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Star Wars Concept Art
Some amazing original concept art by Ralph McQuarrie, the conceptual designer and illustrator behind Star Wars, has been posted on Buzzfeed. It’s really worth a look – as much to see the role that art like this has played in how the films turned out, as it is to see a fantastic retro SF gallery.
Latest Whisky Reviews
You know the score. I’m blogging mostly about whisky these days. The site is doing very well, too, with over 50,000 page views for the last 30 days. As well as the novel writing and blogging, I’m also writing about whisky for magazines, such as this piece for Scottish Sporting Gazette on pairing pheasant food with whiskies. There seems to be a good connection between people who like wild food and whisky, so hopefully there’ll be more on that front.
I was lucky enough to be part of another Bruichladdich online tasting, featuring three mind-boggling single cask whiskies.
The GlenDronach Peated is very decent for only £35 a bottle. This Benrinnes single cask is pretty tasty too. And this Glencadam vertical tasting highlights a very good distillery.
Finally, I tried two new whiskies from The Deveron range, and they were… okay. Nothing special, but solid whiskies.
Twilight of the Masters
“Twilight of the Masters offers a moving portrait of three of the world’s most dedicated craftsmen in the twilight hours of their careers. The film follows these craftsmen as they grapple with their legacies and consider how their craft might be passed onto the next generation.”
Lethal Doses
Just in case you ever needed to know. Full version here.
Covers
Animated vintage book graphics. It’s only a matter of time before these are actual covers, surely?
Notes from Bruges
Been quiet around here as I’ve been on holiday. Aside from watching the NFL at Wembley, I visited Bruges. A beautiful city, which seemed to have escaped the worst of WW2 and consequently it’s ancient streets and buildings remain intact. Plenty of beer, chocolate, art and history to keep anyone happy. I imagine if you wanted to be a full-time writer of history or fantasy, then this place has enough inspiration to keep you going.
The Purrtraitist
Larry Johnson – renowned photographer, specialising in feline portraiture. That’s right, and here he is taking pictures of show cats. Much better than your Instagram feed.
Latest Whisky Reviews
You know the score. I blog way more – and put way more digital effort – into my whisky site these days. So here’s what I’ve been up to on there.
Firstly, I was invited to an exclusive tasting of two whiskies from The Dalmore Constellation series a little while ago. One whisky is being sold at £550 a glass, and the other – if it was on sale (it isn’t yet) – cost £22,000 a bottle. I also got to meet the guy who made them.
I wrote a piece on whisky flavour wheels. If you’re new to whisky and want to get into it more, you’ll hopefully find it interesting. One of my favourite distilleries, Bruichladdich, sent me three whiskies to enjoy as part of an online tasting. They were brilliant and all very different. And finally, a little distillery from Campbeltown made one of the best whiskies of the year, in my opinion. Just great-value old-fashioned stuff.
Incidentally, if you’re only casually into whisky and sometimes pop by that site, then let me know what you think of it. I’m aware that whisky can be a complex subject, and that not everyone who reads it is a whisky nerd, so I’m keen to improve the quality of the posts.