Thus Let Us Drink Beer – Slow Lane Brewing / Murray’s Brewing

Ah, there must be something in the water in Australia as every time I naively feel like I must have had the fortune to taste the cream of the crop of local craft distillers, I realize that I have hard unearthed the tip of the iceberg.

Case in point: Slow Lane and Murray’s Brewing.

Let’s start with one that is channelling its brewing alchemy not too far away, i.e. Sydney’s Slow Lane Brewing.

Lean in scale in terms of operations, Slow Lane’s focus is firmly set on carefully and expertly crafted beers across a diverse range of styles and flavours, with more than a couple of pages taken out of the European book of brewing to then infuse them with their own idiosyncratic DNA.

With the name being a telling one, i.e. Slow Lane making their beers based on a time- and labour intensive slow-fermentation and natural carbonation process, their emissions result in a deliberately amplified yeast character, which at times is further enhanced via further maturation in oak barrels to marry old and new world approaches and the adage of lactobacillus bacteria.

Sounds ominous? Not at all, but delicious and with an outcome resulting in interestingly complex, slowly evolving flavour profiles as the brewers’ have honed their craft in the US before developing a weak spot for Belgian Trappist beers and sours.

Having spent stints in Belgium, it should not be further wondrous that my favourite of the range is Slow Lane’s exceptional Threefold expression: Being a tripel and thereby the strongest of the Trappist monastery style beers, Slow Lane rests its expression on the foundation of a pilsner malt base before making it undergo an open fermentation along with a second fermenting process.

The result clocks in at 8.4% ABV and the honeyed malt flavours that sits against a backdrop of warming bitter maltiness, guides one down a path of sweeter notes, before the twist that comes with the nice, slightly dry finish.

Given what I have been able to taste from the rest of the range, a visit to Slow Lane Brewing’s bar, which is apparently influenced by Scandinavian design, has become mandatory.

Let’s venture a tad further out in New South Wales to arrive at a highlight my beer related discoveries in 2021: Welcome Murray’s Brewing to the fold.

With an accolade ridden fifteen year old history, the parallels between slow Lane and Murray’s lie in both having found their inspiration to try their hand in brewing via a trip to the US.

Based on the North Coast of New South Wales, their operations started after acquiring the Pub With No Beer (of Slim Dusty fame) with the establishment of a microbrewery, which grew over time to the extent that it demanded a relocation to a place that allowed Murray’s to grow exponentially to the scale it is known for these days.

Independent in nature and in full control of their production, I have yet to come across one of their quirky yet consistently and full-flavoured expressions of theirs that does not captivate me.

Specifically Murray’s IPA and NEIPA range has won me over.

Being a hophead, the Thunderbolt IPA is an example par excellence for turning the dial to eleven in terms of aromas and flavours. Think hopped out juiced fruit salad.

Based on a melange of Equinox, Mosaic and Columbus hops, the citrussy highlight sit on a backbone of malty bitterness. A borderline ideal IPA, which paired wonderfully as a component of a boilermaker with a dram of Octomore 6.3.

Not less delicious are Murray’s mango- and pineapple-y Nectabomb and especially the fruit punchy Riding the Ghost Train expression, which not only pours to a thick shade of orangey yellow that is a sight to behold but hides its 8% ABV behind a veil of sweet deliciousness.

Murray's Grand Cru is their idiosyncratic take on creating a  hybrid of the Belgian Trippel and Golden Strong Ale styles. While I am usually not exactly the biggest fan of derivations of the Belgian Trappist school of beermaking, I quite like Murray’s interpretation in that it takes the DNA and gives it a twist by adding Pacifica hops, which make a dominant appearance on the palate yet are counterbalanced by a finish that leaves on lusting for more with its malty bitterness.

Add a funky cheeseboard to the mix and give the adjective “moreish” another dimension.

If you are remotely into hoppy craft beers, you would want to make an effort to sample Murray’s Brewing’s range.

Water of Life - Melbourne Gin Company and Hurdle Creek Still

Another one that has been in the making for the longest time: Melbourne Gin Company. Having eyed their distinctively stylish bottles on the top shelves on the more respectable gin dispensaries of this country, I could not wait to try their emissions.

With a background in winemaking, Andrew Marks and his team have firmly established themselves with their idiosyncratic artisanal hand-crafted production approach on the radar of lovers of all things juniper.

