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101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die

Ian Buxton

4.04 · Rating details · 350 ratings · 31 reviews

Fully updated and revised in 2013, 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die is a whisky guide with a difference. It is not an awards list. It is not a list of the 101 'best' whiskies in the world in the opinion of a self-appointed whisky guru. It is simply a guide to the 101 whiskies that enthusiasts must seek out and try in order to complete their whisky education.

Avoiding the ...more

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Hardcover, 224 pages

Published November 15th 2010 by Headline (first published September 2nd 2010)

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· 350 ratings · 31 reviews

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Jan 08, 2019 Marco Ceccarelli rated it it was amazing

An essential tool to discover the incredible world of whisky. Recommended to beginners and enthusiasts alike.

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Jan 28, 2016 Mike Sumner rated it it was amazing

I thought it might be prudent to stop, having tried 100, not wanting to shuffle off this mortal coil just yet! Anyway, this is a terrific book for anyone who enjoys whisky, or indeed, whiskey. A guide to 101 whiskies that enthusiasts should seek out and try, according to the author Ian Buxton, an eclectic selection of some of his favourites, some stellar newcomers and some mystifyingly unknown drams. Some of my own preferences are here: Aberlour Highland single malt, Ballantine’s 17 YO blend, Bo ...more

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Feb 27, 2014 Robert Williams rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

The premise of this book is good. Not a list of the 101 best whiskies but a guide to 101?that you should seek out and try. The problem is that he goes and spoils that by focusing heavily on scotch and recommending various expressions of the same whisky e.g. 3 versions of The Macallan.

It's interesting but it could have been so much better if he done what he said he was going to do.

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Sep 06, 2012 Joshua Feldman rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: whisky

101 World Whiskies is, initially it seems, very like the extremely well regarded tome Ian Buxton wrote a few years prior, 101 Whiskies To Try Before You Die, which did so very much to fan the flames of Scotch appreciation in its current renaissance of popularity. Ian Buxton is a distinguished writer of many books, articles, and columns in top whisky magazines such as Whisky Advocate. He's the kind of guy who knows absolutely everybody and is one of the folks who gets invited to taste and describ 101 World Whiskies is, initially it seems, very like the extremely well regarded tome Ian Buxton wrote a few years prior, 101 Whiskies To Try Before You Die, which did so very much to fan the flames of Scotch appreciation in its current renaissance of popularity. Ian Buxton is a distinguished writer of many books, articles, and columns in top whisky magazines such as Whisky Advocate. He's the kind of guy who knows absolutely everybody and is one of the folks who gets invited to taste and describe those $20,000 bottles that mortals like us never taste. As for the "101 Whiskies" books, these are both excellent works that, paradoxically, move me alternately to flights of delighted appreciation and spitting fits of wrath and rage as will become readily apparent. Both of these books are more collection of profiles and brief tasting notes than conventional 'whisky books'. By that, I mean that many common features of whisky books are absent. There are no ponderous chapters on whisky philosophy, production details and methodology, or history, and only a brief one paragraph on "how to drink" with no instructions on deciphering your own palate such as maps of the tongue. All this stuff is almost inexcusably omitted (or refreshingly so, depending on your perspective). Also missing are detailed history chapters that explain the roots of an industry, or even very detailed histories of various distilleries. You also will not find extensive and carefully written tasting notes. Buxton, indeed, sometimes omits tasting notes altogether; sometimes for the most important distilleries listed. An example is Highland Park, where Buxton not only fails to give us any tasting notes at all - he also cannot be pinned down to a recommended expression either - otherwise a firm rule throughout the book(s). I mean, if it's 101 whiskies you HAVE to taste before you shuffle off this mortal coil you should have 101 of them. Instead Buxton suggests, in the case of Highland Park, that we just have "all of them" - a suggestion he acknowledges as patently absurd even within that very chapter given the explosion of limited collector's releases and the fact that the 50 year old expression he depicts on that chapter's front retails for £10,000. This last part is particularly galling given that he assured us in the introduction that he would give us a tour of whiskies for drinking and that absurdly priced drams £1,000 and up flatly wouldn't be considered. Tasting notes, when actually provided, are often inexcusably brief - although I'll readily grant that what little is there is usually spot on. Furthermore, you don't get any scoring or rankings at all. Each chapter is illustrated with frontally nude bottle shots and nothing else - no illustrations of distilleries or images of the faces of the personalities mentioned. Images of lovely barley fields, castles, and malting floors are totally MIA.

But this isn't what really burns me up. What really gets me mad and confused and toss the book to the floor in a rage periodically are the facts that Buxton 1) doesn't like peat - but appears guilty enough of this that he includes a number of peat monsters ***in case YOU do***. 2) Sometimes includes whiskies he hasn't even tried or that don't even exist yet! 3) includes items that aren't even properly (ie legally) whisky. 4) Seems to evangelize major blends that I'm busy ignoring because I'm a whisky snob and look down my nose at major manufacturer blends in favor of rare single malts and interesting craft whiskies. To give you a taste of what I'm talking about let's look at # 1: Bakery Hill Cask Strength Peated Malt from Australia. Fascinating stuff. However, as Buxton readily admits, he hasn't actually tasted it. He provides us some tasting notes from the cut sheet. **Bam** - sound of book (Kindle, actually) hitting floor in a rage. How about # 78: Buffalo Trace, White Dog - Mash #1. Wow, a fascinating unaged new make that doesn't qualify as a Bourbon because it's new. It's technically whiskey - in the old sense of our colonial forebears. Well, if Ian Buxton is putting this in the 101 Whiskies you MUST try before you DIE he probably thinks it's pretty damn well good, right? Not so fast. I'm going to actually quote Mr. Buxton on this one:

"Apart from the curiousity value, though, what do you actually use this stuff for? Well, enterprising cocktail experts have been mixing it into some innovative and truly unusual cocktails where the very high strength has some value and, er, that's about it."

