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Interested in what terra australis has to offer in terms of libations and tipples?

Look no further.

The first instalment of this series shall shed light on Starward.

Have you ever longed for a place where you can partake in something of unique taste that resonates with our inner E-chord whilst allowing you to connect with like-minded individuals within the confines of a comfortable, low-lit surrounding reminiscent of a speakeasy during the prohibition era?

Sydney Shirt Bar’s Scotch Club could be exactly that place.

Once a month they host private tasting sessions where an expert or a team of them will guide the selected audience through the different spirits on offer.

Usually on a Tuesday night in the middle of the month and almost always a sell-out, interesting conversations usually evolve organically and are a welcome bonus

The Scotch Club we attended introduced us to a drop from Melbourne, Victoria: Starward.

Melbourne, unlike it’s sister Tasmania down south, is not exactly known to be an epicenter of whisky making tradition, yet if you are remotely into whiskys you could not help but notice that Starward building on the heritage of whisky making, has infused it with what Australia has to offer and created a mélange that has been decorated with accolades for being a craft distiller ever since its first inception for its fine wine cask matured single malt. It has firmly placed the flag of Melbourne, Victoria on the map of whisky lovers and I have yet to meet one that was not swayed by their emissions once they have had a chance to try it.

Blame it in parts to Melbourne's notoriously ever-changeable weather conditions, i.e. seasons in the size of days, which assist in the creation of a richer, mellower whisky in a shorter time frame because of the way the barrels are made to allow for the subtle flavours to evolve.

The discrepancy in Victoria’s temperature result in the whiskys expanding and contracting within the red wine barrels at an accelerated rate, which culminates in alcohol evaporating quicker and flavours being extracted in a faster manner.

Long story short, Australian mainland whiskys like Starward need therefore less time to mature and manage to reach their prime within two and a half years instead of four, which is the going rate of more temperate, stable surroundings, and gives Starward an edge when it comes to scale quickly.

David Vitale, Starward’s founder, started off the proceedings of the evening with an introduction shedding light on how in 2007 he was inspired to create a spirit that reflects his hometown, which is surrounded by some of down under’s most prominent wine regions and has become known as the micro brewing capital of the Southern hemisphere.

Relying on ingredients chosen from local suppliers, e.g. locally grown brewer’s barley, which is married with yeast to conjure the signature flavour of Starward – one that would not be ill described with “luscious”.

Following the fermentation / brewing process and a distillation process involving copper pot stills, the emission, reminiscent of a barley schnapps, gets its rich ruby red colour and additional flavor notes from Starward’s red wine barrels – using these is the equivalent of Starward’s “secret sauce”:

Having established close collaborations with local winemakers, Starward fills the barrels while there are still saturated with remainders of vino for the entire period of maturation without charring them again, which is usually done in Europe.

It is not further wondrous that as a result, you do not need to be a truffle pig to detect vibrant nuances of voluminous Shiraz and Cabernet reds, as well as more subtle notes of Pinot and Rosé.

Sounds delicious? Your palate will thank you.

Your humble narrator’s favourite Starward emission is the beautiful Solera, which is solely matured in Australian fortified wine barrels, which are hand selected specifically for aging this special drop.

The barrels have formerly contained Apera, which is an Australian take on Spanish sherry. The barrels are approximately forty to fifty years of age and have diverse and complex flavours of dried fruit, spice and sweetness.

What is in a name?

Well, in this case a modern approach to the solera system to ensure consistency.

If I had to describe Solera to the uninitiated, reference points would be the rich toasty caramel and crème Brule and other confectionary aroma notes that meet fruit, pepper, sandalwood and nutmeg for a fulminant finish.

Oh, and of course the fact that it comes ochre in colour and a finish reminiscent of the aforementioned wines.

Complex.

Rich.

Well calibrated.

Starward.

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Photo from Starward website

Wine Selector’s 50 Best

The Old Rum Store

Sydney, Australia

February 15, 2018

Wine Selector is the authority and when it comes to the finer things of all things pertaining to the fermented juice of grapes in all of its varieties.

