Ren Chauret

In the Name of the Hogmouth

2025-05-30T20:00:09Z

“Because his jaw was depicted unusually large on a 1670 silver coin, Leopold [I of the Holy Roman Empire] was nicknamed ‘the Hogmouth’” (Wikipedia). Leopold, a staunch conservative absolutist, must have despised this insult. Nearly 50 years of rule over a just-declining empire would surely have been impossible if the world saw you as a buffoon. Indeed, Leopold had a strong Habsburg jaw—to my eyes one of the strongest—and likely the strongest ever put to coin, as the Spanish under Charles II did not strike busts on their coins. But even still, Hogmouth is a striking name which could not have come from any old design from his reign; what coin could have caused such a disgrace?

Thankfully, I had a year to work with—1670. Austrian and Hungarian coins were far from consistent at the time though, so a number of bust designs exist for each denomination of each year. Presumably, the design would have been discontinued shortly after 1670 in an attempt to squash the nickname. But more than that, I went with a strategy of “you’ll know it when you see it,” as I was convinced that such a name must come from a truly remarkable image. After some searching, I had encountered plenty of candidates, but nothing which grabbed my attention, so I set the question aside and moved on.

A couple of weeks later, while browsing the current auction catalogs, I was struck by an astounding image (numimarket).

I knew it when I saw it; this absolutely must be it. There was just one problem: It was a 1669. Maybe Wikipedia was off by a year? Maybe the nickname only caught on during the second year of the design? Who knows. It fit both of my other parameters: (1) an absurd mouth and chin and (2) never struck again after 1670 (that I could find). Pleased, I concluded my question and moved on.

Leopold was not so certain. He haunted my dreams for the next week, casting doubts and suspicions. Why was it a 1669? Had I really found the right coin? I needed to know more. Searching for the origin of the name did no good, only bringing up coin sale listings and copy-pastes of my opening quote. Perhaps the original German name could get around this, I thought, so I went to the German version of Leopold’s Wikipedia page (Wikipedia). However, the claim simply wasn’t there. The Hogmouth, practically inseparable from Leopold I on the English internet, was nowhere to be found. I returned to the English version of the page and navigated to the source for the Hogmouth line—Die Kaiser der Neuzeit, 1519-1918—a book briefly outlining the history of each German ruler. Even with some grace given for the inaccuracies of Google Translate, it held nothing even resembling the claim. From where did it really come? I looked through the Wikipedia revision history and found that the Hogmouth line was originally added in 2007 without the source (Wikipedia revision). So somebody must have mistakenly (or deliberately) added an incorrect source later to justify a claim which had already infected the internet. I found that revision too, all the way in 2020 (Wikipedia revision). Was the Hogmouth even real?

All of my leads had crumbled to dust. Anything I searched just led to more and more coin listings which reveled in being the source of Leopold’s disgraceful nickname. Well, almost all of them reveled: The catalog for the Kroisos Collection, auctioned by Stack’s in 2008, made a claim of its own: “[A 19th-century] American dealer anxious to boost the sale of Austrian coins invented the disrespectful nickname of ‘Leopold the Hogmouth’ for this ruler. It seems scarcely necessary to state that this term would not have been used in the Emperor’s lifetime.” Well I’m glad they did state it for the fools out there wasting their time researching it. This claim too is unsourced, though. I reached out to Stack’s, but they unsurprisingly didn’t have more information about an auction catalog from 17 years ago.

The road seems to end here unfortunately. Stack’s has a strong reputation going back nearly 100 years, and their claim makes intuitive sense to me, so I trust it, but I can’t prove it. Leopold was named Hogmouth by a sleazy coin dealer trying to drum up attention. Naturally, such a scheme only works if one omits the posthumous nature of the nickname. I suspect that not a few coin purchases over the years have been at least partly motivated by this lie. Thankfully, I did all this research before buying one anyways ;)

Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Franz Felician of House Habsburg really doesn’t need any more names. Let’s clear him of the Hogmouth; after all, he’s kind of handsome once you spend some time with him ♥️

Workout Generator Android App

2022-12-02T18:30:45Z

screens from the app

Recently, I made an Android app to generate random workouts with a set of parameters. Users define exercises with minimum and maximum reps and sets and then can generate workouts containing different types of exercises. Below is a comprehensive list of features:

Generate workouts with exercises from one or more workout types
Specify min and max exercises for a workout
View workout history and delete workouts
Create, edit, and delete exercises
Choose from one or more of four different exercise set structures
Specify min and max sets and reps for exercises
Create and delete workout types

The app is not heavily engineered and lacks a backend: It only has what is needed to make it function. Everything is persisted locally using text files due to the simple, non-sensitive nature of the data.

