Whisky, Words and Wine

A special episode this week involving Jack's jaunt around Scotland and a really interesting chat with the head of one of Britains largest distilleries, Alan Kilpatrick. 
Everything you wanted to know about Scotch but were afraid to ask.
A quick quiz to answer at the end:
How many barrels of Scotch are their per man, woman and child in Scotland?
what qualifies as "Scotch"?
Single Malt vs blends - what's the difference?
What is the accepted date that modern single malt whiskys were first produced
Is there really a Mr Johnny Walker?
Is Jack still upright?

“What’s worn under a Scotsman’s kilt? – Nothing! – it is all in perfect working order!” (Spike Milligan).
Jack is back in the old country and living the life, planning a grand tour  of highland distilleries. Graham is jealous and resorts to arcane books on historical borders......say no more.
Jack has finally got GoT, and delves Deep into Purple while meeting a famous photographer on a Dessert Island (disc).
And Graham has the difficult conversation – if Jack is galivanting overseas, then he may just fill in time by committing Podultery next week……
Wine: Del Rios Shiraz, 2018, (Geelong, Australia)
Whisky: Highland Park  Single Malt (Orkney)
Word of the week: Munro – ( very high Scottish hill)
Reading: - “7 Decades of Deep Purple” – Martin Popoff
-London Falling – Patrick Radden Keefe (thanks for the recommendation Camilla)
Watching: -Knights of the 7 Kingdoms;
-House of Dragons
-Billy Joel doco
Listening: -Dessert Island Discs (Richard Young episode)
-Adrift – Apple podcast
-Daily Beast podcast
Fryrsquared youtube/podcast (Prof. Hannah Fry)

This week Jack manages to throw the whisky down his mouth rather than all across his desk, and practices word of the week: “scambiari” – meaning sharing and exchanging.
Graham sees Art in the theatre (not the gallery) - in a play which questions the value  of art and friendship - and also sees a bit too much of Elle Fanning in “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” (not to be watched with children or parents, or on planes).
We discuss reality but find that it isn't,  and that Claudia Winkleman isn’t Graham Norton. But watching people watching TV is strangely compelling (and hilarious).
Jack does some research for his upcoming book titled “Doctors Who: Where Are They Now?” while Graham time travels back to ancient Egypt to satisfy his map fetish.
Question of the week: will Jack be in Dire Straits and get arrested at the airport for carrying so much high-tech gear that he could be mistaken for a spy?
 
Wine: Brokenwood Shiraz 2022 – Hunter Valley
Whisky: Loch Lomond 18YO Single Malt
Word of the week: Scambiari:  sharing and exchanging information
Reading: - -  The History of the World in 47 Borders - John Elledge 
-All the Colours of the Dark (finished)
Watching: -Criminal Record – Apple TV – Peter Capaldi, Cush Jumbo
-Unchosen – Netflix – Christopher Eccleston, Asa Butterfield
- Margo’s got Money Troubles – Apple TV - Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman 
-The Claudia Winkelman Show (BBC/Channel 10)
-GoggleBox (Channel 10)
Listening: -“If Everyone Hates Meetings, Why do we have so many of them?” – No Stupid Questions podcast, Angela Duckworth, Stephen Dubner
-Lulu – with Louis Theroux (Podcast)
-Mark Knopfler music
-Adrift – Apple podcast

Jack was so excited about telling us about his Scottish Cosplay weekend, that he spills his 18yo Scotch . Recovering, he discusses a great distillery in Kinglake, Victoria.
While Graham thought Jack throwing his Scotch around was hilarious, he gives another curmudgeonly review of  a top-rating comedy format on TV, but he did manage a lot of laughter at a Melbourne Comedy Festival gig with up-and-coming comedian Rohan Arneil.
Jack revisited Brigadoon, complete with Highland Games, kilts, and the aforementioned cosplay. Meanwhile Graham pretended to be a Bonsai expert and probably condemned numerous miniature trees to a slow death at the hands of the random members of the public he advised.
There is talk of books (briefly – both are slow readers!) and Graham focuses on mushrooms as a murder weapon; as well as reality shows, Big Mistakes, Guests, and an unfinished series.
Jack finds his perfect podcast episode which combines business and music and we find out why we are able to listen to music in the comfort of our own home without paying for it.
Whisky:  Kinglake Distillery Double Wood Single Malt
Wine: Leogate Estate Temrpanillo (Hunter Valley)
Reading:  The Mushroom Tapes – Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper, Sarah Krasnostein
- All the Colours of the Dark
TV/Streaming:  The Guest
-– Survivor (US and Aus)(Channel 10)
-Master Chef Australia (Channel 10)
-Race Across The World (BBC/Channel 10)
-I, Jack Wright – Britbox
-Big Mistake – Dan Levy, Netflix
Listening – Business History, Pushkin Podcasts, Jacob Goldstein, Robert Smith – 18 March Ep : History of Song Copyright
-Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
Comedy: Rohan Arneil, Melbourne International Comedy Festival

