Whisky: The Water of Life - Uisge Beatha
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (07 October, 2000)
list price: $39.95
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Reviews (2)

Best Buy I ever made!!!
When I first came across this book while shopping for Christmas presents, I thought oh I would have to come back here in January and pick up a copy of this for my study. Then just as I clicked to go on to something else I noticed that Amazon.com was almost out of this item. Okay we have to get it now. When this book arrived I was completely taken aback with how much more complete this book was than most I have looked at on the subject of whiskey, while still being enjoyable to read. This book is just not limited to American Whiskey, which happens to be my favorite, but has given the reader the chance to learn about Whiskey makers from around the world.
I know now that my personal favorite Makers Mark can now give a little room in my home bar to some of the other fine whiskey introduced to me by this book.

Great for the money!
As a sommelier, I'm always looking for bargain books.As there are a multitude of wine and spirit books out there which I eventually buy, it's always refreshing to find a book under 8 bucks with such great content.Helen Arthur does a great job with the culture of whisky; from it's beginings to the present.I recommend this book to anybody wanting to know more about whisky, its culture, and its mystique ... Read more

Isbn: 1552094251
Sales Rank: 707518
Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Bargain   

Riedel Vinum Single Malt Scotch Glasses, Set of 6
Average Customer Review:
Kitchen
list price: $120.00 -- our price: $83.99
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Editorial Review

If you tend to echo the words of actor Joe Don Baker in Mitchell--when asked, "How do you like your Scotch?" he replied, "By the quart"--then the Riedel Vinum series single malt whiskey glass may not be your cup of Teaninich. Not so for fans of small-batch Bourbons and other nonblended whiskies: with its flared lip and wide tulip-shaped bowl atop the circular base, this vessel is designed to direct its contents to flavor-friendly areas of the mouth and nose. The underlying theory of all Riedel stemware states that the tongue is divided into four zones, each recognizing either sweetness, bitterness, saltiness, or acidity; by changing the size and shape of the glass, Riedel can accentuate wine's and spirits' positives while mitigating negatives. Unlike the traditional brandy snifter, which concentrates the alcoholic vapors and burns out the shnoz, the lip of the single malt glass disperses them, allowing you to enjoy the subtleties, whether your drink be Speyburn or sour mash. --Tony Mason ... Read more

Features

• Height, Capacity: 4 1/2"H, 7 oz.
• Designed specially for premium Scotch, Irish, and Tennessee whiskeys
• Machine-made of 24% lead crystal
• Affordable second-tier from a prestigious name in wine-friendly stemware
• Made in Austria by reowned wine-glass maker

Reviews (7)

Count Me a Believer
Don't know the exact reason why, but these are the best I've tried--far better than brandy snifters--for tasting the full complexity of a good spirit.Not just single malts but blended Scotch, bourbon, even aged rum.If you don't like the taste in these glasses, then you should change your choice of alcohol.Or dump it into a highball glass, cover with Seven-Up and top with a cherry and umbrella.

Riedel Glasses
I like good bourbon (Jack Daniels Single Barrel) and have found out that it tastes even better from these Riedel glasses.It is remarkable to take a taste test; it is almost unbelievable.We also have Riedel wine glasses which we enjoy as well. Riedel is a good value for people who enjoy good booze.

Great glass
I only drink bourbon and I found the riedel glasses to enhance the enjoyment of my favorite spirit over just using a shot glass. You spend quite a bit on some of the better bottlings, so why not drink in style and and get the most enjoyment out of it. They are a good buy and with amazons shipping you'll get them faster with less expense. ... Read more

Asin: B00004SZ83
Subjects:  1. Barware    2. (Bar Ware)    3. Glassware    4. (Glass Ware)    5. Bartending    6. Drinkware    7. (Drink Ware)    8. Bar Glasses    9. Spirits    10. Cocktails    11. Stemware    12. Glasses    13. (Stem Ware)   

Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch: The Connoisseur's Guide to the Single Malt Whiskies of Scotland
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 November, 1999)
list price: $27.50
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Editorial Review

He's written shamelessly for more than a decade and a half about his passion for 12- and 15-year-olds. He's described his dalliances with loves named Heather and Peat and some three dozen named Glen. His name is Michael Jackson. Relax. We're talking here about the Britain-based, award-winning drinks and spirits writer and author of, among other classic reference works, Michael Jackson's Beer Companion.

In Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch, devotees of the dram can peruse the latest revised edition of the 1989 work. In 336 pages brimming with maps, photos, and informed overview of factors such as geography and flavor components--even proximity to the sea--Jackson sketches the evolution of Scotch whisky, from the prebottling days, when shopkeepers like Johnnie Walker and the Chivas Brothers would create their own blends for sale, to the late-1960s and 1970s' surge of individual distilleries marketing their own bottlings.Lamentably labeling the former as a time when "orchestrations drowned out the soloists," Jackson provides some sweet sheet music of his own: 294 pages are devoted to an A-to-Z review (including full-color labels and tasting notes) of more than 800 singles from "every Scottish malt distillery that has ever witnessed its product in a bottle." It's the perfect book to take to your local liquor store next time you're trying to navigate the high shelf of Scotland's highlands, lowlands, and islands. You may laugh at Jackson's description of Auchentoshan Select's "oily" nose with "hints of citrus zest" or Aberlour 10-year-old's "mint-toffee" bouquet.But you'll be laughing out of the other side of your haggis when you actually smell them. All the notes are well researched and designed to appeal to Cardhu-carrying connoisseurs, as well as those who'd just like to know more about Bowmore. In his introduction, the author describes a whisky's finish as "a crescendo, followed by a series of echoes.When I leave the bottle, I like to bewhistling the tune."Scotch drinkers will find plenty to wet that whistle in Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch. --Tony Mason ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Essential, Inspired & Inspiring Guide to the "Water of Life"
"Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch" is a truly great reference for the connoisseur and novice alike. This 5th edition includes descriptions and scores for over 1,000 single malt Scotches, about 250 more than the previous edition. It is a handsome volume, well-organized and printed on slick high-quality paper. The book has an attractive, durable cover instead of a dust jacket.

The "Complete Guide"'s first 80 pages are dedicated to educating the reader about whiskies in general and single malt Scotches in particular. Ten chapters discuss a useful variety of topics: trends, origins, definitions of terms used in labeling, the influence of the terrain on flavor, the characteristics of various regions, the significance of age, the woods used in casks, and a list of the companies that own Scotch distilleries, with some explanation of their history. The chapter on Flavours is particularly interesting. Michael Jackson is a good writer. His explanations are clear without being dull, and they will leave few questions in the minds of readers who are new to Scotch whisky.

The core of the Guide is the "A-Z of Single Malts". Michael Jackson explains his scoring system and the components of his tasting notes: colour, nose, body, palate, and finish. Then he launches into descriptions of more than 1,000 Scotches produced by, I believe, over 90 distilleries. A few paragraphs explain a little bit about each distillery's history and unique characteristics. The Producer (owner), Region, District, and Address are listed for each distillery, as well as telephone, e-mail and web site where it is available. I found that the palate and finish descriptions took some getting used to before I was able to reconcile Jackson's description to how the malt really tastes. He has a sensitive palate, which has become, or always was, keen to certain nuances. I'm sure everyone is different in that sense, but I picked up on his meaning after a while. His attempts to describe all aspects of the sensory experience unique to each whisky are most helpful and impressive. It is a pleasure to browse his descriptions. The book's singleimperfection is the absence of pronunciation guides. The pronunciations of some distillery names are mysterious to those unaccustomed to hearing Scottish words.

In the last pages of the "Complete Guide', Jackson gives us some general information on whiskies from Ireland, the United States, Japan, Asia, and continental Europe. There are also brief descriptions of some vatted malts and Jackson's recommendations for how best to enjoy whisky.

The next best thing to a single malt itself
This guide to single malts is being continually revised and is the best of its kind. Mr. Jackson is always expanding his range of whiskies, even to include those made beyond Scotland. He provides an valuable index to the best brands and give you a short history of the distilleries. I've used this guide to help me enlarge my taste for single malts, which now includes a pretty fair sampling. I find myself repeatedly drawn to the 10 year-old Laphroaig, which proves as Mr. Jackson notes, that age is not always the best indicator of a great whiskey. Location has a lot to do with it, as this Islay whiskey seems to have a flavor all its own. He also notes the various blends, and which malts they use as their base. You'll be surprised to find that the more popular brands are not necessarily the best brands, as White Horse uses another Islay malt, Lagavulin, as its base. If you are new to single malts, this book will help you get started. The only limit is the your pocket book, as these whiskeys don't come cheap.