Six years into their existence of being an independent distillery, they created introduced what has become their trademark expression into their portfolio, i.e. Single Shot – quite a telling name as it was created in one single distillation run. A hole in one in golf terms.

Channelling their alchemy by distilling their emissions with a custom-made copper pot baine-marie alembic still from Portugal, their distillation uses local rainwater – talk about provenance and adding another depth of dimension to locally sourced botanicals.

What tickles the nostrils with the Single Shot, is both a spicy and fragrant melange with peppery highlights, sitting against a backdrop of zesty, lavender and rosemary notes. Sounds complex? It is.

Being a whisky-head, I like sipping and the Single Shot lends itself particularly well for that exercise as it rich flavours unfold on the top of the mouth, riffing on the aforementioned nuances substantiated with a bit of a warming alcoholic kick.

What I have tasted will warrant a visit to MGC’s headquarters, which I hope can be accomplished once the travel situation allows.

Let move to the family run Hurdle Creek Still.

Essentially a gin distillery, Hurdle Creek has quite a diverse portfolio with the common denominator being that all of their  products are made and bottled onsite within the confines of their still house, with the base spirit made from locally sourced grain using a traditional infusion mashing system and twice distilled though their extended copper and glass column, resulting in a unique grain character enhanced by local botanicals – are by “local”, they mean as close as having grown in their garden and doing everything themselves, including the distillation of their base spirit, the difference of which can actually be tasted.

Hurdle Creek’s portfolio encompasses aniseed gin, navy strength gin, cherry Gin and pretty much everything in between.

I find their signature Yandarm gin, whose robust juniper DNA is accentuated by the most beautiful melange of cinnamon, coriander, cardamon and – on the more interesting end of the spectrum – curiously citrussy hop notes courtesy of their collaboration with Black Dog Brewery, which resonates particularly well with me palate as it amplifies the flavours.

Hurdle Creek’s Navy Strength expression gets its flavour profile not merely from a solid backbone of alcohol, but through the vapour infused adage of peppercorns, cinnamon, eucalyptus and aniseed myrtles.  

However, what really excited me about Hurdle Creek is that they are one of the few Australian distilleries that are making the traditional French aniseed flavoured aperitif known as Pastis. Taking the traditional French approach, it would not be Hurdle Creek if they did not add a twist, which in this case is the addition of round-leaf mint bush and aniseed myrtle. I have always enjoyed mixing Pastis with sparkling water and this variant has instantaneously become one of my favourites.

---

imagse from company websites

Water of Life – Brogan’s Way Distillery and Goodradigbee

Brogan’s Way Distillery was incepted in 2018 when the father, a qualified engineer, and daughter team, the latter of which contributing not only her scientific chops but also giving the operation its name, decided to study the art of distilling.

The duo not only set up their distillery and bar but within three years has established itself firmly on the firmament of Australian quality gin creators with the way they have refined their recipes with a custom made copper still with a modified design to extract finer flavour nuances.

My first exposure to Brogan’s Way was via their juniper forward navy strength expression Royal Blood, which despite packing the expected punch in the ABV department knows to convince with its finely calibrated of ingredients, i.e. rosemary, mountain pepper and olive leaves.

The result is a smorgasbord of flavours, set against a backdrop of cardamon heat. A savoury tour de force, which unveils new flavours with every sip ranging from citrussy via spicy territory to a wattle seedy transition to the aforementioned cardamon inspired crescendo.

Brogan’s Hearts Afire gin is an expression that could not better suit the colder months of the year, with the warming complexity being derived from nutmeg, cloves and aniseed myrtle counterpointed by a subtly sweet orange peel foundation and vibrant, spicy highlights courtesy of Lilli Pilli and cassia.

The elongated finish lingers warmly with what seems to be a bit of a trademark of Brogan’s Way, i.e. cardamon heat and pepper corny spiciness.

Given the quality of their gins, I can only hope that they Brogan’s Way will start their work on whiskies as well.

Bit of a gear change.

Ready?

Goodradigbee Distillery is named after a river in the pristine Snowy Mountains wilderness of New South Wales, where its founder used to fly-fish and being his happy place, deemed it to be an appropriate name for his endeavours to create uniquely Australian spirits.

