Bruichladdich 10yo

Distillery: Bruichladdich, Islay, Scotland

Bruichladdich 10yo, OB (now extinct), 46 %, 700ml

話說三四年前，當台灣仍有幾間Tower Records (淘兒唱片)、且P2P軟體及 Bit Torrent尚未風行時，筆者的零用錢大半花在音樂上。我究竟何時迷上搖滾樂，頗難定論。據父母所言，當年他倆在波士頓附近租了棟小公寓，樓下住著一位天天以震耳欲聾音量播放重金屬的大學生，令家父頗為不快。遺憾的是，當時筆者正在母親胎內，天天聆聽搖滾樂，導致父親未來生活中多了不少噪音。早知如此，他們當年要嘛搬家，要嘛請房東管管我的啟蒙老師〈對既不曉得名字也不知道長相的您，容我說聲Thank You〉。

姑且不論此番野史，筆者正式開始收集樂團CD應該是十一歲那年：暑假在美國聽過Alanis Morisette、Bryan Adams、Oasis、Collective Soul、R.E.M.後，心想搖滾樂真是過癮，值得買回家一聽再聽。隨著年紀增長，知道的樂團越多，CD也就買得越兇。

從國二起，筆者便時常放學後到唱片行溜搭，花個1~2小時把所有西洋唱片從A逛到Z，連寫得亂七八糟的中文介紹也仔細品讀，深深樂在其中。在那個沒有MP3的歲月中，我最大的樂趣莫過於「賭博」：挑選從未聽過的專輯，只憑外觀決定買不買。每次拆開封面、播放CD時都充滿了未知與興奮；每次都是300多塊的賭注。有一陣子，筆者自以為培養出光看封面便能判定樂團好壞的能力。事後回想，各種不同的樂風都有固定的封面樣版，而主流大廠下的樂團，往往有更多經費，使其得以設計特別美觀、質感較佳的封面。我的「眼力」事實上只是受資本主義制約的「消費習慣」而已，哈哈！

國三後筆者的習慣開始轉變，常常使用Kazaa下載零星的MP3或透過外文雜誌獲取資訊，然後殺到FNAC或Tower等有賣進口唱片的店去「挖寶」、「碰運氣」。這種方式雖然不如過去刺激，但在FNAC看到擺滿整牆的Slipknot時〈2001年10月發售的IOWA專輯〉，那種感動仍舊難以言喻。

洋洋灑灑寫了這麼多音樂、唱片相關的事，到底要怎麼和Bruichladdich扯上邊啊？筆者的用意在於指出，這一年來開始摸索威士忌，心境猶如當年剛踏入搖滾樂一般，充滿四處搜尋、發掘、品飲的樂趣自不在言。在醇麥酒坊漂亮的壁櫥上看到Talisker 20yo、25yo和30yo時，心中產生了如同上段所述的喜悅！〈但是買不起啊〉至於Bruichladdich，它最初給我的印象，與那些封面花俏但缺乏質感的唱片類似；只是實際聽過/喝下後，才知它不容小覷。

Package: 讓筆者感覺花俏的整體包裝究竟如何？銀色的「鐵桶」中，是像香水瓶般肥短可愛、以水藍色(Teal)為主色的酒瓶，很難想像它和Islay南方兇惡的三姐妹是同一家子。哇咧，瓶頸上還打著「The Laddie」字樣，有點做作。廠方聲稱Bruichladdich發音為Brook-Laddie〈溪畔孩兒，汗〉，這發音和威士忌以及瓶子的意象倒挺合的。我知道Bruichladdich是蘇格蘭少數不隸屬跨國企業的蒸餾場，相當值得嘉獎，但拼命強調「獨立」、「未加焦糖」、「100%艾雷製作」對消費者來說，筆者認為並非那麼重要，重要的還是味道。帝亞吉歐集團替Lagavulin設計的包裝我就很喜歡，瓶上前後各一個酒標，前標只引述一位古人的話，後標則簡單地介紹酒。與外觀內斂、沉穩、剛健的Lagavulin相較，Bruichladdich果真是個Laddie〈or Lassie, haha〉。