Classic work
The discovery by Americans of single-malt whisky back in the 80's and 90's was one of the most interesting stories in the food and beverage market ever. This event by itself probably prevented a number of distilleries from closing, and several, such as the great Ardbeg, which had been moth-balled, were perhaps reopened as a result.

Some great but lesser known malts, like Edradour, found new appreciation for their tiny output abroad. Edradour, for example, produces less in a year than some distilleries do in a week, like Tomatin (the Edradour distillery only has 3 employees and only makes 2 barrels a week). Others, such as the Islays like Lagavulin, Laphroaig, and Bowmore, and even the oddly dual-natured Caol Isla, with its both sweetish and phenolic character, were already known in Scotland but garnered new fans here in America. As in Scotland, the Islays are not to everybody's taste, but I know people here who will hardly touch a drop of anything else--an amazing testament to the enthusiasm that has developed in America even for the stronger and more exotic malts. And probably no book did more to make that happen than Jackson's great little books on single-malt scotch.

On a personal note, sometimes even the Scots themselves failed to appreciate how far American sensibilities had come with respect to single malts. I had the experience 20 years ago, when still a young man, of sitting in a bar at the south end of Loch Lommond, and having a well-meaning bartender refuse to serve me some Laphroaig. He insisted on giving me Royal Brackla from an old bottle, itself a great malt. But he thought this young American didn't know what he was asking for, and I think he was worried he might do in a perfectly good, paying customer with a draught of the pungent, phenolic, peaty, and iodine-tasking Laphroaig.

These books taught me a lot and I have all 3 editions. They're great for learning to appreciate the particular aspects and flavors of a malt, and as I've been tasting single-malts for 20 years, I've found Mr. Jackson's descriptions to be very accurate and informative. In many cases, after learning from his description, I was able to go on and detect things that weren't even in the book--a great testament to his skill as a teacher and writer. Without his guidance, I wouldn't have been able to educate my sense of taste nearly as expertly.

There is no better way to learn about single malts than to take samples of several malts and then taste and compare them using this book. After you're tasted a couple of dozen malts you should be able to get a good sense of what's going on and be able to go on from there.

A good way to do this is to pick a couple of classic malts from each category, say a couple of lowlands, a couple of highlands or Speysides, and a couple of Islays, and taste them alongside each other with this book. Some of the malts are just so unique or special that they deserve tasting by themselves--as in the case of Clynelish and Highland Park, or Caol Isla and Talisker, or the often overlooked but wonderful lowland malt, Littlemill, with its sweet cocoanut, English toffee, and creme de caramel flavors.

Well, I could go on for a while about interesting things to do for tastings, but I will leave the rest of that to you, hopefully by way of this book, except for one last recommendation. The great Victorian connoisseur and single-malt scotch authority Professor Shaftsbury considered mixing together some Clynelish and Longmorn to be possibly the greatest drink in the world. So you might give it a try sometime and see what you think. Good luck and happy tasting! ... Read more

Isbn: 076240731X
Subjects:  1. Bartending    2. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Regional & Ethnic - English, Scottish & Welsh   

Scotland's Malt Whiskey Trail
by Scotland's Malt Whisky Trail
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (20 June, 2000)
list price: $9.99
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Features

• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (2)

Scotland's Liquid Gold
A must for any single malt scotch enthusiast...regardless of whether you have been lucky enough to visit Scotland and it's distilleries or not.This video reviews the history of Scotch whisky from the early Celtic times, through the romantic era of the illicit distillery in the 18th and early 19th centuries, to modern times.

Every stage in the process of malt whisky manufacturing is illustrated with wonderful shots from distilleries from Speyside's Malt Whisky Trail.Finally, the tour continues with a short history of the eight distilleries (Strathisla, Glen Grant, Cardhu, Tamdhu, Glenfiddich, Glenfarclas, Glenlivet, and Tamnavulin) on the trail.Take a helicopter and driving tour around Speyside's famous Glen's and the whisky towns of Dufftown and Rothes, and then visit the eight working distilleries and the Speyside Cooperage.

Color and video transfer are excellent.Highly recommend it!!!

