Great Whiskeys

386 Pages·2011·21.94 MB·English

by  DK Publishing

GREAT
W H I S K E YS

Material previously published in World Whiskey
GREAT
W H I S K E YS
500 OF THE BEST FROM AROUND THE WORLD
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CHARLES MACLEAN
LONDON, NEW YORK, MUNICH,
MELBOURNE, DELHI
US Editors Jenny Siklós, Shannon Beatty
DK INDIA
Editorial Manager Glenda Fernandes
Senior Art Editor (Lead) Navidita Thapa
DTP Manager Sunil Sharma
Designer Heema Sabharwal
DTP Designers Manish Chandra Upreti,
Mohammed Usman, Neeraj Bhatia
DK UK
Editor Shashwati Tia Sarkar
Designer Katherine Raj
Managing Editor Dawn Henderson
Managing Art Editor Marianne Markham
Senior Jacket Creative Nicola Powling
Production Editor Ben Marcus
Production Controller Dominika Szczepanska
Creative Technical Support Sonia Charbonnier
Material first published in the United States
in World Whiskey, 2009
This edition first published in 2011
by DK Publishing
375 Hudson Street
New York, New York 10014
11 12 13 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
001–179127–April/2011
Copyright © 2009, 2011 Dorling Kindersley Limited
All rights reserved.
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otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the
copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited.

A catalog record for this book is available
from the Library of Congress.

ISBN 978-0-7566-7184-6
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CONTENTS
Introduction 6
A–Z of Great Whiskeys 8
Whiskey Tours
Islay 60
Speyside 148
Ireland 202
Japan 330
Kentucky 370
A–Z of Whiskeys by Type 378
A–Z of Whiskeys by Country 380
Acknowledgments 383
INTRODUCTION
There’s an old saying in Scotland: “There’s no bad
whisky. Just good whisky and better whisky.” The
whiskeys featured in this book come from all over the
world. As you will see, great whiskey is now being made
in South Asia, Australasia, and Europe, not just the
“established” whiskey countries of Scotland, Ireland,
the US, Canada, and Japan.
Whiskey is recognized as the most complex spirit on the planet.
It is made from the simplest and most natural of ingredients—cereal
grains, water, and yeast—yet the craft and tradition that goes into
its making elevate it to the rank of “noble spirit,” presenting a huge
spectrum of aromas and tastes. Like people, every whiskey is
different—each has its own personality. Some are big, bold, and
rowdy; others delicate, elegant, and shy. Some you may not take to
immediately may later become good friends. My selection has been
guided by six of the world’s leading whiskey writers—Dave Broom,
Tom Bruce-Gardyne, Ian Buxton, Peter Mulryan, Hans Offringa, and
Gavin D. Smith—and I am deeply grateful to them for writing up the
individual entries.
How you choose to enjoy whiskey—with or without water or ice; with
soda or lemonade; with ginger ale or cola—is a matter of personal
preference. In China they like it with iced tea, in Brazil with coconut
6
water. However “flavor” is not just about taste, it also embraces
smell. Indeed, to truly appreciate the nuances of flavor in whiskey,
particularly malt whiskey, you should add nothing but a dash of
water, and present the drink in a glass that allows you to consider
its aroma to the full.
Secreted within this listing of world whiskeys are tours that will
guide you to whiskey regions of Scotland, Ireland, the US, and
Japan. No experience adds more to the enjoyment of whiskey
than visiting a working distillery, to savor the aromas, appreciate
the skill, dedication, and time that goes into making this profound
spirit, and of course, to sample a dram right at its source.
Maybe you are just setting out on this journey of discovery; perhaps
you’re well down the road to becoming a connoisseur. Either way,
I hope this book will be a useful guide and will introduce you to some
interesting flavors.
Explore and enjoy!
Charles MacLean
7
8PM
India
Owner: Radico Khaitan
www.radicokhaitan.com
Launched as recently as 1999,
8PM had the singular distinction
of selling a million cases in its first
S
year (it now sells 3 million). The
Y
E brand owner is Radico Khaitan,
K based at Rampur Distillery, Uttar
S
Pradesh. Established in 1943, it
I
H is now a gigantic unit with a
W capacity of over 20 million gallons
(90 million liters) of alcohol a year.
A The company owns other
whiskey brands, including
Whytehall, and it has recently
formed a partnership with Diageo,
T the world’s largest drinks
A
conglomerate, to produce
E
R Masterstroke (see p248).
G
◀ 8PM CLASSIC
BLEND
Made from “a mix of quality grains,”
this has a core that promises “thaath”
(boldness, opulence) and “the reach
of a man to the dream world.”
8PM ROYALE
BLEND
A blend of Indian spirits and mature
Scotch malt whiskies.
8