10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Whisky or Whiskey?, December 20, 2009
This review is from: Whiskey and Philosophy: A Small Batch of Spirited Ideas (Philosophy for Everyone) (Paperback)
At the outset, this book captures one's interest. In the opening pages, we learn that even the spelling of the subject matter of this book is an issue (At one point, the editors note that they had tho0ught of calling the book "Whisk(e)y & Philosophy" to account for that; they were talked out of doing this, though). First, let me confess. I am not much of a whisky drinker. I once wrote a review in a DK volume on the subject, and--out of curiosity--ended up investing in a bottle of Glenfiddich. To my surprise, I really enjoyed a sip here and there (however, the one small bottle lasted several months). Thus, I was curious about this volume when I saw it advertised.
This book is, in short, a lot of fun! It takes the subject seriously but also has fun with it. In the Foreword, the editors note what is at stake in this book (Page ix): "[Whiskey] is far more than liquor in a bottle: it embodies tradition and high craft, social history and topography, poetry and song. In other words, it comes with a pedigree. . . ." This book focuses on the various aspects of whiskey. Part I explores the history and culture of whiskey; Part II considers the beauty and experience of whiskey; Part III examines, believe it or not, the metaphysics and epistemology of whiskey; Part IV looks at ethics and whiskey. The final part reverts to the other spelling, "Whisky: A Sense of Place."
The book is an edited volume with a score or so of authors of individual chapters. Let's take a look at some of these to get a sense of the contents and approach. The very first chapter in Part I is a nice history of Scotch Whisky. It asks whether Scotch whisky is an agricultural or industrial product, leading to an interesting analysis. It speaks of the role of casks, how to achieve consistency, and the role of the conglomerate in production and marketing. The very next chapter examines what to me seemed like an exotic issue--the terms provenance and authenticity with Scotch. However, the discussion is engaging and adds to one's understanding of the culture of whisky. The second part of the book concludes with another engaging piece, entitled "Where the Fiddich Meets the Spey: My Religious Experience." The metaphysics and epistemology of Whiskey? Dalton's chapter, "Heisenberg's Spirits: Tasting Is More Uncertain Than It Seems" digs into the question (Page 196): "Are some whiskeys better than others?" His answer turns on the next phrase, in which he invokes Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle (from physics) (Page 196): "I will show in the following sections that the question encompasses not just the whiskey but also the person tasting it. The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and how it relates to the taster/tasted system will be discussed." Again, much fun!
In the final section, there is a chapter on Japanese whiskey. What delights me about this is the use of postmodern theorist Jean Baudrillard, to consider the evolution of Japanese whiskey. The simple fact that Baudrillard is used fascinates; the application of his concept of simulacra/simulations is enchanting!
All in all, a fun book. If interested in the many perspectives on whiskey, this is worth a read.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Speyside, Highland, and Islay... oh my!, December 1, 2009
This review is from: Whiskey and Philosophy: A Small Batch of Spirited Ideas (Philosophy for Everyone) (Paperback)
With the completion and production of Whiskey and Philosophy, the Epicurean Trilogy (Wine/Food/Beer and Philosophy) has become a series. Unlike the other three this book seems to use philosophy more as a tool to analyze and enhance the experience of drinking and thinking about whiskey, than using whiskey as a tool to enter into the world of philosophy. Though, as the title suggests you get a unique blend of both. If you like to drink good whiskey, if you like to think about whiskey, or if you don't know what good whiskey is, then you should read this book.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best books on Whisk(e)y I have ever read, April 23, 2010
This review is from: Whiskey and Philosophy: A Small Batch of Spirited Ideas (Philosophy for Everyone) (Paperback)
I consider myself a connoisseur of only two things; sushi and whisky. This might seem like an odd combination, but Scotland and Japan are the two countries I have lived in besides my native US, and I gained a deep appreciation for both traditions. And make no mistake, Japan is whisky country. In fact, the finest single malt whisky in the world is made in Japan. Don't believe me? Just take a look inside "Whiskey and Philosophy."
