Appreciating Whiskey: The Connoisseur's Guide to Nosing, Tasting and Enjoying Scotch

by Phillip Hills

An accessible, jargon-free guide to understanding, tasting, and appreciating Scotch whisky, written by the founder of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Genres: Nonfiction

191 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2000

Reviews

[Mikebugslayer]

When you're done you'll know so much more about whisky, but if you want to read only one whisky book I don't think it should be this one. It's for whisky nerds.

[Patrick Book]

UPDATE: Reading this again some seven years later and wishing “Pip” would write a follow-up on the state of the industry. So much of what he derided has become infinitely more common, and some of the stalwart malt distilleries he praises for not giving into ridiculous marketing have done exactly that and more. The devolution of Macallan alone would be worth the money.

The ultimate nerdy scotch book, this delves deep into the science of the spirit. It has some remarkable information, and -- perhaps unusual for a whisky book -- even more opinion. Hill frequently fancies himself a plain-speaking fellow who doesn't cotton to the sometimes-outrageous myth-making and flowery prose with which some speak of certain whiskies. But his chop-busting just as often as not makes him seem as much a pretentious blowhard as those he calls out.

[Henning Hj]

For nerds with special interests in whisky. I loved it.