Thus Let Us Drink Beer – Akasha Wooden Leg / Triple Haze & new T-Bone release

Akasha Brewing has experienced a well-earned meteoric rise in the world of hops and established itself firmly as a stalwart on the firmament of brewers, with accolades trickling in left, right and centre – which is not further wondrous as their operations and brewhouse have been custom-built from scratch with the flexibility to channel their alchemy in the creation of smaller speciality batches.

Their core range and specifically their Hopsmith and Mosaic IPAs as well as the Korben D IIPA have become trusted go-tos whenever I see them pop up on menus and being a fan of American hops, every time Akasha announces a new release, I get excited.

Akasha’s rebrand last year saw them not only establish an illuminati inspired hoppy watchful eye but also Akasha Projects, i.e. a dedicated space for limited and at times more experimental releases. The beauty with Akasha is that they never mess around or waste their time on gimmicky novelty releases – both consistency and quality is always at their core.

One of their new limited releases is a triple hazy IPA, which not only sounds delicious but is a veritable hop bomb that is accentuated by citrussy and limey highlights, which are backed by a warming ABV of a solid 10%; I teamed a can of the Triple Haze with a dram of peated Belgrove and it was divine.

Now, so far, so good.

Akasha also has limited releases that hop aficionados wait for every year as they only make appearances at certain times, like the triple IPA that goes under the guise of Wooden Leg, brewed specifically for the brewery’s birthdays.

In essence, the Wooden Leg is IPA porn – think piney, citrussy accentuated by a triumvirate of hops, i.e. Simcoe, Amarillo and Centennial, resting on a backbone of delicately calibrated malty bitterness. The double digit alcohol content rounds out the delicious party that swirls in your mouth.

An interesting one is Akasha’s collaboration with Newstead Brewing, i.e. the Vampyre Lovers Red IPA, which as the name suggests, comes in a reddish hue.

Based on Sabro and Bru-1 American hops, it marries both a vanilla-esque fruity vibe with a nice pineappely bitterness. What sounds like a borderline contradictive combination works perfectly well, as the melange results in a citrussy cereal crescendo counterpointed by a core bitterness. Another example par excellence of how Akasha manages to experiment yet never at the expense of expertly brewed hoppy goodness.

Change of pace?

Well, not really, as in terms of quality and creativity, T-Bone Brewery out of Hobart, Tasmania has established itself as one of my favourites on terra australis.

I have been lusting for the new IPA from T-Bone Brewing for the longest time and could not wait to crack a tin of their 50/50 Hazy expression open. What tickled my nostrils was an array of fruity aromas, flanked by coconutty highglights. What the nose promised, is seamlessly transitioned onto the palate:

The delicate haziness is full of juicy pineapple and citrus flavours with the welcome dominance of the coconut coming through again, set against a foundation of Mosaic and Sabro Hops adding a nicely, low bitterness to the mix.

In essence the 50/50 Hazy IPA is a tour de force in hazy goodness and clocking in at an ABV 6.8%, extremely sessionable.

I cannot wait to visit Hobart for the Dark Mofo festival in June, so I can sample T-Bone’s beautiful hop emissions straight from the source.

High Adventures in the Great Outdoors

Bands and Flannel

Ah, the good ole flannel shirt – what would bands spurned from the advent of the grunge scene in Seattle and underground music at large from the mid-90ies have had to dress up in without it?

Be it what it may, the flannel shirt is one of the most versatile staples one could have in his wardrobe as it lends itself perfectly well for layering as well as to carve through colder climates. It can even be paired with more formal accessories to be worn in a casual business context. Summa summarum, the flannel is a dependable allrounder that takes one from season to season.

However, there are subtle difference when it comes to the manufacturing and branding. While the flannel is being adopted and reinterpreted on an ongoing basis by every demographic and subculture imaginable from punks to hypebeast, I have come to appreciate subtle nuances that make it resilient in tough environments yet stylish enough to wear on a date.

In essence, my main criterion is for flannels to be adaptable to serve as light jackets as well as on their own and that’s where Dixxon appeared on my radar.

What intrigued me about Dixxon was their affiliation with punk rock and hardcore when I was first introduced to their collaboration with Hatebreed, which resulted in a customised flannel.

Inspired by skate, punk / hardcore and motorcycle culture, and since its inception has refined its approach to creating their version of a flannel, i.e. one that fits well and does not shrink and fade after a couple of washes, which was achieved through their signature D-Tech proprietary fabric.

Being on the taller end of the height spectrum, I have come to appreciate Dixxon accommodating with longer body and sleeve lengths as well as hidden collar-stay buttons to keep the collar held in place and a box pleat for better range of motion and extra comfort in the chest, back, and shoulders without affecting the size or fit.