Go check it out on the Play store! If you are so inclined, you can also view the source code on my Github.

Making a Terrarium

2022-02-18T18:30:00Z

I enjoy creation for its own sake. To produce something is to be an active participant in your life, rather than one who only passively consumes. We are the lenses to experience the world, but we are also the tools to mold it. That is the primary reason I started this site, to put my stamp on the world, even if only in a small way. One of my other favorite forms of creation is building terrariums. Creating a piece of living art is fun and relaxing in the moment, and having a beautiful, flourishing, lively environment right next to me for months or years afterwards provides endless smiles and inspiration. Let’s learn how to make a terrarium in a way which sets it up for the best chance of long-term survival.

Shopping List

Clear plastic tub or glass container

River rocks or gravel

Activated carbon or natural lump charcoal

Fiberglass window screen

Coco coir or sphagnum peat moss

(optional) sand

(optional) dried sphagnum moss

Collect moss

You’ll notice that there weren’t any plants on my shopping list. You can absolutely buy some greenery for your terrarium, but moss is free, abundant throughout much of North America, and hardier than anything you’ll find at a store. Go out there and grab some! Finding some pretty moss might just be my favorite part of building terrariums. Locate a large patch if you can, and just take part of it so it can grow back. It should peel right off of the dirt or rock it’s on since moss does not root. Your moss can then be safely stored in a moist ziploc bag for up to a few weeks while it’s awaiting use. If you do opt to buy, make sure to stick to tropical and subtropical plants as the terrarium will be quite humid. Also, optionally collect some decorative rocks and (if you’re feeling adventurous) bugs!

Wash your container

Clean out your plastic or glass container with dish soap before use. I use plastic containers for utility terrariums (for housing bugs and moss awaiting use) and glass containers for display terrariums.

False bottom

In a large strainer, rinse off your river rocks or gravel with hot water, and then place the still-moist rocks into your container. This will serve as a false bottom for your terrarium, which will allow your substrate layer to drain excess water. I like between a half-inch and 1.5-inch layer of rocks, depending on the height of the container.

Screen layer

The window screen will maintain your false bottom by preventing your substrate from gradually collapsing into it. Fiberglass window screen is preferred because it will not break down or rust. With scissors, cut your screen slightly larger than your container so it can fold up and prevent substrate from leaking through the sides. For rectangular containers, cut the corners out of your screen so the sides fold up more easily.

Carbon layer

The carbon layer will filter water as it drains from the substrate, helping to keep the system clean and prevent decay. Fish tank activated carbon is my go-to for display terrariums, while in larger utility builds I use natural lump charcoal which I’ve broken up with a hammer. DO NOT USE CHARCOAL BRIQUETTES: THEY ARE TOXIC! A half-inch layer—or even less in small builds—should suffice.

Substrate layer

Now we’re getting to the meat of it! I make a mix of about 3-4 parts coco coir or peat moss, 1 part sand, and 1 part dried sphagnum moss. Natural coco coir or peat moss without fertilizers are preferred, but I have made successful terrariums with generic potting soil. Dirt from outside can even work and might bring with it some fun critters, but it also has a higher risk of decaying. The sand helps to keep the mixture loose to promote drainage, and the moss holds some moisture to prevent the mixture from drying out completely, but neither is required. I make a one- or two-inch layer of substrate, but terrariums with rooted plants may need more.

Add hardscape and plants

Now it’s time to implement your artistic vision. If you have some decorative rocks, add those first to create your hardscape. Then, quickly soak each patch of moss in a bowl of water and arrange them how you like in the scape. Give your terrarium a good misting once you’re done. Note that leaves and sticks can trigger decay and mold, which could take over the terrarium. I’m only using them here because I’ve got a cleanup crew coming in who happen to like a little decay…

(optional) Friends!

New isopod inhabitants

Look at them go! These are dairy cow isopods. Isopods are hardy creatures who will enjoy the high terrarium humidity and will help keep the space clean by eating decay. You’ll have to shop online to find dairy cows specifically, but roly polies gathered outside will work just as well. If you’re looking for a cleanup crew which isn’t as big and crawly, I add tiny springtails to every terrarium I make. They won’t halt a mold outbreak quite like isopods can, but they’re still a huge help. You only need to buy them once, and then you can keep your own springtail culture and use it to populate every build you make.

Display

Finally, we’ve made it! It’s time to show off your hard work. I have found the most success keeping my terrariums away from windows—relying on artificial light instead—as frigid winter nights and blistering summer days by the window threaten to kill your plants and bugs. Moss does not require lots of direct light to survive, so just put your terrarium on a desk or shelf somewhere which gets some light throughout the day. But if you want to take your display to the next level and simultaneously promote moss growth, a dedicated light and an outlet timer will serve you well.

