Water of Life – The Firkin Whisky Co. and The Cannabis Co.

Unless you are a whisky fiend, the thought of how the initiated parlay about the merits of their favourite drops, let alone the brands themselves, will seem poncy to you and at times even detract you from trying – which is a shame as whisky should be about enjoyment no matter your level of expertise.

Enter Mike Collings and his Firkin Whisky Co.

With an unparalled pedigree in the realm of international whisky excellence with his roles including having been at the helm of the creation of a range of now well-established labels and distilleries for over forty years, Mike has set out to channel his alchemy in putting his own spin on the single cask malt market, poking good-natured fun and focussing on the proposition to get people to have fun and enjoy it.

What has become idiosyncratic for Firkin’s expressions is that each whisky is recasked into a custom double oak comprised of two types of oak – usually a first-fill Bourbon and a new Limousin oak with a custom char, which was previously seasoned with a fortified, soulmate wine to accentuate what is inherent in the characteristics of the whisky. Checking in every six months during the maturation process, Mike decides when his hand-crafted drops are ready have reached the depth of flavour he was going for.

Firkin Whisky Co. has currently four styles of whiskies, with each having deliberately distinctive attributes before getting the aforementioned trademark Firkin cask and maturation treatment: Firkin 10 is usually paired with a madeira cask finish. I tried a Benrinnes expressions and it proved to be an example par excellence for Firkin’s approach as the brightness of the whisky was not tamed but enriched with spiciness and citrus notes emanating from the cask treatment.

Firkin 49 is derived from the  Tullibardine Distillery and is married with a blend of amontillado and oloroso sherry, which adds nutty flavours to it.

The Marsala finish is used for the Islay expression, i.e. Caol Ila, which adds a delicate sweetness to the peat and smoke.

For the Firkin Rare, I had the fortune to taste the latest release, i.e. an Aultmore, whose musky, earth notes have been complemented by the richness of a tawny port.

The common denominator across the range is that each release is bottled at Firkin’s signature strength of 48.9% ABV, which not only enables to keep the need for filtration at bay but also pays homage to the years the founders were born in, i.e. 1948/49.

Apart from the whiskies, every facet of Firkin’s operations has a lot of attention to detail paid to, including the intricate labels and elaborate designs to reflect the craftmanship that goes into the creation.

Given what I have seen and tasted from The Firkin Whisky Co. and learned about Mike’s approach and philosophy I hope to be able to try his premium blended malts, i.e. Spencer Collings, the Imperial Tribute and the Founders 10-Y-O expressions.

Change of gear into gin territory…

Hemp has made many appearances in areas that it was shied away from over decades and with the advancement of the recognition of its benefits, it is having a moment and gaining acceptance when it comes to widespread mainstream acceptance.

Given the aforementioned, it was only a matter of time until we were to taste hemp based libations, to which the appropriately named Cannabis Co.  dedicated their efforts after hemp consumption became legal in Australia in 2017.

After launching their first hemp gin, The Myrcene, and selling out the entire stock within days before anyone having had a chance to taste it, I was curious to see what is behind the hype. While The Cannabis Co is not the only Australian distillery channelling their alchemy with hemp, what makes them stand out is the addition of aromatic oily compounds derived  from plants, fruits, flowers and seeds, which infuse idiosyncratic notes, essential smells and flavours to the distilling process.

Needless to say, Cannabis contains a myriad of those terpenes along with health and relaxation benefits, which adds another dimension to the indulgence of enjoying gin – at least in theory, as the question remains if the potency of the ingredients can survive the distillation process.

Since the first inception, Cannabis Co’s gin range has seen the release of other variants and expressions, further enhanced by the addition of Australian native botanicals.

As far as the gins are concerned, I would describe their Myrcene  expression as being inspired by the tradition of the classic London Dry Gin style, accentuated by a nice mouthfeel full of citrussy aromas sitting against a melange of piny, woody and spicy nuances.

The Jilungin Dreaming Hemp Gin not only contains the name giving Australian native botanical, but also lemongrass and cinnamon myrtle, which gives it a bit of a punch and a dominant sweetness sitting against a backbone of delicious nuttiness.

My favourite of the range is the High Seas Navy Strength expression, which not only clocks in at a higher ABV, but dials up the citrus spice as well, with the complex flavour profile meandering between grape fruity sweetness and gingery spiciness and lots of interesting half-tones in between.

Summa summarum, Cannabis Co delivers with three quality releases that offer ample opportunity for gin loves to experiment with new flavours.

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images from company websites

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