Customer Reviews

Scotland and Its Whiskies

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A couple of years ago I was blessed by being given one of the best, if not the best job in the world. "Brand Ambassador" for one of the finest and best known Scotch Whisky Brands. After an all too brief trip to Scotland, I have dedicated most of my free time to reading everything about Scotland and her Whiskies that I can get my hands on.
Mr. Jackson's wonderfully poetic description of the land that now owns my heart has served to make a return trip much more than a wish.
I so loved this book that I made a gift of it to the library of Cardhu Distillery.
Thank you Mr. Jackson for making Scotland come alive to Whisky lovers everywhere.
Slainte bha
Charles Swett

An excellent book about my favourite all time drink! That's how I would describe this well written, beautifully photographed and intricate journey through Scotland, describing its whiskies.

Working together, Jackson and Wright have put together a combined piece of verbal and photographic artwork. The information provided is very educational, but enjoyable, with historic and technical information entwined with Jackson's fireside conversational style making this a pleasure to read. I can't reproduce the photography but I can give you a sample of the style of writing from page 63:

"After I had breathed the air of early Christianity and Celtic myth, the journey back was slow. It was not just the two hours' drive from Fionnphort to Tobermory, the main town of Mull, but also the otherworldliness of the landscape."

This book has been broken up with the chapters as follows: Overture; The Islands; The East; Coda; Directory of distilleries; Glossary, Index and Acknowledgements. I liked the maps each section had that showed where distilleries were either operating, operating with visitor centre, mothballed or operating intermittently; or closed. This information would come in handy if you are planning on visiting the areas yourself.

`Scotland and its Whiskies' is the perfect gift for that special person who has everything (including you!). It is an informative and enjoyable read; while pleasing the eye at the same time.

This book was purchased along with MJ's 5th Edition Whisky guide. I found it an excellent read while enjoying a nice glass of single malt. The pictures are beautiful and MJ's commentary make me want to visit Scotland and tour the distilleries myself.

I got hooked on single malt scotches a few years ago--not hooked in an AA "higher power" sense--but hooked on sipping and savoring Balvenie, Oban, Cragganmore, and others.

As an adoptee who recently learned of his Scottish heritage, this handsome book with its lovely pictures of the highland countryside makes me proud. The Scottish have given the world the telephone (Graham Bell), the bicycle (Dunlop), the game of golf (St. Andrew's), cloning (Wilmut), penicillin (Fleming), and capitalism (Adam Smith)...not to mention some fabulous hooch <hick!>

Our author is a foremost specialist on the subject of single malts discussing the subtle differences based on barrel-wood and mineral earth that make each scotch unique to its region. Besides, with someone like Michael Jackson says a 12 year old is tastier than a 16 year old, you better believe him.

This is a quality production. The photos and the descriptions are fantastic. I found myself pouring a glass of scotch from whichever region I was reading that night, ie. Islay, Speyside, etc, and enjoying the dram more than usual.

By now you already know if you like scotch whisky. Now you are looking at this book because you want to know more than just that you like it. The pictures aren't of whisky in a glass or the bottle and label. They show a moment in the making of it or the scene where barley is harvested or a wave splashing by a seaside distillery.

Keep it on your scotch shelf or by the armchair you like to sit in when you sip a dram. More picture than text, the history of the product is brief and easily read without delving too deeply. Hold the glass to your nose and smell the malt and peat. Hold a sip on your tongue and look at the photos of landscape that brings you this treat of relaxation. The narrative reads quickly and moves lightly from one topic to another. Not a collection of reviews, this is more like a travelogue from a whisky tour.

I bought this book in January 2011. In November 2011 I purchased "The Whiskies of Scotland: Encounters of a Connoisseur" and found out that they are the same book. The difference is mainly that the format of the book is smaller, pictures are cropped differently and text layout is slightly changed to accommodate the narrower pages. You can save a few dollars by picking the new edition. I'm a little disappointed but I guess someone will get the new one as a seasonal gift.

Sláinte

I bought this book for my husband, a single malt lover but also a kindle-man, based on two very positive reviews . I thought it would be great to give him a lovely coffee-table type book for a change. (At the price I expected a coffee table show-case book). Neither the volume nor the soft cover really makes it suitable for this purpose, though. The narrative is informative & well written - suitable as an overview. The book lacks detail: I wanted to read more about Arran (one of the 'stops'), but my question is still unanswered. A nice book but I was disappointed.

This is really a picture/travel book about the country and the locales around its distilleries. Lovely book, great pictures. Makes me want to visit.

I bought this book for my Dad's Christmas present. He is a scotch drinker and likes information about the different scotchs, but more than that, loved the pictures and writing about Scotland. Makes a great gift!

I bought this book for a friend who likes single malt scotch & non-fiction books. After looking at it, I read it & bought my friend another copy. The writing is terrific & the photography beatiful. My friend & I are planning a trip to Scotland when we retire & I have started enjoying a wee dram of the water of life occasionally.