Of Bars and Trains

Miss me?

I missed you.

These past three days away were very eventful.  My career struggles' volume has been turned up to 11.  But to combat that, my brother (who was in town on business) and I got to hang out and visit some bars.

But first, public transportation.

I rode the Long Beach Municipal buses, to and from the nearest Metro stop.  Very impressive system.  Mostly on time.  Very clean buses with nice drivers.  Possibly better than the DC Metro Bus system.  Possibly.

The LA Metro itself is a curious thing.  If one takes the Blue Line to and from LBC and LA, one gets a box seat view of the worst elements of this county.  Entire villages of the homeless, tents and tarps and garbage piles.  Abandoned industry.  Vast empty commercial districts.  Garbage swamped sections of the LA River.

But the train price is fantastic.  $1.50.  This price due to LA's subsidies because there's no way the system can run on a rate like that and...

There's no payment enforcement.  None.  I could have walked right onto the train in LBC and then walked off in LA and never paid.  I bought a TAP card, but the entry turnstiles turn without the card having to be tapped.  My brother bought a paper ticket, but there was no place to put the ticket.  He just walked right onto the train.  No one was checking tickets.

So, the system largely relies on the honor system.  That's mind boggling.  Between the economic despair running through most of this county and the ethical vacuum running through the rest of it, I can't imagine that anyone's paying for the train aside from tourists.

Los Angeles needs subsidies in order to function at all, but all of those tax dollars going to the Metro could be better spent on the rest of this broken county.  Enforcing payment of the meager Metro rate would probably double or triple ticket revenue (and possibly more, I'm just guessing here), thus freeing up some of the public $$$.

---

Okay, you didn't come here for that rant.  So let me climb down off my soapbox...

...and up onto the barstool.


The Edison

Source

The Edison's a trip, not entirely figuratively.  Semi-hidden in an alley off 2nd Street downtown, it looks like it's going to be a cute little speakeasy.  But instead it's a massive multi-roomed entertainment parlor.  Two bars serve up all sorts of high quality spirits (including some decent American-style absinthes).  A live jazz band roars out period tunes, sometimes accompanied by a burlesque dancer.  At least three sets of silent films are projected on the massive walls.  Winged pixies cart around colorful bottled cocktails.

It's a fun scene.  I like the dress code -- no sneakers, or T-shirts -- though I'd thought everyone was going to be in a suit.  Luckily I didn't overdress, but I did wear pants.

The whisky prices were about half that of Seven Grand's.  We started out with Clynelish 14 (a reliable malty malt).  Then Jason had Redbreast 12 for the first time (success!) and I had a very well priced Lagavulin 16 (magnificent: smoldering peat cigar, milk chocolate, cinnamon, Sweet Jeebus I can't wait to do a proper report on this one).

[One note to the bartender:  I know that calling every female customer "Baby" is keeping with the '30s theme (and is The Bee's Knees, in theory), but when you're twenty-five with a head full of hair product and a licentious leer, it ain't classy; it's harassment.  I don't care how cool your vest looks.]

In any case, I'm definitely going back with Kristen.  She would love this place.  Plus I really want to try out some Kübler since no one else was touching the stuff.  I recommend this place to folks looking for a unique bar in Downtown LA.


The Bowery

The Edison was on Friday night.  The Bowery began our Saturday night.

Add caption

The Bowery is quite small and a bit dark inside at night, but I've never had a problem getting a seat (or seeing my whisky).  Their food is fantastic.  I've had great sandwiches, sides, and soups there.  The people I've gone with have praised the burgers.

Their liquor selection is excellent.  I've said it before and I'll say it again:  they provide excellent whisky pours.  Just ask for it neat and in a brandy snifter.  I enjoyed a Benriach 12yr (thanks Jason!) and its report will follow this week.

Source

The food prices are reasonable for that part of town.  The whisky prices are comparable with The Edison, some being more, some less.  They have a nice selection of international ales and beers too, if you're looking for something cheaper than a single malt.  Another recommended establishment.


The Piano Bar

This one is going to need its own post someday.  I love this place.

Source

Good drinks, nice design, non-scene crowd, and GREAT music.  All the bands are good, but seriously find out if Brother Sal is playing before you go.  He and his band are F-----g Awesome!  I have nothing but hyperbole for them.  I have repeatedly sat through hours of traffic to see their enormous Blues/Rock/Jazz/Saloon/Thunder.

Source

Jason and I stopped by on Saturday.  He had a Balvenie Doublewood and I had a Macallan Cask Strength (report also to follow soon).  It wasn't a Brother Sal night, but were able to grab a table and chill and enjoy the evening.

