101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die [Hardcover]

Ian Buxton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2010

A fun and accessible guide to completing an education in whiskey from a man who knows his hooch

Avoiding the deliberately obscure, the ridiculously limited, and the absurdly expensive, whiskey expert Ian Buxton has scoured the shelves of the world's whiskey warehouses to recommend an eclectic selection of old favorites, stellar newcomers, and mystifyingly unknown drams that simply have to be drunk. This witty, focused, and practical guide is not an awards list or a list of the 101 "Best" whiskies in the world in the opinion of some self-appointed whiskey guru. It’s simply a guide to 101 whiskies that enthusiasts really must seek out and try—love them or hate them—to complete their whiskey education. What's more, it's both practical and realistic as it cuts through the clutter, decodes the marketing hype, and gets straight to the point; whether from India or America, Sweden or Ireland, Japan or the hills, glens, and islands of Scotland—here are the 101 whiskies that every whiskey enthusiast needs to try. Sláinte!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Awesome sauce for even the slightest of whiskey nerds . . . completely worth picking up."  —LiquorSnob.com

"Specific and very good."  —Newsday

"101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die . . . has captured the mood conducive to entering the world of whisky that we share."  —WhatDoesJohnKnow.com

"An inspiring travel guide and an education in scotch, whisky, whiskey, bourbon, rye and new make spirit."  —CoolHunting.com 

"A good travel companion."  —Charleston Mercury 

"If you like to drink whisky, this should be on your bucket list."  —LiquorSnob.com

"Many of you will want to either add this book to your Christmas list or buy the book yourself and add selections from it to that list."  —National Barbecue News

About the Author

Ian Buxton is a former marketing director of Glenmorangie. He was elected a Keeper of the Quaich in 1991, the highest honor of the Scotch whisky industry; he is a member of the international tasting panel for the annual World Whisky Awards; and he is a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Distillers. He writes regular columns for The Keeper, Whisky Magazine, and WhiskyEtc, and has written for the Country Life, Scottish Field, and the Times.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Headline Book Publishing (December 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0755360834
• ISBN-13: 978-0755360833
• Product Dimensions: 1 x 5 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,117 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Drinks & Beverages > Spirits
  • #29 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Reference

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A nice subjective resource, but makes a great wish list June 13, 2011

By Sean Foushee

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you're the type of whisky drinker who hasn't ventured outside of a handful of malts or blends, or are just starting to discover whisky, this book is a great resource for discovering new and exciting expressions. First, I must commend Mr. Buxton for placing whiskies on his list which he confesses to not enjoying, but realizes others might find excellent - some of the peatier Islay scotches for example. I bought this book knowing it was a subjective list, and did so gladly since the book doesn't try to focus only on single malts or a specific whisky making region - like Mr. Jackson's treatise, a "Complete Guide To Single Malt Scotch." And in the process of reading through the 101 whiskies presented in the book I've discovered a handful of whiskies from distillers I've never thought of buying (i.e. Buffalo Trace) and in a couple of instances I've expanded on the list by filling the gaps in the ranges Mr. Buxton recommends. One such example is The Macallan, which places three spots on the list with their 10, 18 and 30 year old expressions. After buying a bottle of The Macallan 10 year, and trying their 18, I decided to purchase a bottle of 15 year Fine Oak, which isn't on the list. The Macallan profile was so good in the two I tasted from the list that it convinced me to try the 15 year and see what I might have been missing between the 10 and 18 year expressions; I'm glad I did!

The list isn't presented in any hierarchal structure, but rather alphabetically, which makes finding whiskies easy and the book enjoyable to read. The only complaint I have is with Mr. Buxton's color coded price guide, which can often be hard to decipher requiring a trip back to the front of the book to glance at the legend and as one color blind friend mentioned is near useless for him. Other than that small quibble, this is an excellent book and one I highly recommend.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Well done, funny book March 23, 2011

By LegalWriter

Format:Hardcover

I have quite a few books on whisky so I bought this with some skepticism because a lot of the books just rehash the same old stuff about the history of the distilleries, which ones have visitors' centers, etc. But this book was quite different. I wound up reading it straight through, thoroughly enjoying the offbeat selections (some good Japanese whiskies chosen) and snarky comments. (The comment about what to do with the purple Crown Royal bag made me laugh out loud.) And as much as I like the late Michael Jackson's single malt guides, Buxton makes an excellent point against Jackson: How the heck can you differentiate a 92 from a 93 rating? It's better to tell the reader what the whiskies are all about, and to his credit, he even says for several of them, "Hey, I don't particularly like this one, but you should try it." Bravo!

If you like whisky (or whiskey) this is a wonderful book.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good guide November 29, 2010

By Michael

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Color pictures on every page and a small size make this a nice, simple guide. The descriptions discuss both the tasting points (color, nose, taste and finish) as well as the process and history behind each.