Color: 鵝黃/淡金色。不用光照射時，酒中透著一絲橘黃。附贈的小冊子表示，這孩子在雪莉桶中待了總熟成時間的40%。

Nose: 青草類的香味中帶有濃厚的奶脂香，近聞似栗子蛋糕，遠嗅則像蜂蜜蛋糕。這一切底下，果然是略為刺鼻的雪莉香。

Body: 酒體輕→中，但很爽口、滑順。

Palate: 首先是清淡的蘋果、薄荷、草等植物果類口味，隨之一股溫暖、堅固但不至於厚實的烘烤麥芽浮現，最後5ppm 的輕淡泥煤在鼻間輕撥兩下，被隨之而來的濃濃海風、鹽香沖去。只要喝到這股海鹽味，即便它口味再輕淡，也能發現它來自Islay。

Finish: 青草香、麥芽與鹽暫留，快速但不失雅致地收了場。不過有趣的是，它留在犬齒附近的牙齦上特別久。46%的ABV提升了這支酒的重量與持久性。

Bang for Buck Meter: BBB

Comment: 雖然前文中筆者稍稍揶揄它的外觀，這支10yo的香氣驚人，連在門外經過的家母都聞到了，好危險。如此驚人的香氣，確實是我在其他Single Malt中從未遇過的；瓶上的自信恐怕並非空穴來風。若被問到蘇格蘭最難以斷定風格的蒸餾廠，十個行家有九個會答Bruichladdich吧！在那兒任職的麥芽狂人們，每天都進行著多采多姿的實驗，一下子調整泥煤量，一會兒玩桶子，蒸餾、酵母恐怕也在清單之上：正因如此，Bruichladdich風格太多變，價格也較一般同年份酒高，想喝出所以然看來得砸不少銀子: ( 看來在Bar品飲比一瓶瓶購買划算。

Where to Find: 在主打威士忌的酒專尋獲的可能性較高〈e.g.台北市吉林路的醇麥酒坊、新店的春泰行〉，但價位都有些浮動。據我所知，連鎖洋酒都沒有Laddie的蹤影。由於負責進口的「常睿貿易」基地在高雄，或許南部比較容易找。

1/23/08

Guinness Extra Stout

Alright, the real (or better) deal.

Guinness Extra Stout (bottled, brewed in Canada by Labatt), 6.0% ABV, 12oz

Color: When poured, the stout forms a nice, creamy, coffee-colored head. The liquid is pitch-black, so dark that you can see your own reflection on the glass.

Tasting Notes: Waves of thick and smoky (less chocolate-y) roasted malt pleasingly inundates the palate, while the full body envelopes the tongue. The crispness is not sacrificed for flavor here, as subtle hop flavor (not too bitter, not too tame) and carbonation ensure the “dry” is not missing from this helluva oomph-packing Irish Dry Stout. With this available, I can’t see why people would still be attracted to the bottled Draught. This extra stout makes it drink like a pale imitation, yet is still slightly inferior to the product on tap.

Comment: My fondest memories of Guinness lie with the New Year’s Eve party of my freshman year – that is, 2004. On this fateful all-night-long party (which happens to be my first as well), I had a Guinness Extra Stout (9% ABV) from the tap at a now-closed Irish Bar called The Shannon in Taipei – it was heavenly stuff which forever changed my perception of beer. The pint was HUGE, with a perfectly adorably creamy head, poured the RIGHT way (which I still have no clue today). It was smooth, malty and oh so sublime, but I couldn’t finish it. So halfway down I poured a shot of Baileys in and transformed it into a dwarfed Irish Carbomb. Which was also infernally tasty. In retrospect, and presently as someone more learned in the world of beers, I would never drink Guinness as an ICB again. First, the name is quite insulting and politically incorrect – it exhibits a rather Anglo-centric view in terms of its naming – and second, I can appreciate the hop bitterness now. An amusing fact is that my liking for hops has come after peat (in scotch whisky), which is a taste supposedly harder to acquire. Therefore I feel quite comfortable in the realm of barley/grain based liquors – whatever wacky out-of-the-world taste, bring it on! (I may show infinitudes of regret for this statement later.)

Guinness Draught

Back with brews. This time with a displaced classic, or a simulacrum of its former self!

Brewery: Guinness, St. James Gate, Dublin, Ireland (cough, somewhere in Canada)

Guinness Draught (bottled, with nitrogen rocket), 4.2% ABV, 12oz

Color: Ebony, but actual color is closer to a hue of dark coffee/green/blue.

