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Water of Life

Talisker Select Reserve Game of Thrones House Greyjoy

Ah, Game of Thrones and the hype around it. Claiming that the series, spin offs and everything that comes with it is omnipresent would be an understatement par excellence. Full disclosure: Your humble narrator has never seen a single episode of the show.

Yet what I harbour deep inside is a deep appreciation for the liquid emissions that emerge from the Talisker Distillery, so needless to say that the announcement of the Select Reserve Game Of Thrones House Greyjoy got me mildly excited and warranted me doing a bit of research as to the alignment of the whisky, its presentation and why it is associated with what is portrayed in the series about House Greyjoy.

Turns out that what I learned about the location of House Greyjoy and its surround und aligns well with the DNA of what Talisker has become known for: Distilled on the remote and rugged shores of the Isle of Skye, the maritime sea spray character of Talisker Select Reserve, which is embedded in a smoke frame that is less on the nose and more on the subtle side without lacking both sweet and spicy nuances and imagining this to be the drink of choice on the series’ Iron Island does not necessitate a whole lot imagination.

While the amber coloured drop was matured in heavily charred ex-Bourbon casks, what materializes on the nose suggests that there were some ex-Sherry casks thrown in for good measure as apart from smokiness pervaded by peppery hints, there are hints of fruits, oranges, saline notes, faint vanilla and charcoal.

When it hits the palate, it unfolds a viscous melange of salt, caramel, dark chocolate, Asian herbs, delicately burnt leather and seamlessly transitions into an elongated complex dry finish that balances a fruity full-bodied character with warm smoke.

Needless to say that it comes adorned with House of Greyjoy themed artwork, with the beautifully illustrated trademark Kraken taking centerstage on the tin.

Now, this is without a question a formidable collaboration that not only present another premium expression that fits the high standard of the benchmark that has been consistently upped by Talisker – and one that intrigues me enough to find out more about the House of Greyjoy that it is a tribute to.

Given the quality of this release, I can hardly wait to find out firsthand if the other distilleries that form part of the Game of Thrones editions are of an equal standard, most prominently the contribution of Lagavulin.

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Photo by T

The 15th Annual Sydney Comedy Festival – Gala Event

Opera House

Sydney, Australia

April 24, 2019

Comedy and laughter are widely perceived to be a valve and pressure release – an antidote to the grimness the world throws at you daily. To administer the comedic medicine, Sydney holds an annual four-week long extravaganza that usually incarnates between April and May with a wide array of international and national performers ranging from mainstream crowd favourite to emerging talent holding court in venues small and big all over the town.

Tonight’s gala event was not meant to be the non-plus-ultra but to give an idea and a taste of the variety of this year’s festival line-up: About fifteen acts unleashed their quips and contributed to a colourful potpourri with some acts better than others, e.g. Des Bishop’s feminist performance was much classier than other comedians relying on mundane sleaziness and clichés to elicit laughter. Sex as the lowest common denominator in times where politics and specifically religion are better left untouched.

Physical comedy can be hit and miss yet the trio going by the name of Foil, Arms and Hog performed an act whose sketches were delightful and met with unbridled laughter.

More off kilter comedians like Tom Allen, Mark Forward, the physical feats of Nikki Britton and most prominently Phil Wang convinced with thoughtful bits that left the audience gasping for more and no doubt will materialize in big parts of the audience tonight attending their respective performances as well.

Hosted by engaging master of ceremonies Joe Lycett, the evening was overall testament to the well curated quality affair the Sydney Comedy Festival has become known for and provided a forum for comedians from the old world, the US, terra australis as well as Asia.

Having perused the program of this year’s program, we already had our eyes set and marked our calendars for quite a few of the shows of the year’s festival and tonight added quite a few to the list.

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photo provided by Ben Sanford

Water of Life – Joadja Whisky

Just when you thought that you got a grip on the Australian whisky scene and at least identified the cream of the crop when it comes to the production of quality hooch, another one pops up that blows things out of the water:

Located in the remote regions of the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, Joadja Distillery was established five years ago by a Spanish family who honour their cultural heritage by using ex-Oloroso and PX casks to mature their emissions.

Despite being a new player, Joadja Distillery is already decorated with accolades and having had a chance to sample their Single malt Whisky 200 millilitre ex-oloroso cask, it comes to no surprise to me:

Clocking in at 48% alcohol by volume, this unpeated, non-chill-filtered and handcrafted beauty is based on the foundation of locally sourced barley and the pristine water from the distilleries on site spring.

Double distilled in copper pot still and then laid to rest in thirty-two litre ex-oloroso sherry casks that contained oloroso wine made from 50% PX and 50% Palomino grapes, what materializes in the bottle is heavily informed by the character of Sherry.

Stone fruits shine through the sweet aroma that further unfolds on the palate with a mouthfeel on the drier side of things, serenaded by chocolatey nuances and spicy components, which culminate in a heart-warming more-ish finish.

With a flavour that is reminiscent in some aspect of the excellent drops Limeburners produces, it is fascinating how quickly Joadja won me over and got me instantly excited about their future batches.