For the first time in three weeks there weren’t any issues with the production of last week’s podcast so no groveling apology required. This week however Graham had another senior moment and mentioned a Youtube video he had twice previously recommended (over to our editor to remove it).
Graham goes all French on the wine, while Jack goes all Scotch on the Scotch. Both had great reasons to celebrate with their better halves this week and have another drink (or three).
Both are happy to be able to claim they are neither Boomers nor Gen Xers, but “Cuspers” (though this probably doesn't add much to their collective street cred).
Jack offers a range of Scottish altitude measurements (including a “Graham”) but settles on “Corbett” - a peak between 2500 and 3000 feet (remember that measurement? – in modern parlance it is between 750 and 900 metres)
We held our breath as the Artemis astronauts returned from their jaunt around the moon, marveling at the high tech means of slowing down (bits of material on the end of ropes).
Musically, Jack enjoyed a gig - Diesel and various members of the Barnes Family, while  his own band, Electric Avenue will be on the radio – JJJ’s “Unearthed” station. Meanwhile Graham revisits Soul Queen Renee Geyer’s back catalogue. Jack also watched the “Take That” doco.
They both watched “Last One Laughing (well Graham did, - all 6 tedious hours of it) – while Jack cleverly just watched Youtube where the single laugh that was to be had in each episode was distilled down to a few seconds, - it seems funnier that way. 
There is a British remake of a very funny French Series called “Ten Per Cent” about a bumbling talent agency  - the British one not as good as the French one but no subtitles needed. There was some cycling, with the Paris-Roubaix “Hell of the North” race, a spy series finishes, and a new series called “Fear” starts.
Email: whiskywordswine@gmail.com
Whisky: Loch Lomond 12yo single malt
Wine: Chateau Palais Cardinal St Émilion Grand Cru 2019  (Bordeaux)
Word of the Week : Cusper, - people born between 1956 and 1964 who are in denial about being either Boomers or Gen Xers.
Books: All the Colours of the Dark – Chris Whittaker
-What I Have Done – Ben Elton
TV/streaming: Take That – Netflix Doco
-Fear  -Amazon Prime limited series
-Last One laughing – Jimmy Carr et al, Netflix
-Paris-Roubaix cycling race – SBS TV
-Ten Per Cent – Amazon Prime
Music: Emma Louise “Sunshine for Happiness” Album – 1 May release
“Electric Avenue” – hear them on “JJJ Unearthed”
Diesel (guest stars VOH, Jimmy and Jane Barnes)
Geelong Choral Festival
Our theme tune is composed and played by Jack Crumlin  (he will think of a title soon)

In a world that currently seems apocalyptic, the Artemis moon shot has provided a welcome distraction this week and has revealed word of the week “bacronym”. Whisky also provides a distraction this week, particularly the Kentucky kind (which isn’t whisky at all – but “Bourbon whiskey”) – Jack has sent one of his bandmates off to taste Bourbon across America and report back..
Speaking of the Dark Side of the Moon (were we?) Graham enjoyed being made to Shut Up and Listen.
And speaking of blue moons (again, were we?) Graham confuses the film of that name - about a washed-up and ageing lyricist who has an inappropriate crush on a younger woman - with Blue Lagoon (an inappropriate film about an underage romance on a dessert island). Anyway – both Jack and Graham can recommend the Blue Lagoon Moon film.
We do a spot of naming and shaming ……(Blake)
Jack has done some more song requests and braces for Graham’s “notes”, while Graham’s recent musical escapade surpasses Jack’s (extremely low) expectations.
Jack spends time with The Correspondent and has an existential experience with AI music (which he does not rate as A1) while Graham re-lives life in England by spending time with Ben Elton.
And both have birthdays coming up (one of which belongs to one of them).
Email us: mailto:whiskywordswine@gmail.com – Jack will sing any request………
Wine:   Austins Pinot Noir, 2022 (Moorabool Valley, Geelong, Australia
Whisky: Loch Lomond Whisky
Books: - The Correspondent – Virginia Evans
-What have I done? – Ben Elton
Heard: - Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd (Vinyl)
-13 Minutes: Artemis  podcast (BBC)
- Science Friction: Artemis Explained podcast (ABC)
-What Went Wrong podcast (Lawrence of Arabia episode)– Lizzie Bassett and David Winterbauer
-Chat 10 Looks 3 – Leigh Sales and Annabell Crabb podcast
-“Just Get a Job”  podcast – Jamie Mackinlay – Ep 94: Sovirez (band)
 