Tasting Notes: The stout forms a thin head (I might not be pouring it properly, though. The nose is quite tempting, with roasted malt and fragrant grains, some leather. Sadly, the palate doesn’t quite fulfill the nose’s potential: first thing one detects is a thin body, lacking roundness. Notes of thick roasted malt stop right before hitting the jackpot, and nitrogen renders the punch even weaker. A lack of carbonation makes the thinness of body and off-metallic bitterness emerge in contrast, ack! There is little to the finish, as the flavors, already skeletal, vanish without a trace. This cleanliness is almost ethereal, ghostly and haunting for those who’ve had a better Guinness elsewhere.

Comment: One could either call Guinness Draught a shadow of its true self (what I refer to the representative Guinness is the Extra Stout from the tap: delicious, delicious stuff) or another victim of globalization. For the latter, not simply counting the over-production implemented to increase global sales, I’m pretty sure the drink on my table is NOT produced in their St. James Gate brewery. Guinness CO. has many subsidiary breweries in Africa, which provide a bulk of their production. But again, this is just speculation. Nevertheless, I can’t picture myself getting another six-pack of this caricature. If there’s any other stout or porter lying around, be my guest.

敵

活了廿四年，如今終於發現對自己而言，那道一直揮之不去，非正面挑戰不可的陰影和敵人究竟是什麼了。

很簡單─它就是過度束縛人們精神的「狹窄性」(the narrowness of things)，它可以是思想、情感、系統，它無所不在，無所不包，時時讓我們墮入安逸、限制了未來性。

身為留學生/跨國者/多文化主體 (類似英文的Third Culture Kid的概念吧)，我發現夾在美國/台灣/中國縫隙之間的自己，無法單以「競爭/敵我」關係劃定三者的關係。應該說，在這兒的半年更加讓我感受到人與人所享有的共通性和友誼。

國家政體身為人民的想像共同體，似乎也亟欲製造與放大集體恐懼，到達某種歇斯底里的程度。為何在個人層次的友誼，到想像群體時，非要化為「可能的」集體鬥爭呢？光以演化理論說明這種鬥爭不甚足夠，必須將市場經濟對人類好鬥性予以增幅處納入考量。將此發揮到極致的民族國家(也就是說，這個星球的絕大部份政權)，除了以假想敵和潛在利益盟友考量他者外，並不考慮人類團體可能的相處模式。面對外來侵略者或是競爭國的挑釁時，只能反動地回應，依賴排他行為鞏固自身，殊不知如染上毒癮般，這種行為模式一旦使用過便極難逃脫，需要極為清楚的自我意識。主動式的民族主義也好不到哪去，聽過一句 “ (插入主詞) are fighting to defend our freedom/democracy abroad” 嗎？在對外態度不變，內部實力膨大的前提下，這股攻擊性很快就會從抵抗(resistance)轉為侵吞。簡言之，民族主義的抵抗之卵長成幼蟲後，若未因養份不足而消逝的話，就是準備變體；成為帝國主義的蛹，孵出惡獸。

民族主義產出的狹隘，在國際層次上，正是阻撓人類同時擁有嶄新個人與團體關係的一大原因(當然還有更多變因，數不勝數)。雖然目前還不大清楚如何挑戰它，但從閱讀和思考開始，應該是個穩固的方向。

2/14/09

Talisker 10yo

Distillery: Talisker, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Talisker 10yo, OB, Blue Package, 45.8%, 700ml

主文：

Another of my top 5 malts, period.

筆者喜愛的Talisker產於蘇格蘭Hebrides群島西北方的斯開島(Skye)，是一 支性格驃悍、海島風味明顯的佳釀。建立於1831年的Talisker採取三次蒸餾，直到1928年改為二次為止。蒸餾廠在一九六零年代遭逢火災，大半被摧毀，但所幸很快重建了。Talisker藉以冷卻、濃縮新酒的機制並非一般機器Condenser，而是傳統的巨大冷卻桶 (Worm Tubs)。其作用為何？廠長Cathy Macleod表示，經過Worm Tub緩慢冷凝的酒體較強，而Talisker獨有的胡椒口感，則可能是管線下方小小的Redux Pipe (將部份新酒在經冷卻前導回蒸餾器內的管子)造成的。

Talisker身為Diageo集團Classic Malts (經典單一麥芽)家族的一員，近年來曝光率提升，逐漸有人欣賞。始自2000年，Talisker推出一系列的限量高年份酒 (Distillers Edition、20yo、25yo、30yo etc.)，是筆者只能在Whisky Exchange網站上望梅止渴的逸品！〈其實在醇麥酒坊都有〉目前唯一固定生產的中/高年份酒18yo，在今年四月於舊金山舉行的世界威士忌大賞上 (World Whiskies Awards) 勇奪「全球最佳單一麥芽威士忌」此一殊榮，可見其雄厚實力。18yo在台灣不難找，筆者等荷包鼓起後，肯定會一嘗究竟。在那之前，就先和Talisker的核心款10yo混熟吧。

