The World's Best Whiskies: 750 Unmissable Drams from Tain to Tokyo

by Dominic Roskrow

Overview

Aimed at beginners as well as connoisseurs, this completely revised and updated edition of The World's Best Whiskies encompasses everything you need to know to increase your appreciation of this complex and fascinating spirit.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780785842521
Publisher:	Chartwell
Publication date:	03/20/2023
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	433,434
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dominic Roskrow is the former editor of Whisky Magazine, The Spirits Business, and Whiskeria. He has written eight books on whisky including The World’s Best Whiskies, 1001 Whiskies To Try Before You Die, and The Whisky Opus, and has contributed to several more, including every edition of The Whisky Yearbook. He specializes in world whisky, and he has had work published in newspapers and magazines across the world including Drinks International, Harpers Wine & Spirits Trade News, Whisky Advocate, The Times, The Sunday Times, the Daily Telegraph, and the Wall Street Journal. He has been made a Kentucky Colonel and a Keeper of The Quaich for his contributions to bourbon and Scotch whisky respectively, and he was named the 2015 Fortnum & Mason Drinks Writer of the Year.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

BASICS

TASTING WHISKY

Whisky suffers from an identity crisis, particularly when it comes to nosing and tasting it.

Whisky is a simple drink made of grain, yeast and water, and is effectively distilled beer. It is the drink of the tenant farmer and the common man.

In its crudest form it is harsh firewater, and at its most sophisticated it is an ideal lubricant for socializing, celebrating, bonding and peace-making.

It should have no airs or graces and most of the time it doesn't.

But the world of whisky is split between those who accept whisky as the drink of the people and those who would prefer it to sit on an altogether higher table. They prefer to link it not with the grain but with the grape, and they dress it in the livery of wine and of wine language. There was even a magazine that brought the two together. It failed.

And it is from this that the identity crisis stems.

For while many whisky books are broadly in agreement as to how whisky should be nosed, tasted and appreciated, scratch below the surface and there is little common agreement among writers and experts on the subject. Some believe that water should be added, others not. Professional 'nosers' or tasters add lots of water. Some say that you should spit whisky, others that you cannot appreciate the full experience without swallowing it.

My view is that whisky is not wine and should not be treated as such. Whisky is three or four times as strong for a start, and the process of distillation takes spirit several steps away from the provenance of the ingredients from which it is made. While many flavours and aromas can be found in whisky, it does not command the same degree of nuance or subtlety as wine and therefore does not demand the same indulgences of language. Whisky is made all the more attractive because, on the whole, it is free of the pretentiousness that goes with wine tasting, and snobs and drinks bores would not be tolerated in the distilleries of Scotland, Kentucky, Ireland – or anywhere else for that matter. Whisky is all about independence and free spirit, and for this reason nobody should tell you how to taste it. That said, though, while how you travel down the whisky road is a matter entirely for you, it doesn't hurt to have some signposts along the route. Here are a few pointers.

WHAT GLASS TO USE

How you want to drink your whisky is entirely up to you. But while you often see whisky in a tumbler glass, this is not the way to go if you want to appreciate its subtle aromas. Tumblers are fine for blended whisky or bourbon, when mixers or ice might be added. They are useless for nosing single-malt whisky.

For the record, the whisky industry favours a tulip-shaped glass with a tapered neck, because this concentrates the aromas into the nose. You can buy them from most whisky shops at a modest cost. A Champagne flute, sherry glass or small red wine glass are all better than tumblers for tasting.

WATER OR NOT?