---

But now all that has past and a week begins anew.

Welcome back, Sir Monday.  May your stay be brief.  Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.

Single Malt Report: Laphroaig 18 year (with guest reporter!)

Going a little higher shelf than usual today, but for good reason: Laphroaig makes a damn good malt.

I've previously reported on the 10year and the Quarter Cask bottlings.  Both are strong, medicinal, phenolic, unapologetically-Islay single malts.  The 10year and I have gone from enemies to allies, from "gross" to "that's really good".  The Quarter Cask was love at first nose.  In fact, if I can find a good price on it, I'll be obtaining a bottle this year.

When you order any young Laphroaig at a bar, you do so already anticipating the peat-reek, salt, menthol, band-aids, and Islay air.  It's a reliable muscular industrial wallop, even at lower ABV levels.

As previously mentioned, I'm a newer convert to the Laphroaig palate.  My friend and fellow whiskey fanatic, Bernardo, is about five years ahead of me on that front.  In fact, he's a few years ahead of me on the whisky journey in general, though I've been drinking doing my best to catch up.  So who better to share a Laphroaig report with?

We separately sampled drams of Laphroaig 18, sharing a sip with the wives, Kristen (mine) and Suburban Food Nerd (his), in order to get a complete picture of this older single malt.

Distillery: Laphroaig

Age: minimum 18 years

Maturation: bourbon barrels

Region: Islay

Alcohol by Volume: 48%

This 18-year release began in 2009, replacing their 15-year-old malt.  Laphroaig has said that this one gets a limited release every year, though they don't slap a cask or bottle count onto the label, so no one except Laphroaig Ltd. knows the release numbers.

Like the Quarter Cask, the 18 year is not chillfiltered and I'm pretty sure there's no added coloring since it has a pale-ish tone.  Without the filtering, the whisky clouds up at colder temperatures or with added water, but it retains a large amount of the palate complexity it gains from the oak casks.  

It is bottled at a good strong 48% ABV, but thanks to its age, the rougher alcohol corners have been smoothed out.

Enough with the facts!  Okay, maybe one more.

TRUE STORY:
When I called Bernardo about his tasting session, this is how the phone conversation began...

Bernardo:  "Hello?"
Me: "So did you pound that eighteen year old yet?"
Me: (laughing like I was in junior high)
Bernardo: Yes.

To the pounding tasting!

---

First, Bernardo's notes:

Color - Light Gold / Straw
Nose - Soft Peat, Mint, Moss, Sweet
Palate - Slow Developing, Lightly Smoky, Vanilla
Body - Light, Oak
Finish - Lingering, Candied orange

Damn, how professional and straightforward.

Now for my flowery, overwritten notes:

(NEAT)
The color is a lovely light gold, but darker than the 10 year old (rhyme!).
The nose shows the malt mellowing with age.  Very subtle peat.  A sugary bourbon vanilla up front and maybe some dried apricots in the back.  A little bit of oak.  No band-aids.  No plastic.
The palate has some dusty peat, wood smoke, malt, and a little vanilla.  Gentle compared to the 10yr.
A graceful finish of sweet cream sneaks up then sticks around.

(JUST THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH OF WATER)
This brings out the sweets in the nose.  Big vanilla and brown sugar.  Peat has almost vanished.
The palate gets sweeter too.  Same vanilla and brown sugar.  Subtle smoke.  Caramel sauce.  And something mossy.
The finish is still nice and warm.  More vanilla and brown sugar.

---

First, the good news.  It is very very smooth.  Kristen didn't even make the whisky face.  (I think she only likes the expensive stuff.)  The sweetness is a very nice surprise.

The other news.  It comes down to palate preference.  Amongst all of the subtlety and grace, the Laphroaig character has gone into a slumber.  It was kind of surprising.  There is no doubt that this a lovely luxurious whisky, but...

I still enjoy the Quarter Cask more, with its delicious complex craziness.  And I think Bernardo (please correct me if I'm wrong) may prefer the 10year for its grand capital 'L' Laphroaigness.

Though neither of us would ever turn a glass ($25-35 in a bar) of this away, were it offered.

This malt is priced similarly to other well known singles in its age group, so I have no qualms with its relative price.  So ultimately, if finances aren't a barrier, then this a lovely gentle Islay malt that comes highly recommended.

