My thought while reading this fine book was that I wished I had bought the physical version instead of the e-book. Because Tasting Whiskey by Lew Bryson is a great resource and a great read.
From the start and the simple explanation of why it can be spelled “whisky” and/or “whiskey” to the theory of The Wall, I knew that I would be taking a lot of screenshots of pages.
And that was the start of my learning. Next up was “reflux” and how that affects the spirit. Then the differences between the major styles of Canadian, Scotch, Bourbon, Japanese, Irish and craft distillers. With helpful charts to show the whiskey curious which bottle might be best to for their particular taste.
There is a smattering of history, distillation science and myths. Talk of the Angel’s Share along with recipes and whiskey auctions. The pace doesn’t lag in any of these sections.
But the best part of the book is the tone. Intelligent but down to earth. Helpful and not elitist. Definitely geek and not snob. The overall message is simply to try whiskey and have fun doing so. A tone that I wish I could master.
I could pull quote after quote to illustrate my point but it is probably best that you get your own copy and dog ear the pages that are most relevant to you.
Whether you are a whiskey aficionado or a novice. This book will make you look at the drink with more world wisdom than before.