Seen: - Deadloch Series 2 – Limited series, (Streaming - Amazon Prime)
The Pact (Steaming -BritBox)
Blue Moon – Ethan Hawke, Andrew Scott, Margaret Qualley (Film – 4.5/6)
Experienced: “Shut Up And Listen” club – Barwon Heads Hotel, Darren O’Mahony

We look skyward this week as Jack nerds out on the Artemis moonshot, while Graham watches “Blue Moon”  a sad depiction of Broadway lyricist Lorenzo Hart – he wrote the classic Broadway hit “Blue Moon”. Artemis was of course was Apollo’s sister in Greek mythology – so a nice reference back to the first moonshot – the Apollo missions - which were 50+ years ago. How such a woke naming convention survived the MAGA censors is anybody’s guess…..
Completing our Oscars watching, Graham reviews One Battle After Another – a slightly unhinged tale of rebellion and nefarious establishment institutions with an outstanding performance by Leonardo di Caprio
More music chat as they lament the ageing process and the inability to remember anything, and Graham wonders at how two Scotsmen chatting can completely defeat an AI transcription bot.
And more moonshot chat (Jack just cannot let it go – lucky the mission only lasts 8 days!), and he looks forward to channelling  Maria Kondo this long weekend.
Happy Easter everyone!!!!
Feedback/Comments: whiskywordswine@gmail.com
Word of the Week: “Latibulate”: Vb – to find a corner to hide in
Drinking:
Wine: Picardy Red Blend 2021 (Merlot/Cab Sav/Cab Franc) Pemberton, Western Australia.
Whisky: Johnny Walker Blue Label
Reading:
 -The Bookbinder of Jericho – Pip Wiliams
-Damascus Station – David McCloskey
- Four Weddings and an Encore
- River of Fire
-Manhunt (book) – Colin Sutton
Watching:
- Detective Hole (Scandi Noir) - Netflix
-Manhunt – Martin Clunes
-Blue Moon (film) Ethan Hawke, Andrew Scott  (4*/6*)
-One Battle after Another  - Leo di Caprio; Sean Penn (4*/6*)
- Patience – ABC iView
Listening:
-Ill-advised – Bill Nighy (podcast)
- 13 minutes: Artemis moonshot  (BBC podcast)
-“Just Get a Job”  podcast – Jamie Mackinlay – Ep 94: Sovirez (band)
-Why Me” – Big Daddy Voodoo (see Youtube)
-“Everybody Laughs” – David Byrne
Gigs:  -    Cerbrano/Moss/Icehouse/Barnes – Centennial Vineyard concert
 