Care

A moldy mini terrarium

I first fell in love with terrariums because of the magical allure of the years-old, unopened terrarium. They still fascinate me to this day, but I now understand that they are few and far between. By all means, if your terrarium is going well, keep it sealed if you like, but if you notice a mold outbreak, refusing to open your terrarium may cost it its life. When I notice mold, I try to remove it with long tweezers, add more springtails to the terrarium, and hope for the best. Even then, the terrarium’s survival is a roll of the dice. If you’re not as enraptured by the idea of a sealed terrarium, you can also open it periodically to trim overgrown plants and clean the glass. If you are using a plastic container, the lid does not form a perfect seal, so you will have to occasionally give it a thorough misting to prevent it from drying out.

If you have made it this far, you’ve either already made your terrarium, or you’re clearly interested enough that you should! You won’t regret it.

Whisk(e)y Styles

2021-12-17T18:00:00Z

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

Few things irk me more than the plethora of headlines hitting my Google News feed which read something like “Understanding the Differences Between Bourbon and Whiskey.” Wonderful, and next you can tell me the differences between squares and rectangles! Sure, most are probably just clickbait and don’t actually misunderstand that bourbon is a type of whiskey, but they annoy me all the same. Their sheer abundance is indicative of a problem which faces many creative arts but is especially prevalent in whiskey: an obsession with styles leading to restrictive, in-the-box thinking. Instead of taking a limited set of styles and breaking them down, let’s work bottom up to see what really differentiates and defines whiskey styles.

Quick Note: To e or not to e?

Whiskey and whisky are the same thing, just different spellings. As the old story goes, Ireland added the e to differentiate their whiskey from Scotch whisky. Whether or not this is true, the e spelling does seem to have originated in Ireland and then spread to North America. As an American myself, I will use that spelling going forward.

Mash Bill

The most important factor in the final product of whiskey creation is the mash bill, or the ingredients. All whiskey is made of distilled grain, but the types of grain used vary widely. Most commonly, some combination of

Malted barley
Corn
Rye
Wheat

is used. Malted barley—the most common mash bill component—tends to lend a bready, toasty, nutty flavor, but—in my opinion—it is also the most dynamic and malleable across different whiskeys. Corn explodes with a sweet, even candy flavor. Rye sharpens the edges with its characteristic baking spices. Wheat is soft and provides a gentle cereal sweetness.

Many whiskeys use only barley, but the other grains are more commonly mixed together than used on their own. While a whiskey’s mash bill is only one piece of what defines its style, we can say some things about a whiskey just by knowing its mash bill:

100% barley: malt whiskey
>= 80% corn: corn whiskey
>= 51% rye: rye whiskey
>= 51% wheat: wheat whiskey

The first two are a little different because of their connection to the two most iconic whiskey styles: single malt Scotch and bourbon. Essentially, malt whiskey requires 100% barley to maintain malt Scotch’s traditional strictness, and corn whiskey requires >= 80% corn because bourbon dominates the real estate between 51% and 79%.

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

Barrel Type

The second factor in whiskey differentiation is the type of barrel in which it is aged. Whiskey is practically universally aged in oak barrels, so the type of barrel is not determined by its construction but by its previous inhabitant (or lack thereof). Whiskey can be aged in barrels which previously hosted a wide array of other drinks, but most commonly

New charred oak
Used bourbon
Used sherry

barrels are used. New charred barrels impart flavors quickly into a whiskey—generally caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, and a slight edge of “barrel spice.” Used bourbon barrels function similarly to new charred barrels but impart their flavors more slowly and subtly. Sherry barrels transfer some qualities of their fortified wine to the whiskey—usually dark fruits and nuttiness.

Age

Age acts as the balance between the mash bill flavors and the barrel flavors. Younger whiskeys are defined strongly by their mash bill, while older whiskeys take on more barrel characteristics and generally mellow. This, however, varies by barrel type and location. New barrels and warm locations (like the US)—which allow for deeper penetration of the whiskey into its barrel—quickly impart powerful, punchy barrel characteristics, while used barrels and cooler locations (like Ireland and Scotland) more gradually impart subtle barrel flavors. Additionally, very old whiskeys (20+ years) can transform and rebalance in ways more complicated than simple “barrel vs mash flavor” math can account for, sometimes even taking on entirely new flavors.

