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Water of Life – Baron Otard

When it comes to established distilleries with a long-lasting legacy, Otard ranks high with its two hundred twenty-five-year long history. Founded by Jean-Baptiste Antoine Otard, the nomenclature of Otard’s expressions is an homage to his grandfather, who after fighting within the rank of Louis XIV, was made a baron. As if that is not enough to make for a compelling background story, the family owns the pittoresque Chateau de Cognac, i.e. a veritable castle with its catacombs providing a borderline ideal environment to age cognac in.

The first Baron Otard expression I have been exposed to is the VSOP bottling. Living up to its fulminant history, the drop comes in an elegantly shaped, exquisitely designed decanter, which aesthetically sets the scene for the enjoyment of the drop.

On the nose, sublime fruity aromas dominate with interesting notes of peaches, oranges and interesting spicy streaks.

What materializes on the top of the mouth is a complex, viscous full-bodied melange of tobacco, raisins and oak, accentuated by vanilla highlights, which resonates quite well with me being a whisky aficionado.

The mid-length finish bookends the experience by integrating the aforementioned flavours into a fulminant whole.

Ready to dial things a notch or two up?

While the presentation of the VSOP bottle was already a visual delight, the Baron Otard XO Gold Cognac takes things to the next level with its teardrop shaped design.

With the XO signifying the “extra old” age of the eaux-de-vie that was used to make the blend, with the youngest in this case having a minimum age of seven years. Sourced from mainly the Grande Champagne, Borderies and Fins Bois regions, the whole constituents something bigger than the sum of the individual components would suggest:

What tickles the nostrils is an exercise par excellence in an expertly blended melange of floral, honeyed and nutty notes, backed by delicate hints of old leather, prunes and cedarwood, which in some aspects I find it reminiscent of fortified wines.

On the palate, honey and acacia flavours fully unfold their magic, based on a foundation of juicy plums, blackcurrant and figs, which is delicately counterbalanced by hints of grilled almonds.

Calling the finish elongated would be an understatement as the crescendo of brown sugary butterscotch flavours are amplified by hints of dark chocolate.

Given the exquisiteness of both Baron Otard’s VSOP and the XO Gold expressions, a visit to the distillery will be mandatory once travel restrictions ease.

The Formative Years – Compilations pt. 2

Let’s start of the second instalment of this serious with a compilation that I find to be criminally underrated and what most of my contemporaries rate to be a negligible release. There was a time when Kent McLard and the anti-consumerist and DIY approach of his label Ebullition Records was hugely appealing to me ever since I came across the first Downcast 7”.

The compilation Give Me Back was the fourth release on Ebullition – a benefit compilation, with profits meant to be given to the Planned Parenthood, Shelter for Women, and the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce charities. The first press was accompanied by an elaborate 12x12” booklet cover and it introduced to a range of fantastic new bands, some of whose tracks on this compilation have not been released anywhere else.

I was hooked on first listed as Born Against, Sawhorse, Econochrist, Spitboy, Downcast and the band fronted by Ian MacKaye’s sister, i.e. Desiderata were nothing short of awesome.

The next one is a sure shot for anyone remotely into 1980s punk and hardcore and how could a compilation compiled, curated and illustrated by Pushead not be awesome? I covered Pushead’s 100 not too long ago and to some extent, this compilation is a vinyl equivalent to the list as it contains contribution from bands from all corners of this earthround. Apart from the usual suspects like 7 Seconds, the Instigators, the fantastic Siege, Poison Idea, one of Germany’s finest, i.e. Inferno, Septic Death and Corrosion of Conformity, it introduced me to the brilliant Part 1, bands like Mob 47 and Crude SS from Sweden, Civil Dissident from Australia, The Execute from Japan, the amazing Zyklome A and the Australian Extreme. With the artwork being one of my personal faves out of Pus’ oeuvre, this compilation is one of my top ten.

Aggressive Rockproduktionen (AGR) was a German punk label based in the Western Part of Berlin and after being founded in 1980, dominated and coined Teutonic punk rock with an array of classic releases, e.g. Slime, Toxoplasma und Canal Terror.

The compilations Soundtracks zum Untergang 1 captures the unbridled and vicious nature of German punk rock with early songs of such fantastic bands like Middle Class Fantasies, Offensive Herbst 87, Hass, Slime, ZK, Razors and Daily Terror. Not too long after its release, it was blacklisted and only available in a censored version with irritating bleeps on some of the songs.

Part 2 of Soundtracks zum Untergang was dedicated to the “new German punk-underground” and introduced us to bands like Canal Terror, Neurotic Arseholes with their hymn “Kalte Steine”, Notdurft, Marionetz and Blitzkrieg.

