The Formative Years – Poison Idea

There are few bands that quintessentially represent the ethos of “punk as fuck” at the band that was formed in Oregon in 1980. Poison Idea took the essence of the holy trinity of bands like Discharge, Germs and Black Flag and infused it with their idiosyncratic spirit, which was largely fueled by singer Jerry A’s fantastic lyrics and the riffage maestro that was Pig Champion.

From their debut 7” Pick Your King via the Record Collectors are Pretentious Assholes 12” to the Kings of Punk LP in 1986, one would be hard pressed to detect a ditty that is not a hit. Towards the end of the 1980s, the band evolved past the confines of all-out attack hardcore blasts to incorporate more hard rock elements without ever running danger of losing impact like so many of their peers did once they strayed from the tried and tested path they started out on.

The evolution of Poison Idea culminated in the masterpiece known to posterity as the magnus opus Feel the Darkness from 1990. 

With the band living harder than their music would suggest, live performances resulted in exactly the debaucherous occurrences one would expect, including uncontrolled fire breathing in small venues and constituents of the band getting fat to the point of where they could only operate their instruments sitting down.

Their album Blank Blackout Vacant in 1992 was the highlight of their first and most significant incarnation, rounded out by We Must Burn before they split up for the first time in 1993.

The 2000s saw reformations with a reformed Jerry A remaining as the only original member still waving the flag of one of the greatest punk bands that ever roamed this earthround and a legacy that will never not reverberate in the pantheon of punk. 

Water of Life

The Gospel Straight Rye Whiskey and Chief’s Son Distillery

We must have covered more than fifty Australian distilleries as part of this series along with a wide range of whiskeys and approaches to distillation and maturation that have become idiosyncratic characteristics for local practises, however, claiming that terra australis is “nascent” when it comes to rye whiskies would be an understatement par excellence.

However, with the few whiskey distilleries championing American-influenced rye, I would make a case that they are on par with the best ones on international terrain and would be welcomed with open arms in the United States.

Enter the entity that has evolved from what started five years ago as Melbourne Moonshine, i.e. The Gospel Distillers.

We covered their whiskey debut right after release, i.e. their Solera Rye expression in 2019 and since then, they have further refined their approach and seem to have set their focus firmly and solely on rye.

With a focus on provenance, i.e. their unmalted rye being sourced from the local Murray Mallee and chosen for its compact flavourfullness and rye bread density, The Gospel’s rye expression is aged in two year old specifically coopered American oak barrels for an average of two and a half years following distillation in their custom-made six metre high column still within the confines of their largely self-built distillery, with the juice satisfying both Australian and American whiskey regulations.

The result is a lip smackingly good Straight Rye Whiskey, the oakyness of which tickles the nostrils upon approach along with aromas of freshly baked rye bread and brown sugary vanilla. 

On the top of the mouth things start out slightly acidic and bitter, before the DNA of the rye unfolds its magic nuanced by raisiny, cereally, savoury and grainy highlights and a spiciness that is amplified as it is counterpointed by a faint leathery backdrop. The lingering finish culminates in a crescendo of spices and ginger, which is rounded out by a delicate sweetness. 

While I unfortunately missed out on the first incarnation of their special release series under the moniker Gospel Projects, I can only hope that Gospel Distillers will confidently continue to stride on their progressive path and release a cask strength expression.

I’d imagine that the meticulous way they approach the selection of their casks and every facet of the production process, it will be pushing the boundaries of what is thought to be possible with grain bills and crowned with success not only because Australia is one of the biggest markets for rye and corn-based spirits, but because in the new world will embrace it lovingly as well.

Let the fifth gospel be the doctrine of rye...

Chief’s Son 

This feature of Chief’s Son Distillery has been in the making for the longest time. 

Having released its first commercial batch in 2016, I was first exposed to the distillery from the Mornington Peninsula through an Australian whiskey tasting event where there three and four year old single malts were proffered. 

The variety of Chief’s Son’s range intrigued me from the get go - not merely due to the variety of its range but because of the distinct complex flavour profiles, which are derived from experimentation with approaches to distillation, use of different malts and peat levels.

With this instalment I would like to zero in on Chief’s Son’s fantastic cask strength expressions, the 900 Standard variant of which has been matured for a minimum of three years in Seppeltsfield fortified wine casks, the use of which seems to be the only constant across Chief’s Son’s range with the odd exception.

What tickles the nostrils upon approach is a refreshing melange of fresh, sweet and slightly acrid hay, earthy ginseng and peppery sharp ginger, anethol and liquorice. 

On the top of the mouth, cinnamon unfolds its magic, flanked by the nuances that the nose promised, i.e. spicy ginger, bready and syrupy highlights, which culminate in an orangey crescendo. A beautifully balanced dram.