If any so-called expert says you should not add water to your whisky, tell them that the whisky industry started the practice. New spirit comes o.

the still with an alcoholic strength in the high 60s or early 70s. Until recently, when warehouse space and barrel shortages became an issue and casking smaller quantities of liquid at higher strength became fashionable, most distillers brought the strength at which the spirit entered into the cask down to about 63% ABV by adding water. After maturation, a Scottish single-malt whisky will have a strength of 50–65% ABV and, again, water is added to bring the strength down to the bottling strength of normally 40, 43 or 46%. In other words, more than a third of the whisky in your bottle is added water. Who's to tell you that you should not add a bit more? Blenders will take samples down to just 20% ABV and water is crucial for breaking down the whisky and releasing an array of aromas, thereby making appreciation of the drink easier. But, a few tasters dislike adding water and will only do so when tasting strong whiskies.

SPIT OR SWALLOW?

Whisky is a strong spirit, which means that the palate will tire quite rapidly when swallowing, and after three or four samples further tasting is impossible. It therefore makes sense to spit if you intend to be judging or appraising whisky for more than just fun or personal reasons. But that doesn't happen very often does it?

There are two compelling arguments for swallowing and not spitting. One is the fact that whisky is a drink. There is a clue in the title. The other is that when describing whisky we talk about the finish. How can we do this if we do not finish it? It's like watching a film then leaving 15 minutes before the end. Surely the warming feeling as the spirit passes down the throat and the taste left in your mouth afterwards are crucial to the whisky-tasting experience. For this reason it is best to sip and savour any whisky you have not tasted before, in order to fully appreciate the sight, aroma, flavours and finish of the drink. This is the way to gather a complete profile of each whisky you taste.

BEWARE HIGH-VOLTAGE ALCOHOL

Approach a glass of neat whisky with caution.

Whisky has a strong alcoholic content and should be respected. Nose a strong spirit too quickly and it will hurt your nostrils. Not only that, but your senses will batten down the hatches if they perceive that they are under threat, making further sensory perception redundant, at least in the short term.

Approach a new glass of whisky in the same way that you would approach an unfamiliar animal; at arm's length at first, then with caution until you are both happy in each other's company.

Taste a very small amount of the spirit neat before you do anything else to it.

THE ART OF DRINKING WHISKY

It may not be politically correct to say it these days, but alcohol has played a major and positive role in society for thousands of years. It has been used for medicinal purposes and as a tonic.

It was consumed before battle to give warriors courage, taken by defeated armies to drown their sorrows or by conquering armies to celebrate victory. Former enemies coming together to make peace have blessed their deals with alcohol.

In Scotland and Ireland clans have shared whisky at the end of conflict, passing around a shared cup – a quaich – in a communal ritual that is echoed in many Christian churches to this day. But whisky stands apart from many other drinks. It takes years to make, and centuries to make well, so it deserves respect, like wine.

A culture has grown up around whisky. Today there are different glasses for different occasions but in short, if you want to appreciate whisky by nosing it, you need a narrow, relatively short glass like those illustrated here. While a tumbler is fine if you are adding ice, it is not a glass that is particularly suited to nosing.

WHISKY STYLES

All whisky is made with grain, yeast and water, but under that umbrella there are many variations. Here are the main ones.

SINGLE-MALT WHISKY

Whisky made only of yeast, water and malted barley and the product of one distillery only. Scotland is the leading player in this sector but single malts are made across the world, in countries including the United States, Japan, Australia, South Africa and many European countries. In Europe, malt must be matured for a minimum of three years in oak casks, and must be of at least 40% ABV.

GRAIN WHISKY

Whisky made with grain or grains other than malted barley only. Grains might include wheat, corn, unmalted barley and rye. In Europe, the minimum maturation period of three years also applies. Great Scottish examples include Cameronbrig from Fife and Imperial from Morayshire, as well as Compass Box Hedonism, produced by a young company that specializes in artisanal blends.

BLENDED WHISKY

A combination of single malts from different distilleries mixed together with grain whisky. Look out for Johnnie Walker, Chivas Regal, Grant's, Famous Grouse and Ballantine's for a taste of blended whisky that steers away from the bland and is rich in flavour.