Water of Life - Benriach

Benriach has always intrigued me as from a distance, it proved to be difficult to discern and put one’s finger on what the DNA of their emissions was, given the assortment of ages, cask types and finishes. The fact that they differentiated whiskies with the same age statement and released them in smoky and non-smoky variants, i.e. peated and non-peated, only added to the mystique and confusion for some.

It was not until very recently that I got to sample their core range expressions, starting with the Benriach Original Ten.

Clocking in at 43% ABV, the decade long maturation period was spent in barrels such diverse as has ex-Bourbon barrels, Sherry and virgin oak, resulting in an amber coloured drop.

What tickles the nostrils is a fresh melange of apricots, lime and apples, resting on a woody backbone, the latter of which reverberated on the top of the mouth, complimented by honeyed vanilla, raisins and lemony nuances, which seamlessly transition into a finish highlighted by tangy ginger, menthol and biscuit flavours.

Benriach’s The Twelve differs from the Ten in terms of oiliness, to which the two additional years of maturation would have contributed. With a slightly higher alcohol content, I found the mouthfeel to be more textured in a buttery kind of way. Interesting.

Being a peat head, I was excited to see how the Benriach Smoky Ten would differentiate and I found it to be an enhanced version in every aspect, starting with the slightly higher ABV of 46%.

On the nose, the peat is on the sweeter, earthier end of the spectrum, framed by spicy malt notes, dried oranges and a nice appearance of cinnamon.

What materializes on the palate is at times reminiscent of the excellent Ailsa Bay, i.e. sweet earthy smoke with a nice saline twist and brown sugar.

Enter this highlight of the quartet I was able to sample: Benriach’s The Smoky Twelve. Now we are talking as the aroma of BBQ, hops and brown sugar give a pretty accurate idea of what will materialize on the palate in terms of smoky meat and sweet malts.

Summa summarum: The not overly complex core range of Benriach is comprised of solid and affordable offerings, which both in terms of flavours as well as price would lend themselves well for the uninitiated. The fact that the drops are matured in the same combination of casks, gives all of them a common denominator.

With the 12-Year-Old expressions, things get more subtle, textured and refined, and specifically the Smoky variant would be a contestant to enter my rotation.

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image from company website

Music and Fashion…Dr. Martens will see you now!

It was in seventh grade when a much older hellraiser joined my class that I was introduced to Metallica’s “…and justice for all” album, which had just been released. Intrigued and inspired by the aggressive complexity of the album, I delved into their back catalogue to then delve deeper and immerse myself in the metal scene to find gems Slayer and eventually, via a couple of detours, found my way to punk and hardcore, which paved the way for a lifelong affiliation.

Especially at the age of thirteen, a rebellious uniform was a must to go with my mindset and from what I gathered from the older punks I encountered during my first field trip to London and the scarce information that was available via mainstream media, one could not possibly be remotely into punk rock without a proper leather jacket, jeans distressed by bleach and combat boots. My metal loving peers got German Army “Springerstiefel”, which aesthetically lacked appeal and never resonated with me, so when I laid eyes on the cover artwork of Agnostic Front’s live album “Live at CBGBs” and the iconic display of Dr. Martens boots that the deal was sealed: Following Christmas saw a pair of 16-eye steel capped boots high on my want list in my endeavours to shape my appearance to resemble the looks of Wattie from The Exploited I had caught a glimpse of in a fanzine.

Eventually my personal Dr. Martens’ history came full circle in terms of Dr. Martens paying tribute to punk birthplace CBGB with designed variants of its 1460 boot to celebrate its recent sixtieth anniversary, one of which was fabled about to have been inspired by graffiti adorned walls of CB’s toilets.

But let’s dial back a bit and look at the genesis of Dr. Martens to examine why it eventually became such an integral component of rebellious uniforms and subculture at large, along with an unwavering significance to this very day via a myriad of reimaginings that remain true to its DNA.

Doktor Klaus Martens was a medic in World War II and once it had subsided, used military left overs to sew a prototype for a comfortable leather boot, the major objective of which it was to assist people suffering from ailments in the foot region to recover faster. This feat was achieved by the creation of an air cushioned sole, which left its imprint via the label “Airwair”, which remains a trademark of Dr. Martens to this day. After piloting some models, wider exposure was eventually gained in the UK in the late nineteen fifties through a cooperation with the English shoe manufacturing company Griggs.

Entering the British mainstream as a workwear staple in the nineteen sixties, the advent of  the skinhead movement championing working class and the punk movement being spawned by the identity crisis of the middle class, it became an integral part of a new movement at the end of the seventies – probably partly because of its radical military appeal, but definitely because of its durability.

One could claim that through the punk movement and icons like Pete Townsend publicly wearing them in a bid to protest against the mod movement or Elton John sporting an oversized pair in the The Who’s rock opera Tommy, Dr. Martens became synonymous with self-expression, counterculture, attitude authenticity and a sign of one’s roots and leanings: Without music at the core, Dr. Martens would have probably remained a workwear boot.

