Whiskey: The Definitive World Guide

Once you have browsed the pages of this book, a whole new world is opened up to the whisky drinker. Though by no means a connoisseur myself, I thought I was at least knowledgeable enough to tell a good one from a not so good one (is there any such thing as a bad one where whisky is concerned), or whiskey with an e as the Irish product is spelt. Having in my time visited several of the smaller distilleries in Scotland, the most recent being Royal Lochnagar on the river Dee, near Balmoral, I though that I knew some of the less well known brands, but this book has an immense variety to choose from and certainly proves that the whisky available at your local pub or off-licence is merely the tip of the iceberg as far as whisky is concerned. Of course apart from Scotland there are several types of whiskey common to Ireland, with Bushmills being probably the most well-known brand but of course there are many others, Tullamore Dew and Black Bush are just two more of a host of brands. The book goes into great detail regarding the different types of whisky: Single malt, single grain and blended and the plus and minus points of the multitude of different brands. Many will be surprised to know that it is not only Scotland and Ireland that hold the monopoly on whisky. America of course produce their well know Jack Daniels and Jim Beam bourbons. Canada also produces whisky, as do places as far afield as Japan and India and much closer to home Wales. This book tells the reader virtually everything they are ever likely to want to know regarding the history of whisky, e.g. the word whiskey is taken from an ancient Gaelic term "uisce beatha" which translates as "water of life". The book also gives some detail of what gives a particular brand its distinctive taste and includes tasting notes for several key whiskies. The whisky industry is still thriving, even though many of the smaller distilleries have been brought under the umbrella of the multi-national brewing companies. For those who long to try something individual and different, it is still there, you just have to look that little bit harder.

In his book, WHISKEY - THE DEFINITIVE WORLD GUIDE, Michael Jackson takes you through an exhilarating journey of fascination covering the ingredients, craftsmanship, and world development of whiskey. The crystalline palates of passionate contributors add their expertise to Jackson's anthology that includes writings on climactic influences, geological and regional imprints on whiskeys, agricultural ingredients, commercial processing, the traditional art and science of distilling, and the art of nosing and tasting. You are taken on a whirlwind tour into the development of single malt scotch and scotch blends, bourbon, and whiskeys, with styles that span global continents. Explorations of distilled beverages include selected tastings throughout Scotland, Ireland, Canada, the United States, Japan, Europe, Asia and Australasia. These worldwide destinations are brought to life with superb photographic images and extraordinary architectural graphics. Further exploration into the enjoyment of whiskey includes whiskey cocktails and culinary creations, matching foods with whiskey, resources for further reading and a listing of major distilleries throughout the world. For the novice or the connoisseur, WHISKEY - THE DEFINITIVE WORLD GUIDE is an adventure into the realm of spirits. It is impossible to peruse the pages without a feeling of awe, inspired by the magnificence, history, development and flavor profiles bestowed upon the amber gem. This book is the 2006 winner of the James Beard Award in the Books on Drink category, and deservedly so.

I would imagine that the very best to learn about whiskey is from a close friend who has for the past thirty years been fully immersed in all the arcane knowledge of whiskey drinking. Unfortunately, I think most people are like me, we get our whiskey education from the half educated clerk sitting behind the liquour store counter. Into this void comes Michael Jackson's "Whiskey". First and foremost, this book is published by DK. This means that it will be rich in beautiful photographs and illustrations and weaker in text. I love well produced books and that is why I give this book five stars. The carefully shot pictures of Scotish whiskey distilleries are enough to make one plan a golfing/whiskey drinking vacation. However, the downside of DK books is that the writing is usually on the "lite" side. If you are looking for a guidebook to help you pick your next bottle of Scotch, this is not your book. Michael Jackson has produced other books that better describe and rate single malt Scotches. Purchase this book for the beautiful photographs and basic introduction to Scotch. Deeper knowledge will require more study and tasting.

First off, this Michael Jackson is note THAT Michael Jackson. This Michael Jackson is a consulting editor for Whiskey Magazine, and this book is a summary of years of study of what else -- whiskey. The first couple of chapters give a general introduction to whiskey. What it is, how is made, the stuff it's made of, just about every aspect. This section goes into pretty good detail giving the interested reader a pretty fair understanding of the whole process. The back part of the book, and by far the biggest part is called The Whiskey Countries. Beginning with Scotland, and then on to Ireland, Canada, The United States, Japan and the rest of the world he discusses not all of the whiskey's produced, but spends more time on the higher quality brands. I went to look at my favorite brands first, and they were all there. The problem with these 'best bourbons' is that they are sometimes very difficult to get once you go very far from home. Tomorrow a friend is coming to visit from Virginia. He has promised to bring a couple of bottles of Virginia Gentlemen Small Batch.

If you were looking for a book on whiskey, you could stop looking after you pick this up. While the author is an Englishman, he appreciates fine spirits from around the world and writes about them gracefully. Bourbons get their due as well as Lowland Scotch whiskies and Japanese brands rarely seen outside their native land. The text is accompanied by many colr photographs; this could almost be a tourist guide. My recommendation : buy this book (don't borrow it, you'll never return it), take it to a good liquor store, buy a whiskey that Mr Jackson likes, and drink it while rereading your favorite chapter.