Package:

海軍藍的厚紙盒上，隱約可見浮雕的蘇格蘭地圖；蒸餾廠和斯開島的位置則
特意被強調，令人強烈地感受Talisker對家鄉抱持的驕傲。紜妤同學批判包裝有些做作，但個人覺得頗具書卷氣、內斂且耐看，透著幾分孤高。瓶子本身也相當簡單，只有前後標、透明瓶身，不多作遮掩，呈現琥珀色的酒液。由此可見，Diageo在整體設計和行銷上，確實下過一番功夫。話雖如此，兩款舊瓶的包裝卻更令筆者嚮往：心中攙雜一份對逝去美好的渴望，以及錯肩而過的惋惜。或許有朝一日，筆者能有幸體驗Talisker 10yo OB獨具的味蕾震撼。

Color: 琥珀，略偏金色。

Nose: 微量煙味，櫻桃與剛切下的蘋果皮，加上幾絲海風。

Body: 酒體中厚，觸感略似糖漿。

Palate: 入口後是溫厚的麥甜味，烤馬鈴薯與少量乳脂、奶油，隨之而來的是海風、鹹味與怡人的煙，舌上展開花椒般舒服的麻。

Finish: 輕微的花椒刺激，喉間、舌根上保有一股相當久的熱流，但煙燻味頗早退場。45.8%的ABV在此顯示出力道。

Bang for Buck Meter: BBBBB

Comment: 整體平衡極佳！舌上的各種味道分佈地相當均勻、互補，推荐給喜愛
島嶼威士忌者。不過，喜歡艾雷，不一定會喜歡Talisker。它的複雜味道，尤其是濃厚麥甜味(焦糖?)，對紜妤同學說來說就重了點。筆者以為它會較Laphroaig、Ardbeg等性格小生容易接受，誰知…SMW果真是個青菜蘿蔔各有所好的世界。

11/22/07

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

Another beer...good to go with music.

Samuel Adams Octoberfest (lager), 5.4% ABV, 12oz

Color: Amber red, clear.

Tasting Notes: This lager forms a light, tan head when poured. The nose delivers a welcome bouquet of malts (slightly roasted), caramel with supplementary scents of ripe banana and peach. The body is pleasantly thick, with a gentle wave of sweet malt forming the center of the taste, the subdued yet subtle hop flavor complimenting in the form of spices & flowers. All the while, fruity notes emerge into the nose, ending in a brisk finish.

Comment: My first “Octoberfest/Märzen” style lager, the latter in German means "brewed in March". Not as stunning as its labels claim it to be (a malt lover’s dream), nevertheless Samuel Adams Octoberfest is a nice seasonal beer for those who are interested in delving into the maltier side of beer, who doesn’t feel ready yet for a porter, stout or bock. Again, this is my ineluctable bias. The balanced flavor of a well made Octoberfest does reflect the mentality of a mellow autumn: not too striking nor tame, harmonious yet slightly melancholic. But for a “malt maniac” like me, the lager seemed a bit too well-mannered; it had the accessibility and crispness so characteristic of Sam Adams, yet its inability to display more personality ultimately posits it as a fairly decent, but not spectacular beer for me. Having developed a recent liking for hops, they (German Noble hops) are less obviously displayed here, slightly to my disappointment. But it seems that low bitterness and high aromas are characteristic to Noble hops. Oh well, should’ve done my homework. That being said, I should certainly try more Märzens before coming to a definite judgment. Can’t wait to try their Winter Lager and Double Bock, though – the autumn here is sure chewing hard on my sub-tropic, heat-resistant bones.

10/02/08

DJ Spooky & Metallurgy

In the May 2000 issue of Guitar World magazine, I recall that the late Dimebag Darrell, guitarist of the metal band Pantera, voiced his opinion about the hybrid rap/metal music in vogue at the time. Darrell remarked that it wasn’t “pure”, thus less “powerful” than his brand of thrash. This seems to be a blunt, instinctive comment spoken with pride and prejudice, yet when it crossed my mind today, especially after reading/listening to Paul D. Miller’s (aka DJ Spooky) Rhythm Science, it serves as a fitting start for this discussion.