Needless to say, in 1994, i.e. the year some claim that punk officially died with the advent of the Grunge scene, Dr. Martens experienced a major revival, with the boots not only becoming ubiquitous at festivals, but eventually fashion luminaries like Marc Jacobs and Phoebe Philo being influenced by its style and paying homage with their own collections, which was later – after a bit of a decline - continued in the mid-two thousands by other designers’ reinterpretations and customisations of the classic 1460 boot as well as Dr. Martens’ myriad of collaborations with other brands, e.g. Stussy, Supreme, Off-White and BAPE, which saw some hits and misses eventuate.

Through entering the hardcore scene and an infatuation with Chuck Taylor and Nike, my relationship with Dr. Martens found an almost decade long hiatus, before the iconic shoes with the distinctive yellow stitch entered my wardrobe again – via both the formal and informal variants.

The aforementioned built-to-last classic 8-eye 1460 with its grooved side, heel-loop with its lightly textured leather is quintessentially the mother of Dr. Martens boots: It remains for me to this day a trusted, comfortable and versatile companion that I have relied on specifically through travels to the colder regions of the earthround.  

However, over the years I have come to appreciate Dr. Martens’ more subtle and borderline subversive styles as well: The 5-eye Kelvin Kelvin II Smooth Brogue is a favourite for formal occasion with its firm, finished leather offering a smooth, semi bright appearance. Much more durable than other flimsy footwear constructions due to the upper and sole being heat-sealed and sewn together, I love how comfortable and easy to maintain they are due to their oil and fat-resistancy. The fact that they are made with Goodyear welt, which helps with abrasion and slip resistance, does not hurt either – specifically in winter.

Dr. Martens remains popular today and maintains relevance and currency by sticking to its DNA yet e.g. incorporating well-made vegan variants of their classic models.

However, upon closer inspection, there has been a slight shift due to its popularity and credibility, i.e. Dr Martens has infiltrated the mainstream as a fashion statement rather than a style identity and with models of the calibre of Gigi Hadid, Hailey Baldwin, and Kaia Gerber incorporating the classic boots into their wardrobe to give it an edge, there are countless ways to reinvent oneself by making Doc a seasonless wardrobe staple with an edge.

To the next sixty years!

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Dr. Martens images from company website

High Adventures in the Great Outdoors

Steteco

My first visit to Japan was in 2004 – many more for different reasons follow. What was a formidable experience the first time around, only got better once one was able to discern and deep dive into the beauty that is Japan and specifically the labyrinth of wonders that is Tokyo.  Each time I have the fortune of visiting, there are some regular stops, not only food, sake and specifically whisky related, but to record / toy stores and the HQ of fashion outlets like Undercover and e.g. Kapital in Ebisu, just to gaze at the outlandish creations designers like Jun Takahashi or experience the new ways the Kapital creative team has come up with to distress clothing and rearrange it in the most tragic and wonderous of ways.

While the fascination for the more “out there” Japanese fashion will most likely never vanish, I have grown to increasingly appreciate everyday garments Japanese brands create as they not only feel amazing as far as materials are concerned but more often than not, they have a nice twist to what they are doing. That is, if I can find garments in my size, which is always a challenge in Japan.

Case in point: Steteco, a brand named after the loose shorts worn under kimonos in 19th-century Japan. I had walked past their creations in departments stores many a times, until a friend brought them up and attested that she swears by them. Having received a pair of shorts and shirt as a Christmas gift and getting to experience the simple yet functional cotton-crepe pieces, made me instantaneously a fan and it was fantastic to see how the brand got more exposure via the recent collaboration with Monocle, which finally saw Steteco channel their alchemy in the creation of clothes in sizes larger than “LL”.

Sitting outside at a café, currently wearing some of airy Steteco’s versatile lounge shorts in public, might give an idea of the unique melange that Steteco manages to create, i.e.  marrying traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design, with a firm focus on comfort and durability.

Needless to say, no matter how casual Steteco’s creations look, a closer look shows the meticulous attention to detail and exacting standards their wares are created by as far as weaving, sewing and manufacturing is concerned, which adds a subtlety that many other brands lack. The fact that many of the distinct styles and clothes have a story to them, e.g. pants being named after the hindquarters of a flying squirrel adds a nice playfulness to the story.

Given the humidity of Japanese summers, literally all of their creations have breathability as the common denominator, with their pants being created out of the meshed, soft cotton chijimi textile, which has not only been used since the Edo period and feels nice, but combines elasticity and the ability to absorb moisture.

I am thankful for having been nudged to check Steteco out as it exposed me to a world of clothes that I normally would have not checked out at the Isetan Shinjuku Store.

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image from company website