With an ironbark log smouldering away at one of the campfires during a fishing trip, it inspired a journey into exploring the aromas emerging from native trees and the creation of spirits paying homage to provenance and the territory they were to be created on.

By creating their trademark maturation cubes shaped from alpine hardwoods, Goodradigbee managed to create an accelerated  maturation method with a higher wood-to-liquid ratio than a traditional barrel.

This method is amplified by the fact that hardwoods once they crack, absorb and interact with the distillate with a more flavourful outcome in a shorter period of time, resulting in an enhanced complexity.

Creating spirits in this manner enables Goodradigbee to create their spirits up to five times faster, while not sacrificing intense flavour profiles.

Case in point: Goodradigbee’s Sweetwater gin, which is infused with the heartwood of the ironbark tree along with local botanicals. The flavour intense drop delivers with a melange of anise and juniper, set against highlights of pepper berries, candied apples and myrtle.

The gin range is complemented by the Freshwater gin, which as the name would suggest, is on the sweeter end of the spectrum based on the distillation of native botanicals along with plums, quandongs, limes and currents.

However, the winner for me personally is their Ironbark Red whiskey, with offers quite a flavour journey: Starting on the sweeter side of things, honeyed citrus materializes on the top of the mouth before we arrive at dark chocolate territory, before it culminates in an elongated nutty, earthy and woody malt finish.

I cannot wait to try Goodradigbee’s future expressions and hope that I will be able to visit their operations soon.

---

images from company websites

Princeton University Publishing

Think Least of Death – Spinoza on how to live and how to die

Essentially, Spinoza did not waste any mind on the mundane or belief systems – be it religious or otherwise – that humanity relies on to make sense of the mess we are in. What Spinoza had a different outlook, which culminates in the notion that nature in itself is perfect and humans should apply themselves to follow suit to reach their full potential.

Steven Nadler, the philosopher who penned the book, examines Spinoza closer to arrive at the conclusion that individual strife for perfection ultimately serves the betterment of humanity at large, which results in a responsibility and makes Spinoza both a psychological ego- and altruist.

What I like about Nadler’s elaborations is that his intricate knowledge of Spinoza and his oeuvre enables him to explain his core tenets in layman’s terms and thereby makes them accessible in a way that helps to relate them to one’s personal circumstances.

Needless to say, given the nature of Spinoza’s complex constructs, the book still demands attention and interest to really decipher the nuances, which is gratifying as oxymorons start to make sense and point towards ways to lead a more ethical life.

The Marquis de Sade and the Avant-Garde

If your interest for Marquis de Sade goes a tad further than the lyrics of Kickback, this is the book for you as it goes beyond the vile pornography and madness de Sade has become known for.

In a scholarly engaging manner, Alyce Mahon takes a step back and discusses de Sade in the context of sexual freedom, power and resulting conflicts, which unveils deeper layers of the human experience.

Being an expert on the subject of sexuality, Mahon not only examines de Sade’s life and his relationship to women but his significance at large, the rebellions he spurned with his ideas and sheds light on the intellectuals who championed him.

What would be interesting for the uninitiated is the fact that de Sade advocated equality and perceived women to be in positions to be harbingers of change. Needless to say, his ideas did not find a wide audience during his lifetime as his controversial emissions were forbidden and censored up until almost the midst of the twentieth century.

Mahon meticulous research arrives at the conclusion that essentially fulfilling desire drives us to find peace and if you are remotely interested in such endeavours, this compelling tome dedicated to the political and aesthetic Sadean power is bound to inspire you.

Bosch and Bruegel: From Enemy Painting to Everyday Life 

Easily two of my all-time favourite artists that have influenced my from an early age are Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel. Needless to say, I was excited to get my hands on skilled wordsmith’s Joseph Leo Koerner book on the two, to experience his wordplays to describe the commonalities and his findings pertaining to selected works by each artist.

With each chapter being dedicated to a single masterpiece, a microscopic view is taken which is specifically interesting when Koerner zeroes in on parallels when he compares and contrasts each artists’ emissions.

Apart from being an opulently illustrated feast for the eyes, Koerner’s research results in an account that not only helps to contextualise the artworks but juxtaposes them, thereby eliciting further findings about their musings on the devil’s enmity with god, the differentiation between medieval times and the renaissance as well as the original sin.