So what is it that I wish to engage? Let’s begin by saying that Miller’s exegesis, both sonically and verbally, revealed elements of conservatism and orthodoxy in my musical taste. So in relation to Miller’s proclivity for experimentation, my love for metal and heavy rock – not the most experimental genres of modern music per se – can be examined under a new light. After giving Miller’s album a spin, it is not difficult to notice the abundance of theoretical/conceptual content in every single track; coupled with his injunction for the audience to engage with these sounds imaginatively (not passively), the 33 tracks are dense, challenging and thoroughly intriguing. Most of all, I believe he accomplished what many electronic artists fail to, that is to create an organic, not processed audio experience. “Turntablism” is what critics refer to Miller’s ilk, though he prefers “Rhythm Scientist” and just “artist” for categorical description, but it is worth noting that he never refers to himself as a “musician” once in the text. So for Miller, the DJ is the artist, the master of sound permutations and also the rebuttal of a fixed point of originality – cut, paste, mix, loop, repeat.

But for a musician like Darrell and I, the purity, simplicity and brutality of a heavily distorted guitar sent through tube amplifiers communicates a primal power like nothing else. The passages and riffs in heavy metal are often compared to Wagner’s compositions (another figure Miller mildly lambasts). No matter how experimental, chaotic, lengthy, dissonant or technical metal gets, there exists a structure, something to be followed by the musician. This technical and structural rigidity stands in stark contrast with Miller’s work, especially perhaps in a live environment. One rarely hears of a DJ’s “track list”, as he/she is free to construct music accordingly, and the interpretation/reaction is left to the audience; the DJ then absorbs the audience’s reactions and forms a reciprocal loop. Whereas in a metal concert, most audience are familiar with the repertoire, and the performers dictate the channeled emotions, with flawless precision. Onstage, the musician, though also a product of his/her influences and a long-winding history of predecessors, can act as the music’s origin in that transient moment (or hour, given that they aren’t lip-synching or air-guitar-ing). It is perhaps this pre-arranged quality that gives rise to the genre’s theatricality. We could say that in a metal/rock concert there is generally less active participation from the audience and more power enjoyed by the performer, though there are some exceptions, such as a Yo-La Tengo show (well, they’re not metal); there usually exists a fixed power-relation. When the performance itself contains indicators of power, and one plays a phallic-shaped instrument and inscribes order to the seemingly chaotic cacophony, it’s no wonder Slipknot’s singer Corey Taylor claimed in an interview that “metal is the last bastion of masculinity”.

From this standpoint, despite its rebelliousness towards sugary modern pop, religion and certain moral issues, musically & conceptually, metal seems to be a relatively conservative genre compared to Miller’s aural adventures. But there is beauty in that too: in the measured chaos of sound and technicality, in crowd’s employment of the band’s primal ferocity for catharsis, in the blistering repetition and precision which certainly also exists in the classical pieces of Paganini or Chopin. The rush one feels after playing a complicated song note-by-note (and better, with one’s own interpretation) is something that keeps musicians like me from experimenting too much. A biological reason also supports this activity, surprisingly: on our fingertips are receptors that trigger the brain to release dopamine after every successful operation. So it’s not only the little fascist in my head that makes me fond of a musical genre that is obsessed with power – both abstract and aural. I now see its conservatism in relation, yet I don’t feel, nor is there a necessity to be apologetic for my fondness of metal.

If originality, according to Bernard Stiegler’s conception of the “genius” as one who is adept at re-composing available technical objects, who is to say that simply playing one instrument cannot yield innovation? The innovations are just less observable, subtler to the non-trained ear or hand. Contingencies for the musician in different environments also illustrate their difference while playing. This directly ties into the LIVE question, also raised in Miller’s text. I strongly feel that Dj-ing as a musical exercise in soundscapes, drastically differs from a band’s live show, as it lacks a “human” element of uncertainty. Sure, one could say that Vinyls and CDs can be squeezed by a DJ to procure new sounds, but there is an already determined sequence of sound etched on its rails, whereas the human performer is an unstable piece of clockwork. The venue, the crowd, the anticipation built up for them and them only designates the uniqueness of a live experience. I can never forget how Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington sang “Pushing Me Away” with only piano accompaniment by Mike Shinoda that November evening in Taipei. His notes vibrated, exploded and cut through the air like a razor, sending shivers up my spine – I think most of the 40,000 attending that night felt it too.