Pricing - Good at $100, Bad at $150 (saw it going for $72 in a Arizona Costco!)
Rating - 86

Drive (the film)

This review is biased from the start.  I love LA noir stories.  I love synth soundtracks.  I love the stillness in great European cinema.  I love aerial photography of Los Angeles at night.  I love gradual buildups of suspense and dread.  DRIVE hits all of these notes with confidence and ease.

It's a tale about an unnamed Driver (Ryan Gosling), a movie stunt driver who moonlights as a independently contracted robbery getaway driver.  He falls in love with his cute neighbor, Irene (Cary Mulligan), and her son.  But once he vows to help her ex-con husband get out of financial trouble, he's pulled into an abyss of crime and murder.

Whomever thought that the Academy was going to line this film's shelf with statues was kidding themselves.  This is a genre piece.  It's honed, sculpted, and crafted beautifully, nailing every genre mark with a cold heavy hammer.  But it's still a genre piece with no unnecessary flash nor cloying bathos.  The good news is that it was relatively successful with its box office receipts.  So maybe we'll see more of its like in the future.

Now who's kidding himself?

Gosling is great as the McQueen-meets-Eastwood meets-Hella-Handsome driver.  He emotes very little, but it's there in subtle shadings.  Mulligan is solid in an underwritten role -- though that's a quirk with the noir genre, the best female roles are always for the femme fatales and Irene is the furthest thing from the Deadly Lady.  Ron Perlman is unnerving in a grandiose simian way as one-half of a Jewish mobster team.  The other half of that team is played by Albert Brooks who hits every aspect of his character perfectly.  For those of you who always wanted to see Albert Brooks get his murderer on, here's your chance.

But it's the exemplary technics that boost this film the most.  After the opening, about forty-five minutes pass with nary an action sequence, though its suspense grip tightens and crackles like leather gloves on a steering wheel.  When the action does erupt over the entire second half of the film, it's directed and edited so clearly that's it a bit startling.  Even the very first sequence, a robbery getaway, the viewer can follow every single thing that's going on.  No tricky editing, no weird angles.  It just plays out with a (now) rare cinematic clarity, with the same cool grace of the Driver.

Of course, the flip side of having such steadily designed action means that every drop of blood (and brain) is on display.  After bemoaning cinematic violence last week, I do have to say that this film is REALLY GORY.  I can't really state with certainty the stylistic need to show crushed heads, but it doesn't come as much of a surprise from the director of PUSHER, BRONSON, and VALHALLA RISING.

That element aside, Nicolas Winding Refn does a tremendous job here.  There's a calm but precise style that runs throughout this film which he holds firmly throughout.  Its running time of 100 minutes is perfect too, getting into the story then getting out much quicker than 99% of the other films onscreen this year.

And then there's the elevator scene.

Cinema has had plenty of action/suspense scenes in elevators.  But none has ever been like DRIVE's. It pirouettes from nerve-rattling suspense to surprising delicate romance to action to gory horror all within 120 seconds.  None of it feels overdone, every piece is perfectly in place and dazzlingly executed.  'Executed' being the key word.  And it all shows (not tells, there isn't a word spoken) a necessary series of beats for the story; things will never be the same for these characters after it's over.  Style intertwined with storytelling, the heart of cinema.

I recommend DRIVE to folks who can take seeing some serious violence.  And if you like the noir genre, then this is your jam.  Think Steve McQueen in LE SAMOURAI with more emotion and the lights of Los Angeles gleaming like stars in the moral darkness.

The Tuesday Loop

This is a very intense writing week for me so I might be a little more scattered and schizo with this week's postings.  First let's talk w--

I've got this song stuck in my head.  Its chorus keeps running over and over and over again.  I can't stop it and I don't know how it got in there.

Hey, Blue Text, it's difficult enough to focus right now even without interruptions.  So, if you could hush for a few minutes, then you and I can discuss offline later.

I'll try, but this song is driving me crazy.

First, let's talk whisky.

The Dram Quest

As you'll notice, a new list has popped up in the right frame of the page.  These are whiskies that I most desire to sample.  None of them are outrageously expensive.  No 30+ year olds nor 1960-somethings.  Most aren't easily obtainable, but I desire the chase.

I'll cross 'em off as I try them.  I'll add new ones from time to time, but I'll keep the list below 20.

The Whisky Library...

...has grown considerably in recent months.  I'll be updating the Sources on the Whisky Notes page this week with this whole list:

Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch, 6th Edition - I recommended this in the whisky gifts post.  It really is one of the great all-time volumes on whisky.

Jim Murray's Whiskey Bible 2012 - A zillion (or maybe 4500+) whiskies reviewed by a gentleman who seems to be a bit of an unconventional character in the whisky scene.  Though I agree with him about half the time, each of his reviews are insightful and full of whisky love.  Also recommended in that whisky gift post.