Packaged in an engaging narrative and infused with Koerner’s idiosyncratic points of view and his enthusiastic observations, the tome is a welcome and captivating addition to my library.

Water of Life - Glenfiddich Grand Cru

Having lived on four continents and with a weak spot for a wee dram of good Scotch hardwired into my DNA, I have grown to appreciate certain brands that can be banked on to be on the menu of etablisssements off the beaten track.

While trips to Ulan Bator, Lhasa and the South of China are never not exciting and mind-blowing when it comes to mingling with the locals and seizing opportunities to try local fare and libations straight from the source, detecting a known and trusted Scot in the spirits section of a bar or an in-flight menu is always reminiscent of an instance of returning home.

The Speyside single malt powerhouse known as Glenfiddich is one of those global brands and given the fact that they have effectively shaped the modern single malt category as we know it, it is not further wondrous that their iconic stag logo is omnipresent on this earthround.

With Glenfiddich channelling its alchemy at a single distillery using their swan neck shaped pot still distillation process and a mash of malted barley that is cut after cask maturation with pure local Robbie Dhu spring water, a remarkable benchmark has been set in terms of consistency across their core range comprised of 12, 15 and their excellent 18 and 21 year old expressions. A benchmark of quality that has become part of the cultural narrative going as far as infiltrating the realm of pop cultural references, with e.g. David Horton from The Vicar of Dibley attempting to hide a bottle of Glenfiddich from his visitors in a bid to not waste “fine whisky” on them.

Now, the fact that the distillery’s approach has been refined over the decades and the resulting quality having become an expectation, has resulted in Glenfiddich following the axiom “cobbler, stick to your last”, i.e. the distillery deliberately avoided venturing too far outside the confines of the flavour profiles of their core expressions – not even with their experimental series:

Despite releasing delicious releases like the marriage of peated and malts matured in bourbon / Latin rum casks known as Fire & Cane and the zesty, citrussy and hoppy IPA variant along the fantastic Winter Storm, the punchiness of which really benefits from a higher ABV content - at the end of the day, neither of these were an overly exotic departure from what is easily identifiable as a “Glenfiddich”.

Given the aforementioned, I was excited to learn about the first expression that was going to herald the launch of their ‘Grand’ Series, i.e. the release of Grand Cru; a 23 year old whisky matured primarily in American Oak before enjoying a finish in French Cuvée wine casks.

With Glenfiddich recently pursuing an approach where they support trail blazers and innovative movers and shakers in the realm of fashion, business and cutting edge new initiatives at large, I was fortunate enough to sample the Grand Cru expression in different contexts over multiple days as part of e.g. Semi Permanent’s collaboration with Highsnobiety, which we covered, along with the 2021 incarnation of the Australian Fashion Week.

Given the nature and overarching concept of the ‘Grand’ series, the presentation of the new drop was Great Gatsby-esque in every meaning of the word – the question was if the drop was actually living up to the hype.

Now, as a start and contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a “champagne cask” as the secondary fermentation, which gives champagne its fizz, eventuates in the bottle after the wine has left the confines of its cask.

However, what was used to give the Grand Cru its premium finish are cuvée wine casks that previously held wines that would go on to become the sparkling variety.

Now, what is it like?

In essence, Glenfiddich has accomplished to marry the best of both worlds with the French cuvée casks adding an extra layer of complexity, which in that finessed form I have not tasted before in a whisky.

What tickles the nostrils on approach is a melange of honeyed almonds set against a backdrop of fruity and lemony highlights. Hints of vanilla blend in with subtly spicy notes, hints of ginger resting on a young oaky backbone underpinning it all.

What the nose promised, seamlessly materializes on the top of the mouth via a delightfully oily mouthfeel: Pears and apples sit on a foundation of yeast-leavened dough and vanilla, accentuated by tropical notes culminating in a crescendo of roasty hazelnuts, papaya and white pepper.

The elongated finish reverberates vibrantly on the spicy, citrussy and lemony end of the spectrum with oaky distinctions, brioche as well as the trademark Glenfiddich orchard and grape fruit notes shimmering through.

Summa summarum, if you are remotely into experimental flair, the Grand Cru is a well-crafted whisky living up to its name in terms of richness, decadence and one for special celebratory occasions or as an opulent gift.

A great introduction to the new series that sees Glenfiddich pushing the boundaries in creating exciting new flavours.

---

image from company website