Whiskypedia: A Compendium of Scotch Whisky

by Charles MacLean

An authority on Scotch whiskyAn ideal addition to a collection of whisky books for beginners or whisky distilling booksFantastic gift for any whisky loversHave you ever wondered why Scotch whisky tastes the way it does? Have you ever questioned the history of whisky and how its flavor notes have changed over the years? If so, then this book is for you! The flavor of Scotch whisky is influenced by a combination of history, craft, science, and tradition. Whether it is single malt Scotch whisky, dalmore whisky, or peat whisky, you will learn something about it in this book. This book on scotch is also a compendium of curiosities! Learn about bottles of scotch, including orbit bottle labels, whiskey green labels, and more. Whiskypedia also outlines information about individual distilleries. Each one provides their whiskies with unique characteristics. They are grounded in the craft and custom of the distillery and its district, but the real key influences on the flavor are how the spirit is matured, the distilling equipment itself, and how the distilling equipment is operated. This guide explores all of those influences and more. Whiskypedia is the first comprehensive source of the flavor and character of every malt whisky in Scotland. Written by Charles MacLean, “a world authority on malt whisky” (Daily Telegraph), shares his wisdom throughout this book. The history of Scotch whisky and information on Scotch distilling are also included. John MacPherson’s stunning photos compliment the text well. This is an ideal book about Scotch for any whisky fan. Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Good Books and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of cookbooks, including books on juicing, grilling, baking, frying, home brewing and winemaking, slow cookers, and cast iron cooking. We’ve been successful with books on gluten-free cooking, vegetarian and vegan cooking, paleo, raw foods, and more. Our list includes French cooking, Swedish cooking, Austrian and German cooking, Cajun cooking, as well as books on jerky, canning and preserving, peanut butter, meatballs, oil and vinegar, bone broth, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, History, Cooking, Scotland

579 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2009

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the goodreads data base.

Charles MacLean is a writer whose special subject is Scotch whisky, about which he has published ten books to date, including the standard work on whisky brands, Scotch Whisky and the leading book on its subject, Malt Whisky, both of which were short-listed for Glenfiddich Awards.

Whisky: A Liquid History, published by Cassell in 2003 was named Wine and Spirit Book of the Year (2005) by the James Beard Foundation of New York. MacLean’s Whisky Miscellany followed in 2004, expanded in 2006 as Whisky Tales; in 2008 he was Managing Editor of Dorling Kindersley’s Eyewitness Companion to Whisky, and in 2009 their World Whiskies.Whiskypedia was published in June 2009.

Reviews

[Daniel Mihai Popescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really don't have any comparative work to consider, so this book seems exhaustive. The complete catalogue of Scottish Single Malt Whiskys.

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[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

read and reread

Even if already well out of date. He was a master of whisky. This has a well of information, and encouragement to try a wee dram, and another different one.

[Lennert · Rating 4 out of 5]

One hell of a bucket list

[Filipe Pascoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a beginner to scotch whiskey, I found this an insightful and enjoyable read. The first sections of the book present a concise, unpretentious description of scotch whisky - covering its history, processes, different types, and appreciation. The main body is, of course, a gazetteer containing extensive descriptions of Scottish distilleries. I only covered a few that I was interested in, but it's a nice collection to refer back to, whenever I encounter a new whiskey.
The first and last pages also contained useful descriptors and charts - such as a flavour wheel and a single malt whiskey flavour map.

[Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough reference book for lovers of single-malt. Never again will you be left wondering about the history of your favorite distillery. The only complaint is that now I feel less confident I can fit all these tastings into one lifetime!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice review of whiskeys

[Heather Forensky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that explains who enjoys which Whisky or who owns what. I had no idea Finland and Japan own some Scottish companies and now I need a scotch.

[Wade Kaardal · Rating 5 out of 5]

An in depth resource and reference on Scotch distilleries.

[R. Martijn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There is no bad Whisky. There are only some Whisky's that aren't as good as others"

Whiskypedia is one of the books every serious Scotch nerd should have on his bookshelf. As the title implies, it is an encyclopedia of Scotch whiskies, specifically single malts. The book is an alphabetic guide to the several dozen malt distilleries in Scotland, with each entry delivering a general history, interesting factoids, and notes for the core single malt of that distillery.

Even on this basic, Scotch whisky 201 level, most of us can only command this information for a favorite short list of distilleries. That is where having a handy, concise and clearly written compendium becomes a necessary accessory for anyone making the move from casual drinker to enthusiast. Charles MacLean’s Whiskypedia has that base covered.

[Jorgen Lundgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this 2014 edition in a second hand bookshop in Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago for £4.50.
Well worth the money. Whiskypedia comes with some great snippets like,

Glen Ord distillery, excavations here in 1962, to make way for No. 1 warehouse, uncovered six skulls, one with a musket ball embedded in its jaw.

Glenmorangie distillery, so keen is Glenmorangie on its wood that the company owns forests in the Ozark Mountains of Kentucky.

Strathearn distillery, the draff residues go to a local farm which raises wild boar.

Last but not least Springbank distillery, Springbank is the most traditional distillery in Scotland. It is also the only distillery established in the nineteenth century, still in the ownership of it's founding family.

[Cor Hobes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Should have done more research before buying the book, but it was literally an encyclopedia (go figure) of all whiskey distilleries within Scotland. Tough to finish due to that format.