The cask strength version of the 900 Standard Pure Malt should delight anyone remotely into whiskies of the Speyside persuasion. On the nose there is vanilla, honey and rum, completed by a bouquet of nutty, earthy and toasty oak nuances. The palate is caressed by buttery, brown sugary overtones and backed by warming alcohol, accentuated by dried mangoes. As the name suggests, the elongated finish is dominated by a sweet and nutty maltiness, making this expression an indulgent cracker.

My favourite Chief’s Son expression has to be the 900 Sweet Peat. 

At cask strength, things are elevated to new heights with berry, cherry and plum aromas and the most subtle hint of delicious smokiness. On the palate this little number takes an interesting and unexpected detour into tart and earthy territory, before meandering between tropical fruits, tobacco and sweetly creamy flavours, which sit comfortably against a backdrop of peat.

The moreish finish leaves on smacking one’s lips with slightly floral juiciness and a solid smoky woodiness.

Another highlight of the Chief’s Son range is their most recent “Dark Russian” expression, which is an example par excellence for the distillery’s finely calibrated approach when it comes to infusing and accentuating their DNA by using the characteristics the use of new casks imbue. 

Imagine the aforementioned Standard variant but with a twist: Deliciously hoppy, slightly bitter rich malty flavours imbue this juice with an unrivalled level of depth.  

I cannot wait to taste Chief’s Son’s future emissions.

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images from company websites

The Formative Years – Inferno

When it comes to Teutonic hardcore punk bands that made a significant splash on the global stage in the 1980s, one cannot go past Inferno from Augsburg.

Inferno was light years ahead of its peers and seemingly effortlessly created its own lane from the get go, which in this furious and fast form was unheard of in Germany. Founded in 1981, songs that were penned during their first rehearsal became instant classics and were eventually covered by bands like S.O.D., i.e. the track "Ram It Up" on their album Speak English or Die.

All of their releases up until 1987 are bonafide classic and should be fun in the collection of any hardcore punk aficionado, including their first demo tape Gott is tot.

It did not take long for the new world to take notice and via Maximum Rock’n Roll and Inferno’s appearance on the Welcome to 1984 compilation, a direct line of communication with Pushead was established, who created the artwork for their fantastic debut album Tod und Wahnsinn, which is to this day the only artwork Mr Brian Schroeder created for a Germanic band and eventuated to Pushead featuring them on the fantastic Cleanse the Bacteria compilation released through his Pusmort label.

The album was frenetically celebrated around the world and not only lead to invitiations to contribute to international samples but resulted in a split LP with the Japanese band Execute.

Their last album It Should Be Your Problem unfortunately paled a bit compared to their previous emissions as the songs departed into thrash and speed metal territory.

Inferno were true pioneers and truly innovative, intense and musically tight band with fantastic song-writing abilities pushing the boundaries of what was thought to be possible in their time. With their oeuvre, they expanded my musical horizons and revisiting their early recordings is never not a pleasure.

Thus Let Us Drink Beer

Sanctus, Brick Lane and Oceans Reach Brewing 

In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit of Beer – while not necessarily all seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are applicable to the context of beer brewing, Sanctus Brewing’s emissions are testament to them putting wisdom, understanding and knowledge in the alchemy that is channelling the merits of hops to good use. 

Depending on your religious outlook, it could be argued if their beers constitute what per definitionem is manna from the gods, but fact is that what they produce in the Clarency Valley in the territory of NSW with the help of a head brewer with a pedigree in winemaking, catapults things to the next level and beyond.

My only exposure to Sanctus Brewing so far has been via their IPA and it delivers in spades with the name Sweet Disposition being a telling one: 

Upon approach beautiful aromas of sweet caramel excite the senses, an experience that is seamlessly continued on the palate with a melange of passionfruit and citrussy highlights. The fact that this IPA is essentially a beer ode to the indie anthem that was penned by Temper Trap only adds to the appeal. Not unlike the so

g it references, this is a well-calibrated little number that expertly manoeuvres the claviature between sweet and bitter notes.
With meticulous attention paid not only to the design of the artworks adorning their cans but also their excellent merch range, which also includes a custom-made beer drinking vessel that resembles the hop holding equivalent of how the Holy Grail is commonly perceived to look like, it is evident that they truly care about their offerings.

Apart from their endeavours in the realm of beer slinging, Sanctus’ has its own beer club and other outreach activities in a bid to make the brewery as inclusive as can be, i.e. Sanctus Brewing is a company you would want to get behind if you are remotely into quality craft beers.

Brick Lane Brewing

Brick Lane was founded four years ago and rose out of the ashes via a collective of close to thirty likeminded beer enthusiasts who joined forces to put head brewer Jon Seltin at the helm of its craft beer operations, who put his expertise from his dealings at Hawkers Brewing to good use and established what has become one of the finest breweries Australia has to offer.

With their mission set on creating a custom-made brewery with a focus on efficiency and sustainability, Brick Lane started out with core-line-up comprised of beers like their entry level One Love Pale Ale, which serves as a borderline perfect entry point into their range with its well-balanced bitterness and the finely calibrated melange of stone fruit and bright, citrussy hop aromas, which sit comfortably against a soft malty wheat backbone.