Subtle details like a microfiber cloth inside the bottom left corner to easily clean your glasses, or devices, without affecting the look or design as well as a hanging loop just above the neck label for easy hanging on most racks and hooks complement the picture with the mitered edge on the chest pockets and cuff ends being the cream on top of the cherry as it results in a tailored and designer finish.

Dixxon’s most recent punk and hardcore related limited release is a wonderful collaboration with Venice’s Suicidal Tendencies, which we recently covered.

The shirt design is based on the collation of show flyers and the way it is put together manages to expertly balance the chasm of exciting the dedicated hardcore aficionado as well as the uninitiated.

Needless to say, Dixxon has branched out into creating other gear as well with specifically their jacket range being not only affordable but a level of sturdiness and durability that most other contemporary labels cannot compete with, without ever losing its stylish touch.

I am looking forward to Dixxon’s upcoming band collaborations and how they are going to marry the respective band’s style with their idiosyncratic approach to creating quality apparel.

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images from company website

The Formative Years – Heartbreak

It was in 1996 when my first relationship ended around the same time I finished the German equivalent of high school. As Rod Stewart put it, the first cut is the deepest and to overcome what felt back then like one of the most tragic things that could happen, I planned my first trip to the US.

Equipped with addresses sources from Maximum Rock’n Roll, I roamed through NYC and Chicago, met a lot of great people and had some fantastic adventures,.

In one of the record stores, I scored ALLs Pummel album in tape format for $0.99 along with a range of other tapes. Having been a big Descendents fan, I had all previous ALL releases on Cruz Records but never got that much into them, especially since they had recently landed on a Interscope Records in 1994  in the wake of success of bands like Green Day and The Offspring, which back at the day of purism was considered a no-go.

When I listened to it on my Walkman, I instantaneously liked that it seemed much darker and angrier than what I was used from them, which might have been partly due to Chad Price’s heartfelt and intense vocal delivery – the perfect soundtrack to the inner turmoil I encountered caused by heartbreak.

I listened to the tape a lot for the rest of the trip and it remains one of my favourite albums emanating off the triumvirate Alvarez / Egerton / Stevenson as it encompasses the DNA of what their song writing unique yet pushed things to the next level.

Commercially and in terms of what Interscope’s ulterior motives for signing ALL were, the release was a flop, which made it all the more endearing.

The album holds up to this day with especially the first half of the album being flawless with the band channelling their alchemy in a more stringent manner than on previous releases.

Needless to say, the feeble attempt at humour, i.e. the song “Hetero”, stood out like a sore thumb and was already cringeworthy back in the day and rightly exposed by e.g. Pansy Division for what it was.. 

An evening with John Butler

State Theatre

Sydney, Australia

May 20, 2021

Looks like we are back in business as far as live events are concerned on terra australis as after a few trial and errors in the realm of live shows, John Butler ‘s solo incarnation was welcomed by a sold out State Theatre at the Sydney stop of his national tour.

With the State Theatre’s splendour as far as the architectural and spatial progression from gothic imagery to baroque is concerned, the venue added another dimension to John sharing his stories and tapping into his vast back catalogue of seven albums released over a time span of close to twenty-five years.

In an intimate setting, Butler opened up from the get go and punctuated his rolling folk introspections by touching on his battles with anxiety, having found his true north as well as his political activism.

The set was a well-curated selection of the quintessential John Butler melodies accentuated by both simple and complex rhythms and intricate twist and turns, while serenading the enthusiastic audience with his trademark melodies and dreamy visions, musically painting his emotional landscapes and allowing everyone to tune in and ride along.

Needless to say, John Butler’s abilities as a multi-instrumentalist enhanced the performance as the seamlessly transitioned from regular via custom made guitars to harmonica, digeridoo and distortions to achieve his unique sound.

A mesmerizing evening that despite lyrical content often being pervaded by a sense of angst, loss and regrets, resonated with the audience in a chilled, personal and empowering way.

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photos by @k.a.vv

Water of Life - The Whisky Show

Sir Stamford Circular Quay

Sydney, Australia

May 15, 2021

Whisky aficionados on terra australis had been waiting with bated breath for the return of The Whisky Show, which after a hiatus in 2020 almost fell prey to yet another bout of COVID related restrictions. With last minute adjustments to the mode of the festival, what eventuated was the first major face-to-face whisky festival worldwide in 2021.

Needless to say, the sessions on 14 / 15 May sold out quickly in advance as seasoned aficionados as well as the uninitiated could not wait to relish in the giddy thrill of finding open bottles of their drams as well as experiencing new drops for the first time around.

For the uninitiated, The Whisky Show is one of the best organised and curated events on terra australis courtesy of liquor luminary David Ligoff and his Alchemist Events team. Its tenth incarnation was a well-orchestrated tour de force of an event, which offered the opportunity to sample over one hundred whiskies from forty-two brands in three dedicated themed rooms at the Sir Stamford Plaza at Sydney’s iconic Circular Quay.