The boys have been walking this week – albeit a thousand km apart. Jack for a cause, Graham just because……Both were rambles to remember not just for the spectacular coastal scenery but for the people they shared their walks with and who they met on the way.
Drinking-wise Jack gets the Monkey off his Shoulder while Graham heads down Polish Hill River.
Both have rekindled the Kindle and seem to be reading multiple books at once – never good for finishing anything. Graham has found a spy thriller worthy of a modern Le Carre, while Jack has sampled Four Weddings and an Encore, and has put aside his Mother Tongue (this being a Gaelic-free zone this week).
Martin Clunes is enjoyably cast against type again, but the audience at Jack’s house turn on Rachel Weisz within seconds (whereas Mrs Bond had Graham at the mere suggestion of a gown-town whodunnit).
And there was catching up to be done with favourite Sumo and music history podcasts. Pinball wizardry ensues.
Drinking:
Wine: Paulett “Antonina” Polish Hill River Riesling 2023, Sth Australia
Whisky: Monkey Shoulder Blended Speyside Whisky
Walking:
-        Walk for a Bloke, Sydney
-        Great Ocean Walk, Victoria
Reading:
 - The Bookbinders of Jericho – Pip Williams
-Four Weddings and an Encore – Amanda Pelman
-Damascus Station – David McCloskey
Watching:
-Choral – Ralph Fiennes (film)
-Manhunt – Martin Clunes
-Lupin – Omar Sy (Netflix)
-Vladimir – Rachel Weissz – (Netflix)
Listening:
-SumoMainichi – Dave and Amy (podcast)
-The History of Rock in 500 Songs – Pinball Wizard, Pt 2 episode
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Graham makes the most of being stood up by having a “readaway” (word of the week).
A mention of Seattle prompt musings about how flying fish in the Pike Place Market  took over management theory.
Graham has been out and about at different music events and found himself standing when everyone in the venue was crouching (story of his life!), which led to a discussion on the economics of live music events.
We talk Oscars, (noting Jack’s withholding of vital information on one of the winning films), and What Went Wrong on various films.
In sport we watch the Matilda’s win their way to the final of the Women’s Asian Football Cup competition (and what about THAT goal by Sam Kerr – delivreed with the same precision as good as her shoulder charge of a pitch invader at Chelsea), and the March Grand Sumo tournament reaches fever pitch (for Graham anyway).
Jack reads  a real page-turner for all those interested in Scottish WW2 history, while Graham savours (ie reads slowly) a Damascan spy thriller.
And both look forward to a bit of a walk in the coming week.
 
Whisky : Lagavulin (Islay)
Wine:  Tait Basket Press Shiraz, 2021 (Barossa Valley, Sth Australia)
Films/TV:
- Marty Supreme
-Sinners
-Patience (TV)
-Out there (TV – Martin Clunes)
Books:
Podcasts:
-The Book Club (Goalhanger pods)
-“What Went Wrong” – Forrest Gump episode
                                    - “Casablanca” episode
-“Sumomainichi” – Amy and Dave
Music:
-Anna Lapwood, Organist
-Playlunch (Rock/Funk – Australia)
-Electric Avenue (Rock – Australia)

“Sgriob”  - say no more (Bill Bryson knows though). 
We welcome new listeners from around the globe, - and wonder how  WW&W is topping the pod charts in Hong Kong.
What is “value for money” in a wine/whisky? And are you drinking too much if your name is on the cellar door of a local winery? Discuss.
Jack channels Lulu (doesn't look so good in that miniskirt though) but balks at shaving his wonderful head of hair to sing Midnight Oil songs.
While watching “Trespasses” Jack reminisces over his first car. Graham is confused as to who owned his first car, but more confused by the opening scene in Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” – his review of the film reflects on what they left out, (most of the book), what was introduced into the story (the spirit of the Marquis de Sade), and the inventive use of farmyard implements. Overall it is well-acted with very high-production values which is worth seeing. But if you have read the book try and overlook the fact that the film  relates to it only in its location and the uniformly horrific personalities of its characters.
Following on from previously mentioned films about arcane pursuits (refer “Marty Supreme” and pong pong) Graham nerds out on an excellent doco on Netfix called “Queen of Chess” about the characters in the life of the world’s first female (and youngest ever) Grand Master (Mistress?) Chess player. Spoiler: Garry Kasparov is not such a nice person….
Meanwhile, we return to the gentler pursuit of reading and learn about “parallel reading”, and a new spy thriller. Jack is into “Mother Tongue” an excellent Bill Bryson book on the derivation of the English Language (noting that it contains some Gaelic…).
On the listening front Jack continues to unearth local artists worth supporting, while Graham regresses to artists who are closer to being buried than unearthed (but who produced the  greatest guitar solo of all time).
Whisky: Black Douglas (sans Coke)
Wine: 6ft 6  Shiraz, 2023
Reading: Damascus Station” David McCloskey (who isn’t Scottish)
                  “Mother Tongue” Bill Bryson
Watching: Trespasses (SBS TV)
                  “Wuthering Heights” – Emerald Fennell, Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi
                  Grand Sumo Tournament (NHK World stream)
                  “Queen of Chess” – about Judit Polgar - Netflix
Email us: whiskywordswine@gmail.com