Now, things got exciting for me with Brick Lane’s Supernova IPA, which is, as you would have guessed, a thinly veiled hoppy ode inspired by one of the better musical emissions of when the Gallagher brothers still got along.

A big flavoured beers that rests on a formidable foundation comprised of Mosaic, Equanot, Centennial and Citra hops, the latter of which are used both in their original as well as in a cold extracted form in a bid to turn things to eleven when it comes beautifully resinous, piney lupulin. The result is a tour de force in terms of tropical flavour nuances and the most lip-smackingly dankness, which is counterpointed by a maltiness informed by Munich and rolled oats. With an ABV clocking in at 6.8% a formidable IPA.

Brick Lane’s Avalanche Hazy IPA series has seen previous instalments with hops sourced from the new world. The 2021 incarnation still uses Strata hops from the US, yet completes the picture with Motueka, Wai-iti and Riwaka hops from New Zealand. What I love about the result is that compared to other Australian Hazy IPAs, this little number has a more pronounced malty, oaty bitterness, which serves as the stage nuances of grapey, melon highlights dance on.

Having spent quite a bit of time in Belgium and developed a weak spot for their Trappist beers, I tend to be extremely critical when it comes to breweries elsewhere in the world trying to create local varieties. I am all the more pleased when the result is as delicious as Brick Lane’s Guardian, which is a Belgian Tripel par excellence.

The sweet spot with Belgian Tripels is when the right balance is created between complexity and accessibility, with the yeast character leading the charge when it comes to nuanced flavours. The Guardian is an extremely sessionable and dangerously moreish little number that lends itself perfectly well to be a suitable component for boilermakers – I paired it with a dram of Chiefs Son’s Sweet Peat cask strength expression and with its unique yeast strain from the Ardennes and its delicate spiciness helped to elevate things to new heights. 

Summa summarum: Each individual expression I have tried off Brick Lane’s portfolio demonstrates the brewery’s commitment to quality, understanding of the intricacies of complex flavours and the mission to make beer drinking the bacchanal pleasure it is meant to be.

Ocean Reach Brewing

Evolved from a passion for well-crafted brews and small scale homebrewing, what started out as a hobby has evolved into launching the full scale Ocean Reach Brewery that was eventually launched five years ago on Phillip Island and has since established itself firmly not only on the firmament of craft brewers but also as being one of the more forward thinking brewers when it comes to the branding and design of their emissions.

With a core range of beers plus the occasional limited batches released on a seasonal basis, Ocean Reach got not only the staples covered but also shows its expertise in the realm of experimentation, specifically when it comes to sours and hazy IPAs.

I have only had a chance to sample Ocean Reach’s core range IPA so far, which knew to convince not merely with the outstanding presentation in a pink can, but by expertly merging the merits of what India Pale Ales from the new world are known for with the ambition to push the envelope by using hop varieties that are not as commonly used.

The result is a flavourful tour de force comprised of a potpourri of slightly floral, musky berry flavours, which rest comfortably against a backbone of delicate malt bone. Towards the moreish finish, the affair is rounded out via a detour into syrupy territory before a well-calibrated bitterness kicks in.

A great IPA that makes me want to check out Ocean Reach’s future creations.

The Formative Years - Nomeansno 

For the longest time, I have had a love/hate relationship with Nomeansno. While I always loved their fiercely intelligent lyrical emissions which transcended angry sloganeering and could appreciate their willingness to experiment and incorporate progressive rock and jazz influences into their very own brand of punk, the complex instrumentation and borderline mathematical arrangement was more of a deterrent than it reeled me in as a teenager.

I was first introduced to them via a mixtape of Canadian bands that friend of mine compile for me, which included D.O.A., SNFU, Day Glo Abortions and well, Nomeansno. 

It took a couple of years to understand the depth and brilliance of Nomeansno’s oeuvre, which due to the fact of the band starting out as a two-piece, deviated from the standards other full-equipped punk bands were providing. 

With emphasis put on bass, drums and vocals, Nomeansno created their own earthy, unique sound and my favourite period of the band was when Andy Kerr joined the Wright brothers to complete the band with his idiosyncratic guitar tone to record the classic album Small Parts Isolated and Destroyed, which I acquired in form of the CD released via Jello Biafra’s Alternative Tentacles label.

By the time Nomeansno released the fantastically intense Wrong album, I was hooked and travelled far and wide to catch them live when they incarnated in Germany in a live environment, which was never not a mind-blowing experience witnessing them channel their punk roots via noise, prog rock, improvisations and avantgarde rock and performing for hours on end.

Nomeansno redefined what a punk rock could do and have a special place in my personal musical pantheon. The current lockdowns on terra australis gave me time to revisit their entire catalogue and I dare you to dig in as there are so many gems to be found.