Scotland's "Water of Life"
"Scotland's Malt Whisky Trail" is an informative and entertaining video - great for those who enjoy Scotch Malt Whisky or for those who want to learn more about an integral segment of Scotland's richhistory.This video takes us along the Whisky Trail, visiting Scotland'soldest and most famous distillers, learning their tribulations andtriumphs; as well as meeting the new competitors finding their niche in ahighly competitive market.From the highland waters and earthy peat to thecopper stills and hand-made barrels, "Scotland's Malt WhiskyTrail" clearly illustrates the quality control which has madeScotland's Whisky tradition great.

I recommend this video, and perhapsthe viewer will watch with a glass of Johnny Walker or Glenfiddich in hand! This video is well worth the purchase. ... Read more

Asin: 6304356412
Sales Rank: 36132
Subjects:  1. Travel   

Single Malt Scotch
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 September, 1997)
list price: $7.98
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Reviews (1)

The most eye-catching book on the subject
So the story goes, Mr. Martine met Bill Milne during Bill's annual ScotchTasting party at his photography studio in NYC. The idea was born and Billmade several trips to Scotland to shoot the pictures for this stunningbook. Though I don't drink Scotch, the book was just too irresistable. Agreat story told through great design and photography. ... Read more

Isbn: 1567994407
Sales Rank: 629195
Subjects:  1. Beverage Technology    2. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Gardening    6. Regional - General    7. Scotland    8. Whiskey   

Malt Whisky File
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 November, 1997)
list price: $24.95 -- our price: $24.95
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Reviews (2)

Another Enjoyable Book on Scotch Malt Whisky
This is a comprehensive tasting guide to Scotch Malt Whiskies. It is well organized and reasonably detailed. I enjoy reading the authors description of the attributes of a malt whisky and then try to identify the same scentsand flavors in the whisky. For this, the tasting notes are helpful. Nicephotographs of many labels are included.

One approach in the book isunique. The authors attempt to draw a corralation between one whisky andanother by assigning values to the peatiness and sweetness (1-10). Theauthors suggestion is that if you find a whisky you like, you can look upit's rating for peatiness and sweetness, find another with the same rating,say a 5 & 8, and you'll have located another whisky you'll like.

This approach failed to work for me. I found whiskies I liked didn'tnecessarily match in peatiness or sweetness, or even come close. And, somethat matched, I didn't necessarily like. Oh, well, it was a interestingidea.

I believe that the various attributes of a whisky are difficult tocapture in these two numbers. But, this shortcoming does not mean youshould pass up this book. The more detailed tasting notes are enjoyable andinsightful.

As for books with Scotch tasting notes, my personal favoritewas written by Michael Jackson. Another great book on the subject is fromCharles McLean. (Both available from Amazon.) For the serious Single MaltWhisky fan, more than one book on the subject is worth having.

the definitive guide to single malts
I actually purchased this book in a sweater shop in Fort William.It was the one book that the distillery blenders and everday whisky fans continuously recommended.I started to take notes in the margins each timeI tried a new single malt.The descriptions are brief, but the coverage israther comprehensive.The rankings for sweetness and peatiness, though Ioften disgaree with them, are helpful in selecting new things to try--if Ilike one that is a 7/3, I can look for other 7/3 rankings in the book.Ialways take this along with me when I head to the whisky shop.Highlyrecommended for anyone who is serious about single malt scotch. ... Read more

Isbn: 1558216693
Sales Rank: 531324
Subjects:  1. Beverages - General    2. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    3. Cooking    4. Cooking / Wine    5. Whiskey    6. Cooking / Wine & Spirits   

Scotch Missed: The Lost Distilleries of Scotland
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 March, 2000)
list price: $15.00 -- our price: $10.20
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Reviews (3)

Beggin' yer pardon, m'Lord, but....
....when did Brian Townsend change his name to Michael Jackson?Is it possible that "magellan359" got a wee bit off course from one wee dram too many?Other than that, it's an ok review except for the fact that it's more about him than about the book, not what one would expect from one of Amazon's "top" reviewers.Oh, well...

Some nice history
Many of Scotland's distilleries had closed in recent (and not-so-recent) decades, and I thought I'd mention some of my favorites, which Townsend discusses in his book.