101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die by Ian Buxton - GREAT book.  I reviewed it here.

Single Malt and Scotch Whisky by Daniel Lerner - A gift from an old friend.  My first whisky book.  The binding is totally shattered.  A good early intro whisky book.

Whiskypedia by Charles MacLean - Similar structure to the "Complete Guide", sans reviews, but every page packed with oodles and oodles of distillery info.  MacLean's a great writer and this is a great reference book.

Scotch Whisky, A Liquid History by Charles MacLean - Speaking of super reference books, holy moley!  This is going to take a while to get through, but I'm working on it.  So much good stuff!

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2012 - The pictures!  The articles!  The stats!  This is THE annual must-have.  There's so much great news about the state of the industry and the fine brown liquor itself.

Whisky by Aeneas MacDonald - Tremendous.  It is literature.  And that is by no means exaggeration.  Beautifully written.  Lyrical, even.  Originally published in 1930, it was the first book written by and for the whisky drinker.  There's tons of history and distillation instructions, but the pseudonymous writer crafts such a lovely homage to the beauty of whisky, that I'm going to have to cover this in its own post.

Hmmm Hmmm Hmmm Hmmm Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo, Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo.  Damnit, the tune's still there!  Where did it come from?

Hey!  Hush, the post is still going.

The Bro is in Town

Jason arrives in LA today for business reasons.  On Thursday and Friday we're going to visit at least two great drinking establishments.  More on that once it's done.

Hmmm Hmmm Hmmm Hmmm--

And I'll be taking the Metro!  I've lived in LA County for over 11 years and I've never taken the Metro.  Largely because it never is where I am nor where I am going.  But now it is where I am and where I need to go.  Hopefully that experience is uneventful and won't need its own post.

Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo, Hmm Hmm Hmm Hmm--

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

I've always been a big fan of Abbey Road, but now that I've given Sgt. Pepper's another go I think it may pull ahead as my favorite Beatles album.  Technically, it's astounding.

It would be Exhibit A for why psychedelic drugs are good, but I don't think most mortals can hold the clarity and vision together enough to create such a complete piece of art--

Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo--

It destroys The Beach Boys Pet Sounds as far as innovation and song structure--

Oh no!  I can't stop the song!

Yes, you can!  Just a few more min--

It's burning through my defenses!  Oh f--

I want your loving
And I want your revenge

Oh dear.

You and me could write a bad romance

I'm going to---

I want your loving
And I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance

We didn't need to hear that a second time.

Oh ohhhh whoaaaa ohh ohhh
Caught in a bad romance

Whew.  I feel so much better now.


Hello?


What happened to Black Text?


Hello--

For the benefit of Mr. Kite
There will be a show tonight on trampoline
The Hendersons will all be there
Late of Pablo Fanques Fair-what a scene
Over men and horses hoops and garters
Lastly through a hogshead of real fire!
In this way Mr. K. will challenge the world!

Now, on to work.

Not a Super Bowl commercial (sadly)

A child takes a sh*t in a tub.  Buy our product.



"That's great, Honey!"

I'm assuming she's going make the child clean the sh*t out of the tub himself, after she shoves his face in it.  Otherwise -- look how proud he is of himself -- he's going to deuce the drain again tomorrow.

This is all I'm going to picture next time I see a bottle of Clorox.

Single Malt Report: Bunnahabhain 12 years old

Bunnahabhain.  Yeah, that's how it's spelt.

An empty dram of it.

Here's what a full fifth of it looks like:

The dram is mine, the bottle is not.  Sadly.

Bunnahabhain.  Still working on spelling it.  It's Gaelic for "Mouth of the River".

Pronounced (pro-nownst) Boo-na-hah-vin, Bunnahabhain, along with Bruichladdich (we'll get to that one another time) are the two Islay distilleries that are the hardest to spell.  But more importantly they're the two Islay distilleries that keep their malt peating to a tiny minimum.

So it's a bit of a switcheroo on one's whisky wits when one sips this Islay and the silky sherried malty malt hits the tastebuds.  Donde esta el fuego del peat?  No esta aqui.  (Guess who almost got a 'Fail' in Pass-Fail Spanish 3???  Señor Krav.)

Let's get to some history:

The distillery was built in 1881 by a partnership of Robertson & Baxter (Glasgow) and the Greenlees Brothers (Campbeltown).  This partnership became Highland Distilleries in 1887 and would later become quite the powerhouse, also owning Macallan and Highland Park.  Production at the Bunnahabhain officially began in 1883 and has survived multiple whisky droughts, Prohibition, industry-wide overproduction, and two world wars.

