| Date: 28 April 2011, 04:05
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Whiskey (Eyewitness Companions)
By Charles MacLean
* Publisher: DK ADULT
* Number Of Pages: 288
* Publication Date: 2008-03-31
* ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0756633494
* ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780756633493
Product Description:
Whether you are looking to find out more about the production techniques and history of your favorite distillery or want to discover a hidden gem that you've never tried before, this book tells and shows you everything you need to know, including comprehensive tasting notes of recommended whiskies, serving suggestions, and food and whiskey pairing. It is a book to enjoy at your leisure, but the guide's compact size and flexi cover also make it ideal as a portable reference to take to a restaurant, whiskey shop, or on a visit to a distillery.
the world
of whiskey
Introduction 19
Ingredients 20
Production
Techniques 24
Maturation 30
Types of Whiskey 34
Bottling and
Blending 36
Nosing and Tasting 40
42
whiskey
nations
Scotland 45
Speyside 48
Highlands and
Islands 76
Islay 98
Lowlands 108
Grain Whisky 110
Blended Whisky 116
Ireland 159
England and
Wales 179
United States 183
Canada 219
Japan 235
Europe 255
Australasia 267
Asia 273
Glossary 280
Index 282
Acknowledgments 287
Summary: I am now a Whisk(e)y Snob!
Rating: 5
This book is not only a good read; this book is also an excellent resource book. I can now have my favorite libations and consume them with greater appreciation. This book also provides a great understanding of Whiskey with the history and the criteria of the overall industry and the idividual Whisk(e)y types.
Summary: Another Eyewitness Companions work
Rating: 4
I know very little about whiskey. I may have drunk the equivalent of one bottle over a lifetime. So this is a volume that I acquired simply to learn more about this drink. Wine and beer? Yeah. I enjoy an occasional glass of wine or a brew. Whiskey? Terra incognita for me. . . .
As per the various books in this series that have some analogy with this volume, there are really two separate parts. The first provides context and background information; the second part gives us a country by country tour of whiskey-making traditions.
The work begins by noting the history of whiskey, probably beginning in the early Middle Ages. The first reference to commercial distilling, according to the book, dates to about 1689. A large scale distillery opened in Louisville, Kentucky (in the US) in 1783. I rather enjoy a statement on page 15 (although I can't respond one way or another from experience): "There is an mold Scots saying: 'There's no bad whisky. Just good whisky and better whisky!"
After the brief historical tour, the book begins to discuss the process of making whiskey. The basic ingredients are simple--grain, yeast, water--with wood a needed part of actually making whiskey. The process of making whiskey is distillation, although there are distinct approaches to this. A section on production of whiskey notes several processes: malting, mashing, fermentation, distillation, and so on. Good whiskey must go through a maturation process, with the authors noting that (Page 30) ". . .some authorities consider that whiskey acquires up to 80% of its final character in the cask."
The second part of the book examines whiskey on a country by country basis. Of course, there is a full chapter/section on Scotland. This was fun to read, looking at the variety of whiskey traditions within Scotland, examining the history of whiskey in the region, and getting a sense of different producers, such as Cragganmore, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet (a major producer indeed), Cutty Sark, Dewar's, J and B, Johnnie Walker, and so on. Scotland receives more pages covered than any other country!
Other countries examined: Ireland; England/Wales; The United States; Canada; Japan; Europe; Australasia; Asia.
All in all, this was enjoyable to me, since I know close to nothing about the subject. As with other books in the series, the great strength is the breadth of coverage. The tradeoff? Not so much depth. But if you just want to get a sense of the world of whiskey, this is a useful volume.
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