Wine Selector’s tasting committee of industry experts is comprised of over one hundred and forty years of perspicacity in the vino industry, with representatives having longstanding backgrounds in the art of winemaking, educating the uninitiated and judging panels the world over: They know their stuff, are extremely knowledgeable and have a sense for identifying emerging styles or new variations that have the potential to become the next big thing, which they accomplish not by merely judging but doing their due diligence with visits of vineyards and looking behind the scenes of operations of Winzers and what makes them tick.

Summa summarum, they are a reference point that does not lack integrity and is a great starting point and compass when you embark on your explorations in wine territory.

Wine Selector’s 50 Best Tasting event paid tribute to what they consider the best liquid emissions that emerged in 2017 with a focus on drinkability, complexity of flavour profiles, value and, most importantly, scoring points in the deliciousness department with quite a few hidden gems being introduced to your humble narrator.

The result of their deliberations after having tasted more than four thousand wines resulted in a showcase that paid homage to not only the known and classic region-specific variations but effort was made to incorporate drops at different price points and shed light on new discoveries, flanked by some light fare and morsels proffered via grazing tables.

Personal favourites of the evening were Margaret River’s clear and vibrant Umamu’s Sparkling Chardonnay 2005, with its crispness and dryness and honey-esque palate, and, heading from Clare Valley, the dark fruity dangerously drinkable Erin Eyes Gallic Connection Cabernet Malbec 2015.

The event was held at the top level of Chippendale’s Old Rum Store, which extended to a rooftop terrace and provided the ideal ambience for a celebration that would have made Dionysus proud.

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photos by @k.a.vv

Delirious: Art at the Limits of Reason, 1950-1980

Metropolitan Museum of Art

www.footprint.com.au

1950 until 1980 was certainly an interesting era: The implications of post-second world war sentiments paired with the omnipresence of violence and brutality that has been witnessed first-hand on one side, and the extraordinarily fast development of technology and industrial capitalism on the other. Anxiety was in the air: Technology and science brought welcome innovations, yet it came in tandem with the production of means that could render us all extinct.

This anxiety paired with a questioning of rationalism was reflected specifically in the art world, where irrationalism was not just juxtaposed to reason but found its manifestation in challenging and at times disturbing works with the ultimate goal of questioning traditional notions of harmony and harmony in the realm of aestheticism.

Works by around seventy artists from all corners of this earthround are examined and depicted with the focus being the irrational, the delirium of disorder within a range of contexts – societal, culture and Western civilisation at large, literature and politics – and via a range of media old and new, e.g. sculptures, paintings, photography to audio recordings, videos and book designs.

Delirious: Art at the Limits of Reason, 1950-1980 is an ode to experimentation with irrationality and unorthodox, often perplexing techniques, which ultimately culminated in the genesis of a new aestheticism, i.e. it created answers to the questions it set out to raise to fight the inequilibrium of turbulent times.

A thought provoking book that rings strangely familiar, finds relevance in our times and serves as a vital source of inspiration as well as a refuge with those being at odds with their surroundings and the climate we find ourselves in today.

Craft beer.

To thrive in today’s day and age of fleeting sensations and flavours du jour, establishing oneself in the the crowded craft alcoholic beverage arena is no mean feat that demands a clear vision, passion, a melange of heart and brains to create something truly special.

Craft has always been more than a hip label - it’s the antidote to prefabricated, industrial mass production - yet while some might entertain the notion of a romantic endeavour and that clever marketing mights be sufficients to make it, if your product is lacking soul and merit, it will only go so far.

In order to make it in the realm of craft beer, not every emission of the entire line has necessarily to be unique snowflake of worldclass, but there has to be consistency in terms of quality and a unique take on things certainly helps to stand out.  

Enter Young Henrys.

A beer brand you want to get your paws on for a myriad of reasons.

Let me elaborate why -

The story of Young Henrys’ genesis goes a little bit like this:

Richard Adamson and Oscar McMahon meet, get along, discover that they share a weak spot for beer, adventure, innovation and fun.

Match made.

It was decided to turn talk into action.