BLENDED MALT WHISKY

Whisky made using malted whisky from a number of different distilleries. Monkey Shoulder – made from a blend of single malts from Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kinivie – and Johnnie Walker Green Label from Scotland exemplify this particular style.

POT STILL WHISKEY

An Irish style of whiskey, which in its purest form is made using malted barley and another grain, normally unmalted barley, mixed to form the grist before mashing and then fermentation. The term has been used to describe any whiskey made in a pot still but this does not do this unique style of whiskey justice.

IRISH BLENDED WHISKEY

Most commercial Irish whiskeys are blends, and are normally made up of pot still whiskey mixed with grain whiskey, though The Irishman 70 is made up of 70% single malt and 30% Midleton pot still whiskey, a unique north-meets-south whiskey, which may be described as a blend but is in effect in a category of its own.

BOURBON

Whiskey made in the United States using grains including at least 51% corn, although in practice the amount is normally considerably higher. Bourbon is produced under strict guidelines and must be matured in fresh oak barrels. The most celebrated bourbons include Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, Buffalo Trace and Woodford Reserve. Straight bourbon must be matured for two years.

TENNESSEE WHISKEY

Whiskey made in the state of Tennessee in a similar style to bourbon, but which differs to bourbon because it has undergone the 'Lincoln County process' – where the spirit is passed through Maplewood charcoal before it is put into the cask. Jack Daniel's is the most famous example.

RYE WHISKEY (UNITED STATES)

Whiskey made in a similar way to bourbon, but with a minimum of 51% rye in the grist. It must also be matured for more than two years. Look out for Rittenhouse Rye and Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 13-year-old Rye, both produced in Louisville, as well as Sazerac Kentucky Straight Rye from Frankfort.

WHISKY STYLES

Whiskey made in a similar way to bourbon but including a minimum of 51% wheat. One of the best-known wheat whiskeys is Bernheim Original, a relative newcomer from the Heaven Hill distillery in Louisville, Kentucky.

CORN WHISKEY

Whiskey made up of at least 80% corn. There are no ageing requirements and, if corn whisky is aged, it is usually for no more than than six months. Heaven Hill's Mellow Corn and Georgia Moon are key examples of the style, as is Dixie Dew from the same distillery.

RYE WHISKY (CANADA)

Canadian Rye describes any whisky that has the aroma, taste and character of Canadian whisky, whether it contains rye or not. There is an irony here because rye produces aggressive and spicy whiskies and Canadian whisky can be soft, rounded and quite characterless. In practice, Canadian whisky will probably have a number of different whiskies in it, with only a small proportion of rye among them. Canadian whisky also permits a small amount of other liquid (eg. American bourbon or fruit juice). Look for Canadian Club, Glen Breton, Forty Creek.

WHISKY COCKTAILS

These days exciting cocktails go hand-in-hand with a successful whisky bar.

Big beards, slicked hair with side partings, tattoos, braces and the term 'mixologist' ... the cocktail has plenty to answer for when it comes to fashion car crashes. But, creative drinks making has revolutionized the world of spirits in general – and whisky in particular. Bar men and women, once frightened o- by the price and taste challenges of good whisky and bourbon, now wear their whisky creations as badges of honour, and no self-respecting bar would dare not to offer an innovative cocktail list. Not just new and exciting drinks either: many are discovering classic cocktails and giving them a modern twist. Some bars are putting drinks such as the Old Fashioned at the very heart of their offering.

The stellar rise of the cocktail in the last decade has been reflected in the growth of craft distilling. The two work in tandem, with many craft distilleries creating spirits almost exclusively for use in cocktails, and cocktails being served at weekends and evenings to attract tourists to the distillery. New spirits styles in the United States particularly – some of them described as whiskey, even though they're strictly not – are taking cocktails in to new and exciting areas.

And cocktails have provided a fillip to bars across the world. You'd expect to find a good cocktail menu in an upmarket hotel bar, but these days the self-styled dive bar will also be offering up a cool range of mixed drinks.