Some, like the heavily peated Islay, Ardbeg (which I understand has been re-opened, fortunately), were justly famous; others, like Dallas Dhu and Millburn, were more obscure, but their closing was still a loss. People used to make jokes about the Dallas Dhu name (which means "black glen" in Scots Gaelic), but it really did produce a fine malt, and I had fun doing tastings of it with friends back in the late 80's, when it was still readily available in independent bottlings at different ages and from different independent bottlers. It was notable for some semi-sweet chocolate notes, a rare flavor and essence in scotch whiskey, and I used to enjoy it very much. The only other malt that comes to mind with a chocolate flavor to me right now was a 25-year-old bottling of Scapa, a 1968 or therabouts issue, if I remember correctly. But anyway, it certainly was a fine malt and worthy of comparison with the Dallas Dhu. One time I put on a tasting for other single-malt afficianado friends and acqaintances of almost nothing but "vanished malts," of which I had bottles of about a dozen at the time, and we all had a great time tasting their whiskies and talking about single-malts and whatever.

Although bourbons and cognacs are impressive spirits too, if there is one thing that separates single malts from the others, it's the sheer spectrum of diversity and intensity of the many qualities that they possess. The intense, crystal-clear essences and flavors of this great distillate are unique, and in truly appreciating a fine dram of one of the great single malts at the end of a day, even life's more pressing problems seem to themselves vanish for a moment. As someone once wrote, life is still worth living as long as there is a good single-malt available. And perhaps that's why it translates from the Gaelic as "the water of life."

But getting back to Townsend's book, here he gives a nod to the history and scotch of the many famous and more obscure distilleries and whiskies of Scotland that are no longer with us. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about all the different distilleries, even the defunct ones, but I still learned some new things from this enjoyable book, and I would recommend it to any and all single-malt enthusiasts who are looking for something different in a book about scotch.

addictive toddy of a historical read!
Highly informative paperback on scotland's lost whisky distilleries, including those which have closed in recent years and whose whiskies can still be found in specialist shops or the occasional liquor store thatdoesn't realise the gems it has on its shelves. Definitely a must for thewhisky enthusiast looking for a dram of a book. ... Read more

Isbn: 189778497X
Sales Rank: 367633
Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Distilleries    3. Europe - Great Britain - General    4. Europe - Gt. Britain/Scotland    5. General    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Scotland    10. Whiskey industry   

The Single Malt Whisky Companion : A Connoisseur's Guide
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (23 September, 1997)
list price: $24.95
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Reviews (4)

Light on Taste
This book will be of interest to those who seek short histories of the various Scotch distilleries and photographs (nicely done) of the bottles and their labels. I was dissapointed by the shallow tasting notes, my realinterest in buying this book.

History and photographs can also be foundin Michael Jackson's book of a similar title, but he also providesfantastic insight into the complex flavors of a stunning *800* differentsingle malt Scotch Whiskies. If you only plan to read 2 or 3 books on thesubject of Scotch Whisky, pass on this book and search out Michael Jacksonor Charles MacLean, two highly respected Scotch Whisky experts andexceptional writers on the subject.

I got drunker than.....
This book was a God sent for me.I use to be just a run of the mill beer drinking drunk, but after reading Milroy's book (The Single Malt....)Ilearned the true meaning of being a drunk.I drink single malt whiskey everynight (most mornings and afternoons as well).Thank you Mr. Milroyfor showing me the wonderful (though sometimes hazy) world of single maltwhiskey.

A Single-minded approach for Single Malt fans.
The fact of the matter is that for every trend that comes and goes, a corresponding handbook soon appears.Scan the on-line book shelves and you will no doubt find"Sideburns, An Owner's Manual", "The Basics of Bellbottoms", and three hundred books on cigars, Smurfs and Tamagochis.Single Malt Scotch has also become trendy, but true aficionados just smile and sip their scotch, knowing full well that the suspender clad masses will soon move on to a new microbrew, over-priced tequila or Northern Patagonian Pinot Noir.

Single Malt Scotch is not everybody's cup of tea.It can be harsh, brackish, burning and medicinal.And that's some of the good stuff. Finding the one that suits your taste, and your mood, is a difficult, albeit enjoyable, task. And that's where The Single Malt Whiskey Companion comes in so handy.An accurate and detailed tasting guide helps newcomers locate the beginner's bottle, and more seasoned fans to find a lesser known brand that's worth a try.So while the popularity of Single Malt Scotch itself may begin to decline, the relevance of well-written and informative companion books will endure. ... Read more

Isbn: 0028617800
Sales Rank: 760289
Subjects:  1. Beverages - Wine & Spirits    2. Cooking    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Scotland    5. Whiskey    6. Alcoholic beverages    7. General cookery