Action was first taken in an industrial warehouse space in Newtown.

2012 a.d.

Small operation with the underpinning idea to conjure a brew for the local community of Newtown, which in essence has not changed to this day.

It worked. The idea took off.

People liked their beer.

A lot.

Demand was growing and with it to expand the scale of operations.

Another warehouse space was acquired.

What evolved from there is an Australian success story.

Community sense and brewing with a conscience, e.g., reducing environmental impact, is a red thread of Young Henrys operations and manifests in the layout of its current headquarters: More of a permanent beer festival than a mere brewery offering a forum not only for hop aficionados but musicians, hospitality staff and artists, sustained by local food trucks stopping by to proffer gourmet and other fare.

What makes Young Henrys interesting is their wide range of operations, which are not limited to any medium and spans from bands via magazines to radio stations.

Specifically the collaborations with bands piqued my interest as a lot of attention to detail goes into the creation process, e.g. with a weed loving outfit calibrating the alcohol content to 4.20% or the artwork / names, often puns or double entendres to build a bridge between seemingly unrelated worlds and create a synergic medium that is so much more than a mere alcoholic beverage.

A recent favourite of Young Henrys’ range is the current Summer Hop Ale: Fruity hues meet hoppy ale tinged with the bitterness of grapefruit.

A thing of beauty and n example par excellence for a summer ale.

Now, your humble narrator’s was particularly taken by a limited batch conjured in collaboration with local indie heroes You Am I:

Brew Am I set out to capture the spirit and lightning of You Am I in a bottle: A beautiful pale ale, clocking in at 5%.

Originally brewed in 2013 to celebrate 20 years of You Am I albums and tours, Brew Am I was exclusively available at the band’s shows and makes appearances every now and then in limited runs, e.g. in distinctive special editions of one liter squealers as well as on tap in selected venues.

One wishes it would be made available on a permanent basis.

Another favourite release is Dr Röt Fifer:

The emission is based on collaboration with Oz Comic-Con and artist Doug Holgate.

A tasty Vienna Lager with 5.3% alcohol.

Needless to say that their recent collaboration with the Foo Fighters to celebrate them holding court In Sydney, which culminated in giving birth to a brew called “Foo Town” and the take-over of a downtown bar that became a dedicated FF shrine, garnered worldwide interest and became an instant collectable.

Young Henry also does cider:

Sourcing their apples from local producers, and a mélange of Royal Gala and Pink Lady varieties, results in a cloudy emission without any added nasties.

Make sure to taste Young Henrys when you have a chance and pay a visit to their HQ when you are holding court in Sydney as there’s a good times to be had, no matter what your poison of choice is.

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photos by @k.a.vv

Death: A Graveside Companion 

Thames and Hudson

Not sure if you concur with Socrates in that death may the greatest of all human blessings but it is certainly a topic that is relevant to every mortal and has been explored in a myriad of ways.

With over one thousand images, Death: A graveside companion is an opulently illustrated tome whose four hundred pages shed light on the intersections between life, beauty, spiritualism, mourning and death and its perception and depiction in different cultural contexts and through the ages.

Rituals, celebrations, sacraments, customs are depicted with images mainly based on the collection of one Richard Harris and help to understand that what is perceived to be the common perception of death is merely a one-sided view that helps to deal with a taboo subject that does not discriminate.

What can be a morbid and voyeuristic affair, has been resolved by editor Joanna Ebenstein’s dignified approach to mortality, the curation of the depictions and the essays contributed by authors, medical professionals, academics, cultural critics and spiritual luminaries.

The essays are often scholarly in nature yet accessible for the uninitiated as well as diverse with the background of the individuals not being rooted in a singular discipline, but presenting a wide range of perspectives.

Ebenstein’s approach tackles the sujet from different angles – be it myths, pop culture, metaphysics or science – and thereby creates a stimulating and inspiring source of insights.

A beautiful, handsomely bound and superbly edited compendium dealing with the inescapable and capturing attitudes, thoughts, ideas, interpretations, traditions and musings on the biggest mystery there is.