Further research revealed that they are also producing Dry Gin variants, Anis spirits and a new make going by the name of “Outlaw”.

Joadja is in impressive new player that is worth getting onboard with from the get go as what I have tasted is in the same league and reminiscent of other reputable whisky houses when they first started out and which have become veritable heavyweights on the parkours of the international scene producing coveted and highly sought-after world-class whiskies.

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photo provided

Water of Life - Arran

Arran is not exactly one of the oldest island distilleries – having been around for less than three decades and based at Lochranza - that most prominently has become known for their beautiful and good value 10-Year-Old expression, whose distinct alveolar character and maturation in a mix of ex-bourbon and sherry casks has become somewhat of a trademark for the brand.

With herbs, citrussy and biscuity aromas hitting the nose, the scene is set for the pineapple sweetness that further unfolds on the roof of the mouth, culminating in a herby, sharp fruity high before a slightly bitter malty finish with a nice hint of sea air.

The 10-Year-Old is not overly complex but certainly an honest, accessible and robust quality dram for any scotch connoisseur that is looking for a vibrant light, golden coloured unchillfiltered warm weather malt. A nice dram with a dry finish which is ideal to ease into an evening of whisky delights.

Arran Whisky’s Robert Burns Single Malt is another beauty playing in a similar league. Matured in a mix of 70% Bourbon Casks and 30% Sherry Casks, this light lightly golden aromatic Single Malt is ideal for sipping either as an aperitif or – and not a whole lot of whiskies lent themselves for this - during a meal. 

It smells like banana meeting stewed fruits that have been marinated in a spicy pot of custard with an oaky smoky back note. Sounds confusing? Try it and it will instantaneously make sense.

What materializes with this chill filtered well put together expression on your tastbuds is even spicier, zingy and rests on a bed of vanilla, which sets the scene for the long and smoooth finish with its lingering oak and under-ripe fruit character.

 Now, let’s step it up a notch, shall we?

The Arran 18-Year-Old, which is bottled at 46%, takes things to the next level when it comes to complexity and elegance. On the nose, the fresh, sharp apple flavours are accentuated by the addition of lemony nuances, savoury notes and milk chocolate and rest on a foundation of salty barley-ness.

The roof of the mouth is tickled by the 18 Year Old’s oaky spiciness, a complex melange of lemon, cinnamon, aniseed, sweet / sour and citrus notes and an elongated creamy finish that is amplified by bitter tannins, toasted oak and malt in the back.

This is a deep one full of character and flavour whose texture has grit yet also a pleasant oil character that leaves me smacking my lips.

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photo provided

Water of Life – Hobart Whisky

Tasmania is quite something.

Hobart and MONA have become a second home.

We have covered Tasmania in terms of whisky numerous times and just when you thought that we have covered the lion’s share of the most delicious distilleries, a new one emerges whose distillates are based on the foundation of pure air and rainfall and the Hobartian cool clement climate, which allows for the Westminster malt barley to grow:

Devil’s Distillery Hobart Whisky is the new asteroid on the Tasmanian whisky firmament, with their First Release being a skilful marriage of selected small ex-bourbon casks, expressed at 48.8%.

I must admit that when Hobart Whisky came first to my attention, I was intrigued yet also sceptical as I was wondering if it was a novelty hooch enterprise capitalising on the reputable brand equity, esteem and reputation Tasmanian whisky at large enjoys worldwide.

Upon experiencing the band bottled emissions, the opposite is the case:

A refreshing melange of vanilla and honey tickles the nostrils, which is followed by a smooth creaminess that caresses the roof of the palate not only reminiscent of the ex-bourbon cask the drop was matured in, but also of chocolatey vanilla. Toffee, nuances of crème brulee and tannins intertwine to elongate the finish.

The second release matured in ex-port casks takes the promise of the first release to the next level: The vanilla and alveolus notes are more dominant and the creaminess of the mouthfeel is accentuated by the strong malt character. Not unlike their first expression, the ex-port cask one has toffee notes in the tannin-heavy finish.

The favourite of the triumvirate is Hobart Whisky’s third expression, i.e. Ex-Lightly Smoked American Whiskey casks from Hillrock Distillery, expressed at 50.3% abv.

Despite being a bit more on the nose alcohol content wise, the nose encounters a welcoming sugar caney sweetness framed in chocolate notes and hints of peanut that is given depth by an iota of spicy- and smokiness.

Again, creaminess is the name of the game when it comes to what Hobart Whisky feels on the palate. There is ginger, vanilla, bit of nutmeg, nougat and upon further swirling, bonbon and stone fruity flavours come through. The finish is nothing short of being sophisticated as it takes a left turn from what the palate promised upon first contact: Citrussy in nature, dominant peanut notes and the smokiness of charred oak contribute to an exit that is dangerously more-ish.

Given what I have tasted, a visit of the relatively young Hobart Whisky Distillery has become an integral part of my itinerary when I embark to Tasmania for the 2019 incarnation of Dark Mofo.

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Photos provided