What is "Scotch" anyways? What is "whisky?" (Or "whiskey", if you prefer. A debate in and of itself.) These are some fundamental questions that have not really been asked. By law, Scotch must be produced in Scotland, but if you take all the same ingredients and techniques, move them to another country and produce a product that is indistinguishable and in fact superior to the original (as Japan did), what do you call it? How much can you change the ingredients before what in your bottle is no longer considered whisky? Can you add flavorings and colors as has been done to vodka? And what is meant by a "great" whisky? Isn't it just a question of personal taste? Is there such a thing as a perfect "Platonic" Manhattan, or is variety the spice of life? Is drinking whisky a feminist statement? And how does Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle factor into all this?
These, and more, are the kinds of questions asked in "Whiskey and Philosophy." In fact almost no stone is left unturned. Even the title, willfully choosing the "e" spelling denoting bourbon, is a conscious choice supported by debate. For too long, authors Fritz Allhoff and Marcus P. Adams say in the introduction, the American-made whiskeys like bourbon and rye have been considered lower-shelf than their overseas cousins the Scotch and the Irish. Bourbon was a drunkard's tipple, dumped in with coke to mask the taste, and not something to be praised alone. With the very title of the book that sought to change that.
There are five units in total, with several articles in each waxing historical, philosophical or political about the water of life. Some, like Andrew Jefford's "Scotch Whisky: From Origins to Conglomerates" go a long way to bursting some popular bubbles about Scotch whisky. Although appreciators like to pat themselves on the back for their refined tastes, but in reality 90% of scotch whiskey produced gets dumped into those distained blended Scotches which still account for the vast amount of sales of Scotch whisky. Only 10% is bottled and sold as Single Malt. The illusion of a hand-crafted product from wind-swept shores is also shattered with images of modern production facilities and a Master Distiller whose job involves more button-pushing on complex machines rather than nosing a glass and wistfully bidding goodbye to the Angel's Share. Other fantastic articles like Ian J. Dove's "What do Tasting Notes Tell Us?" talks about the subjective nature of all those "overtones of clove and heather" or "scents of fruit at the market" -type of talk you see in tasting books. Should we feel bad if we can't separate the sensations? Richard Menary thinks so, in his article "The Virtuous Whisky Drinker and Living Well" who makes the separation between "virtuous" drinkers who study the product and refine their skills, with those who merely imbibe for alcoholic pleasure. (A split I thought summed up very well in
Chasing the White Dog when it was said that "sometimes I am tasting, but sometimes I am just drinking.")
Many of the articles on Scotch focused on Islay, which was fine with me as that is my favorite whisky region, but even then there is some myth-busting going on. Labels like Laphroaig are in fact owned by large spirit conglomerates like Fortune Brands, and while the whisky is distilled on Islay it is actually aged over on the mainland so there is very little opportunity for that "lashed by the sea" taste to creep in during the aging process. When you make your whisky choice, you are buying marketing and an image as much as you are buying the spirit itself.
Some of these essays got me thinking. Some of them confused me. Some of them ticked me off. Which is exactly the correction reaction for a book like this. There were a few, I must confess, which bored me. Ada Brustein's "Women, Whiskey and Libationary Liberation" with its comments on feminism and whiskey drinking didn't do much for me, but I am probably not the target audience. "Whisky and the Wild" by Jason Kawall attempting to apply biological genus/species categorization and wondering whether diversity of product inherently improves the market took the metaphor a bit far for me, as did Dave Monroe's musings on the ability of whiskey to "make a man mean" in "Nasty Tempers: Does Whiskey Make People Immoral?" Christ Bunting's history of "Japanese Whisky" was one of my favorites, as was Harvey Siegel's personal memoir on finding the spot in Scoland "Where the Fiddich Meets the Spey."
"Whiskey and Philosophy" is part of a series of books, including
Wine and Philosophy and
Food and Philosophy. This is a truly spectacular book, and a gift to whisky aficionados everywhere. If there is someone who loves whisky, I couldn't imagine them not wanting to have a copy of "Whiskey and Philosophy" in their library.
The only possible complaint I have about this book is I wish I could have been a contributor instead of just a reader! You can't read something like this without your own ideas popping into your head. Ah well, maybe when it is time for "Sushi and Philosophy" to come out...
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