Location

As discussed previously, a whiskey’s aging location’s greatest impact is on its barrel’s ability to quickly and powerfully age the whiskey. In addition, location can also lend the flavors of its very air to an aged whiskey. This is most prevalent in coastal Scotch whiskeys, which commonly have a salty note generally attributed to the salty ocean air to which they are exposed for years. Location can also be an indicator of stylistic tradition, to the extent that people may (wrongly) assume that all whiskeys from a certain location are of a certain style. Because of this traditional component, many styles must be distilled and aged in specific locations by law. Finally—on the real cutting edge of whiskey—the location in which the ingredients are grown is now taken into account by some distillers, especially Bruichladdich, in an attempt to create a terroir—or taste of the land—which is well-known in wine.

Common Styles

With what we’ve learned so far, we can define some of the most well-known whiskey styles and understand the contributions of each factor.

Style	Mash Bill	Barrel Type	Age	Location
Bourbon	>= 51% corn	New charred oak	Some age required, (usually between 2 and 10 years)	US
Irish	At least some barley (usually majority)	Any wood barrel (usually used oak)	>= 3 years	Ireland
Scotch	At least some barley (usually majority)	Any oak barrel (usually used)	>= 3 years (usually >= 8)	Scotland
Japanese	At least some barley (usually majority)	Any wood barrel (usually used oak)	>= 3 years	Japan
Rye	>= 51% rye	New charred oak	Some age required, (usually between 2 and 10 years)	No requirement (usually US or Canada)
Corn	>= 80% corn	Any oak barrel (if aged at all)	No requirement	No requirement (usually US)
Malt	100% barley	Any oak barrel (usually used)	>= 3 years	No requirement

Substyles

So far, we’ve defined the basics—broad categories with some requirements which can be interpreted to define general flavor profiles. However, if you grab a bottle off of your local liquor store shelf, it will almost certainly say more than just “Scotch whisky.” There’s a good chance it will combine two of the styles above which aren’t mutually exclusive (such as “malt Scotch whisky”). Additionally, it probably mentions other descriptors which narrow it down to its subcategory. Let’s take a look at what those mean.

Single vs Blended vs Single Barrel

Perhaps the most common additional whiskey descriptors refer to the post-aging process. Once a barrel of whiskey is finished aging, how is it crafted into a final product? After years of aging, every barrel is a little different, so most bottles are a mixture of multiple barrels to achieve a consistent flavor. For a “single” whiskey, your bottle contains whiskey from many barrels from across the distillery. Single whiskeys are often seen as the premium whiskey experience and representation of a distillery’s craftsmanship. For a “blended” whiskey, your bottle contains whiskey from multiple different distilleries. That’s right, not all the whiskey you drink is distilled from the distillery on the label! In general, especially in Scotch, blends are viewed as slightly inferior, but blended whiskey can still exhibit exceptional quality. Finally, a “single barrel” whiskey—as the name suggests, is bottled from only one barrel. Single barrel whiskeys are sometimes prized for their unique experience and flavor, but they sacrifice consistency and can sometimes taste subpar.

Cask Strength

All whiskey must be bottled at >= 40% alcohol by volume, but it comes out of the barrel much stronger. Cask strength whiskey does not water down the barrel before bottling it, offering a more concentrated flavor and retaining more subtle flavors. Generally, these whiskeys will range from 60 to 65% alcohol by volume.

Image from Wikipedia

Peated

Peated whiskey dries its barley by smoking it with burning peat—flammable dirt made of partially decayed organic matter. The smoke and earthy flavors of the burning peat are present in peated whiskeys, creating some of the most recognizable, divergent, and beloved whiskeys on the market. The Scotch region of Islay is well-known for its long-standing tradition of producing heavily peated whiskeys, but they are made all over the world.

Straight and Bottled in Bond

American whiskeys can be granted the additional descriptors of “straight” or “bottled in bond.” The core requirement of a straight whiskey is that it has been aged at least 2 years. Bottled in bond whiskeys must be aged at least 4 years and must be “single” or “single barrel” (discussed above).

Styles on Styles

The truth is, there are way more details to defining a whiskey than I have covered here. Barrel size, number of distillations, type of filtration, ABV before and after aging, and more all factor into whiskey types. However, the line must be drawn somewhere, and—in my opinion—I’ve discussed all you need to know to understand a bottle of whiskey, make informed purchases, and hold your own in a conversation. Next time someone mentions their favorite “single malt cask strength peated Scotch” or “straight Kentucky bourbon,” you can deconstruct their language and find the meaning in every word. I hope this bottom-up approach to defining styles has been clearer than the restrictive top-down approach that so many articles use. If nothing else, it shows whiskey styles in a realistic way—not as predefined formulas but as collections of common stylistic choices that generations of distillers have replicated and tweaked. It shows that the common whiskey styles are only a very small subset of the total possible permutations of stylistic possibility. There is still a world of untapped whiskey experimentation out there!