Sounds like a whisk(e)y lovers’ Disneyland? Glad you got the idea. 

The fact that the event had to be conducted in line with COVID-safe procedures, i.e., samples had to enjoyed in a seated manner, added an engaging appeal to the proceedings as one had ample opportunity to engage with the respective distillers, brand ambassadors and master blenders to learn more about the libations straight from the source.

2021 saw a larger focus on Australian craft-distilled whiskies and it was fantastic to reconnect not only with distillers whose emissions we have previously covered, but sampling from brand-new ones that only recently established themselves on the firmament of whisky distilleries.

It was astonishing to see and taste how much the Aussie whisky scene has grown in recent years - not merely in terms of numbers and idiosyncratic variants but specifically when it comes to the calibre of quality. It was fantastic to meet the people behind Chief's Son, Gospel, Old Pulteney, Remnant and Shene,

The visit to the Australian room of The Whisky Show culminated with a mandatory check-in with Archie Rose for a dram of their Single Malt, which based on a six-malt mash bill offered a complex flavour profile  that integrates both sweet and savoury components due to maturation in both charred and toasted Australian apera, ex-bourbon and the distillery’s own air dried ex-rye casks.

With the elegant finish reminiscent of espresso notes still reverberating, I tried one of Archie Rose’s new Bottled Cocktails from their Future Classics Range. With a Shakespearean dark and stormy theme, The Tempest marries pineapple and passionfruit flavours with spicy, limy highlights. Being normally not the biggest fan of ready-to-pour cocktails, this extremely more-ish one will find its way into my collection.

Archie Rose’s whisky releases tend to sell out fairly quickly, which is not further wondrous given the quality of their expressions. It was nice to get again a taste of their sold-out malted Rye Whisky again, which was a distinctive release for the distillery as it pushed the boundaries in what was thought to be possible in terms of layered, complex rye whiskies.

A personal highlight of the day was the opportunity to finally sample Archie Rose’s much fabled about and scarce as hen’s teeth Ironbark Smoked Rye Malt expression, which upon release was sold out within minutes.

Drawn from seven casks as the fifth release under the Archie Rose Concepts label, this experimental drop features smoked water created by melting huge blocks of ice in a wood-fired oven, using sustainably sourced NSW ironbark. Clocking in at a comparatively lower ABV of 40%, the limelight is on the layered, subtly smoky flavours, which evoked on Pavlovian response from me.

In addition to a dedicated room for Australian whiskies, the main hall played host to Scotch, Irish and British whisky brands, with a number of brands proffering samples of some exclusive rarer age statements alongside their core range offering, e.g., a wonderful twenty-three-year-old expression of
Tobermory.

Highlights of the main hall included The Whisky Show’s exclusive BenRiach bottling, which sees the distillery incarnate with new branding and label.

Limited to 310 bottles and weighing in at 53% ABV, this Australia exclusive release tickled the nostrils with nutty, chocolatey toffee aromas, which seamlessly transitioned to vanilla fudge on the top of the mouth, culminating in a crescendo of sweet sharpness and an elongated raisiny finish.

My personal favourite discovery within the confines of the main hall was what emanated from a collaboration between the owner of the Highland Inn Tatsuya Minagawa, Kelvin Low of The Elysian Whisky Bar and Chris Ross of The Whisky List, i.e., the 23-Y-O Water of Life expression. With a cask specifically chosen for the fourth anniversaries of both The Whisky List and The Elysian Whisky Bar in early 2021, the expression is a delicious blend from three main single malt distilleries of the William Grant & Sons portfolio. 

Being a peat head, I was excited to finally taste the first release of The Character of Islay Whisky Company, i.e., Aerolite Lyndsay, which is an anagram of :”Ten Year Old Islay”.

Distilled at an undisclosed distillery, the quintessential coastal iodine and mineral aromas give a hint of the source, which with the flavour melange of briny, tarry, lemony sweetness and the minty, ashy oak finish would have  me guess that it is excellent Caol Ila expression. Definitely an interesting drop, which inspired me to tap into an exclusive Firkin Caol Ila bottling later that night.

The third room was split between brands representing US whiskey, with a focus on bourbons and ryes, plus some newer Japanese whisky brands thrown in for good measure and even an expression from the new world on pour. 

What makes The Whisky Show an outstanding event is the dedicated app, which was developed in partnership with the fine gentlemen from The Whisky List. With regular updates for each instalment of The Whisky Show, new features saw the added ability to record tasting notes for each sampled dram along with videos, ratings and a convenient Click and Collect ecommerce capability, adding a virtual layer to the overall experience and the opportunity to have your purchase waiting as you exited through the popup whisky store.

Going from strength to strength each year and offering new options, The Whisky Show also offered virtual tasting kits and a livestream being broadcast simultaneously to the physical event, enabling whisky lovers to enjoy drams in the comfort of their own home without missing out on the experience.