TOP TEN WHISKY BARS

Atlas Singapore

Boilermaker House Melbourne, Australia

Bourbons Bistro Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Delilah's Chicago, Illinois, United States

Dick Macks Dingle, Ireland

The Flatiron Room New York, United States

Jack Rose Dining Saloon Washington, United States

Multnomah Whiskey Library Portland, Oregon, US

The Pot Still Glasgow, Scotland

Villa Konthor Limburg, Germany

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "The World's Best Whiskies"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Dominic Roskrow.
Excerpted by permission of The Quarto Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Introduction, 6,
Adventures with whisky, 8,
The story of whisky, 10,
Making whisky, 12,
The role of peat and oak, 14,
How to make single-malt whisky, 16,
How to make blended whisky, 18,
How to make bourbon, 20,
WHISKY BASICS, 22,
Tasting whisky, 24,
Flavour categories, 26,
The art of drinking whisky, 28,
Whisky styles, 30,
Whisky cocktails, 32,
Classic whisky cocktails, 34,
Modern whisky cocktails, 36,
A WORLD OF WHISKY, 38,
A world of whisky, 40,
Making the selection, 42,
Tasting symbols, 43,
The face of modern whisky, 44,
SCOTLAND, 46,
Introduction, 48,
Single malt, 50,
Distillery profile: Aberlour, 52,
Distillery profile: Ardbeg, 56,
Distillery profile: Bruichladdich, 70,
Distillery profile: Glenfarclas, 82,
Distillery profile: Glenfiddich, 86,
Distillery profile: Glen Garioch, 90,
Distillery profile: The Glenlivet, 94,
Distillery profile: Glenmorangie, 98,
Distillery profile: Highland Park, 104,
Distillery proflie: Lagavulin, 108,
Distillery profile: Laphroaig, 112,
Distilleryprofile: Talisker, 124,
Distiller profile: Rachel Barrie, 126,
Blended whisky, 130,
Distiller profile: Ronnie Cox, 142,
Blended malt, 144,
Distiller profile: John Glaser, 148,
Grain whisky, 151,
USA & CANADA, 152,
USA introduction, 154,
Bourbon, 157,
Distillery profile: Balcones, 158,
Distillery profile: Buffalo Trace, 162,
Distillery profile: Heaven Hill, 168,
Distillery profile: Jim Beam, 170,
Distillery profile: Maker's Mark, 174,
Distillery profile: Wild Turkey, 180,
Distiller profile: Allison Parc, 182,
Tennessee whiskey, 184,
Distillery profile: Woodford Reserve, 186,
Rye whiskey, 188,
Distillery profile: Corsair, 190,
Corn whiskey, 194,
Wheat whiskey, 195,
American single malt, 196,
Other American whiskey, 198,
Canada introduction, 200,
Canadian single malt, 201,
Canadian blended whisky, 202,
IRELAND, 204,
Introduction, 206,
Irish single malt, 208,
Distillery profile: Bushmills, 210,
Irish blended whiskey, 212,
Distillery profile: Teeling, 216,
Distillery profile: Walsh, 220,
JAPAN, 222,
Introduction, 224,
Japanese single malt, 225,
Distillery profile: Chichibu, 226,
Distillery profile: Nikka, 230,
Japanese blended whisky, 233,
Distillery profile: Suntory, 234,
Japanese blended malt, 237,
NEW WORLD, 238,
Introduction, 240,
Profile: Australian distilleries, 242,
Profile: Alpine distilleries, 248,
Distillery profile: Stauning Denmark, 254,
Distillery profile: Warenghem France, 258,
Distillery profile: John Distilleries India, 262,
Profile: The rise and rise of Swedish whisky, 266,
Distillery profile: Mackmyra Sweden, 272,
Distillery profile: Kavalan Taiwan, 276,
Independent bottlers, 278,
Whisky directory, 280,
Whisky index, 282,
General index, 287,
Acknowledgements, 288,