very centre made them one of the most successful bands to come from the old world.

Having had a chance to see them perform live early on in their career, they won me over straight away – not only was their blissful mass of sound brutally loud but infused with an attitude and swagger of each constituent that clearly indicated that this band was their destiny.

A range of great albums followed throughout the 1990s, with each being a milestone in their own right, with especially their two albums “Definitely maybe” and “(What’s the story) morning Glory” being examples par excellence for an output that is paved with anthems, showing their talent and expertise in sequencing the song in borderline perfect order for maximum impact.

Needless to say, what seemed to be very real inner-band animosities and the way they elevated it confidently to performance art to use the ensuing fallout for marketing, did not hurt the ascent of the band either.

The combination of Noel Gallagher’s song writing skills and pop sensibilities in conjunction with Liam’s wonderfully logical yet ultimately meaningless, non-sensical lyricism conjure mental images that serve as a perfect canvas for the recipient to project their own interpretations and ride their big emotions on.

In essence, they brought the evolution and collapse of rock music heroism full circle by reinventing the notion of rock stardom and bigger than life on stage personas and the scale they achieved it on, remains unrivalled to this day.

Water of Life – Dugite Whiskey, Limeburners and Finders Distillery

While most of Australian’s distilleries are located on the South Eastern part of terra australis, the ones that are based in Western Australia have set benchmarks in terms of craftmanship when it comes to channelling their unique climate and context into aging outstanding whiskies.

Limeburners is the accolade decorated spearhead of the Western Australian distillery scene and has accomplished the trifecta of provenance by using locally grown grain, Albany water sourced from deep below the distillery and the usage of Australian fortified wine barrels along with American oak bourbon ones.

Sounds like winning combination?

It is.

There is hardly something more satisfying than a dram of Limeburners’ Port Cask Strength expression during the colder months of Australian winter.

Given that the expression is bottled directly from the barrel without further ado, this is as close as it comes to an unaltered drop that showcases the facets that emanate from being matured in a single cask. The dark shade of ruby red derived from the Port cask already gives an indication of the complex and decadent flavours that await:

Think truffled caramel, alcohol soaked raisins along with fine nuances of honeyed orange and apricots. Claiming that this drop is “moreish” would be an understatement par excellence.

Now, if you think that the Port Cask Strength cannot be topped in terms of indulgence, try Limeburners’ Darkest Winter expression.

Clocking in at a whopping 66% ABV, Western Australian peat is what takes things to the next level in this case: Sourced from a local valley, the peat is used to smoke Great Southern barley for an extended period to enhance the flavour profile.

Created to celebrate the Winter Solstice, what tickles the nostrils is churned caramel, vegetative, fruity and floral notes that transition into sweet, warm and woody aromas.

On the top of the mouth things get more subtle and refined than what one would suspect. Resting on a backbone of oaky and toasted maple, nutty flavours are punctuated by a delicate honeyed, poached pear sweetness with the elongated finish culminating in a crescendo of warm coffee bean piquancy and a subdued nuanceful peatiness.

Given the limited nature of the release, each batch is different and I cannot wait to try the 2022 incarnations.

What I have always appreciated about the three distillers that form Great Southern Distilling Co are there more accessible snake themed releases, with Tiger Snake being one of my favourite.

Bottom of Form

Named after a deadly Western Australian snake, Dugite Whiskey the new blended kid on the block derived from a mix of single malt whisky and the hybrid of barley, wheat, rye and corn, the result of which then has been individually barrelled in new American Oak casks and second fill bourbon barrels to age for at least two years.

On the palate, creamy in texture, each of the grains unfolds its flavours ranging from vanilla, honey dew and malty caramel via passionfruity citrus notes and oranges to spicy and nutty notes.

The finish culminates in a lemony, fruity high butterscotch toffee that leaves one lusting for another tasty sip.

A welcome and affordable entry point to the portfolio.

Let’s change gears from whiskey to gin and move locations from Western Australia to New South Wales:

It is every so often that one realizes that one does not have to venture far to find up and coming gems in the realm of distilling.

Case in point: Finders Distillery based out of an industrial unit on Sydney's North Shore.

Following a two-year around the world trip as a source of inspiration which saw the founders visit a myriad of distilleries to learn about production processes and graced with a passion for artisanal products upon their return, they set out to create each batch of gin individually with their three hundred litre capacity copper pot still.

Based on a backbone of Australian wheat spirit, Finders’ core Juniper forward Dry Gin expression is crafted the traditional way with an idiosyncratic Australian twist, i.e. the infusion of nine local botanicals such as Wattle Seed and Native Gum, the adage of which is finely calibrated to ensure that the desired flavour nuances are being achieved.

With the melange of the aforementioned Australian botanicals and floral sweetness reminiscent of chamomile and citrussy highlights, a uniquely complex flavour profile is achieved and enhanced by the expression not being chill-filtered, which with its smooth mouthfeel lends itself particularly well for both neat sipping or the traditional G&T.

Given the quality of Finders’ Dry Gin, I can only hope that we will soon see them venturing into creating their own whiskies.

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images from company websites