They doubled their stills in 1963, creating what was then the largest production capacity on Islay (now surpassed by Caol Ila).  In 1999, Highland Distilleries was acquired by The Edrington Group.  In 2003, it was sold to Burn Stewart Distillers -- who are part of the conglomerate that owns Belvedere Vodka and Angostura Bitters.

Bunnahabhain's unpeated malt was developed specifically for blending, as it was an element of Cutty Sark and a major ingredient in Black Bottle (also owned by Burn Stewart).  They first started bottling it as a single malt in the 1970s and haven't changed the label of the saluting sailor and "Westering Home" motto since.

---

Distillery: Bunnahabhain

Age: minimum 12 years

Maturation: Sherry casks

Region: Islay (North Shore)

Alcohol by Volume: 46.3%

Around 2010, this twelve-year old malt's ABV had increased from 40% to 46.3%.  The whisky also has no artificial coloring and isn't chill-filtered.  Three great things working in its favor (flavor?) right there.

NEAT:
The color is a very dark amber, courtesy of sherry casks.
My first reaction about the nose: "It smells like a sweetie!"  That's the first time an Islay gave me that reaction.  There's lots of sherry in the nose.  Maraschino cherries.  Liquor-filled chocolates.  Sweet citrus (maybe oranges?).  Cherry lolipops.  And toasted candied walnuts.
The palate was very full and silky.  Full of nuts and sherriness.  Very fragrant fruits, like lychee or fresh apricots.
More sherry cask in the lengthy finish.  More of the sweet citrus.  Very warm.

Scrumptious!

WITH WATER, about 30% ABV
The nose is lighter, airier.  Still some sherry, but the malt jumps forward.
The palate ... well, here are my notes: "Creamier, cream, and also creamy."
The finish was a spicy sherry creamsicle.

Clearly this one's best for (or with) dessert.  In a blindfold test, I would never guess that it's an Islay.  Most of the great whisky noses out there can find a tiny bit of the Islay salt and smoke.  Distracted by the big sherry, I didn't find it.  But I'd love to give it seven or eight more tries...

[Update (2/28/12) -- Found it!  Found the peat.  Had a glass of Bunny 12 for dessert at Postrio at The Venetian in Vegas.  Perhaps it was the brandy snifter, perhaps it was a fresh bottle, perhaps I was on my game.  The peat is lovely and subtle, not intrusive.  Possibly even a starter Islay for the peat averse.  This scootches it up one spot in the rankings.)

Pricing - Very Good at $45, Sorta Acceptable at $55

Rating - 86

The "God Bless America" trailer

This trailer for "God Bless America" will either excite or upset your Friday.

(Warning: Not Safe for Work due to cusswords.)

I have two different voices going on in my head about this film.  The first one says that the movie looks like a contemporary Bonnie and Clyde tied to a theme of our society in decay.  The other voice says, wow someone's going to go on a shooting spree after seeing this.

Of course, I haven't seen the actual film.  Nor have its detractors.  Can't judge a film's ethics based on a trailer.  Though this trailer seems to hold back little of the ethical comment.

And clearly it taps into the intellectual, creative, and ethical decay that most of us feel is happening all around our country.  But it (the trailer) addresses it with the finality of death and destruction, a fantasy that all ills can be ended with anarchic violence.

And that's where the third of my schizophrenic voices says, "While I'm sure that this movie will be more interesting than anything else in theaters this year, I'm going to skip it." I'm going to judge this film, based on the trailer alone, because I'm tired of American violence.  I'm tired of how it's woven into our values.  Not just in our news and politics.  I'm tired of seeing in art.  Hearing about it in music.  Watching documentaries about it.  Seeing narrative films exploit it.  Seeing narrative films comment on it.

Seriously, when are we going to get some good films about healthy American sex?  I'll watch documentaries about it.  Narrative films that exploit it.  Narrative films that comment on it.  Yes, this subject matter is easily accessed online for free via a multitude of websites that'll play graphic somewhat-staged lightly-edited episodes.  But I'd rather see our larger entertainment industry embrace American sexuality much more fully, especially in our cinema.  Hell, independent and big-budget.  Sex is much more interesting and entertaining than violence.  And there are great swells of money to be made by it.  So there's no reason to shun capitalism in order to perpetuate the mythical puritan ethic.

Give us unending hours of flesh that doesn't bleed and I'll say "God Bless America."