"Rather than buy a whole bottle yourself (even allowing for the fact that it comes in a half-bottle size), you might want to consider buying this with friends and using it to kick off a tasting session. Nothing will more clearly demonstrate the role of barrel aging and the impact of good wood on whisky. After which you can quickly move on to the proper stuff!"

**BAM** (sound of kindle hitting the floor in a rage... again... poor little e-book reader). There are so many amazing whiskies, and Buxton is having me buy something that's maybe good for cocktails (like gin or vodka) but isn't so fine on its own (as new make) so I should plan on splitting it with friends rather than own a whole bottle. Is this just me or is this august gentleman looking for a kick in the shins?

Now, where was I? Oh yes, you absolutely must read 101 World Whiskies. Why? because it is a superb profile of where the world's malt whisky distilling scene is headed at the current moment. Interesting and worthy new malt whiskies are coming out of crazy places such as Holland, Germany, France, South Africa, the USA, Australia, England, Spain, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Japan, Wales, and even (this may shock you) Scotland. Buxton describes scores of distilleries and expressions I've never even heard of - and I follow this stuff somewhat avidly. Buxton does more than list these revelations, he describes their context and why, exactly, you want to taste them. Why you need to, in fact. He does so with merciful brevity, an infectious good cheer, and a friendly aspect often missing from enthusiast's narratives. This is one part of the magic of "101 Whiskies To Try Before You Die". He makes you fall in love with a new whisky on virtually every page. He very quietly fills you with a passion for the malt and its people and its houses both great and small. He attacks your biases, (seemingly no matter what they are) yet he evangelizes the whisky topics I, personally find most vital: whisky tastes better bottled at higher strength, for example, and the less messed with the better.

But 101 World Whiskies isn't simply a catalog of obscure and weird drams. It's far too varied. Rather it's a catalog of what you should want to try - and why. And, yes, there are tons of weird obscure drams you've never heard of - but there are also tons of mainstream blends you may have been too snooty to desire lustfully (I certainly was). Buxton fixes that. There are some non-whisky items here too, a liqueur and a whisky fruit/spice infusion. Buxton leaves you lusting hard for those too. Indeed, it's this quality if inciting interest and lust, all without hyperbole or rants or volume of any kind that is on the whole, rather remarkable.

Did I mention that each short chapter is exactly the right length to enjoy while "using the facilities"? This "bite size" aspect makes reading Buxton feel a lot like feeding from your favorite bag of chips ("crisps" if you come from one of the countries where people drive on the wrong side of the road - like Ian Buxton). 'Once you pop', so to speak, 'you can't stop'. And you emerge revitalized and incredibly aware of a whole brave new world, with such wondrous drams in it. There is a special talent in being able to convey a great deal of information in a very small number of words. Buxton is a master at it. His brief profiles tell you a tremendous amount, almost without you realizing it. He has an ability to pack a dense amount of information into few words but have it feel breezy, conversational, and, above all, friendly.

Recently Steve Urey (Sku) wrote about the end of whisky's 'Golden Age' on top American whisky blog "Sku's Recent Eats". His point was that the explosion of popularity of whisky has resulted in prices shooting through the roof, and hard to find expressions becoming unobtainable. There's also the question about the loss of complexity in the flavor profiles of whiskies over the past few decades because of mechanization (or perhaps deliberate choice) - such as the one I frequently wrestle with on my blog cooperedtot.com as described in the Dramming.com article "Has Whisky Become Better, Worse, Or Just Different?" These discussions can lead to a sense of loss. The implications of these narratives is that the epicurean opportunities of the Whisky world are becoming diminished. 101 World Whiskies is an antidote to these feelings. Reading Buxton fills me with a contrary "sense of gain". There is a huge world of new whiskies, and new expressions, and even new flavor profiles and some of them are really good. And there is more of this new good stuff going on than you knew about, or even had hopes of in your secret heart. And, furthermore, this new good stuff is coming from all over, including established brands and even stuffy mainstream blends that you wouldn't think of at all in searching for what's new. Reading Buxton makes me feel that the golden age is yet to come. This optimism creeps in many parts of the lovingly detailed descriptions in many areas of the book, such as Whisky Castle from Switzerland, where Ian's prose waxes into the beauty of true affection. In this radiant light the true impact of 101 Whiskies becomes apparent: an almost seditious expansion of whisky's world view. This isn't Ian Buxton's invention, but with this book he has taken up the mantle of an evangelist for a kind of positivism about the future of whisky.

But, wait, there's more. In a subtle and almost sneaky way, the biggest and most disruptive aspect of Buxton's 101 Whiskies books isn't the text narrative, factual content, or editorial perspective. It's the selections themselves. In choosing a set, Buxton is making an argument. As it is, the argument is as personal and subjective as an argument can possibly be. Buxton bends over backwards to say so in the introduction and at various points. However, Buxton isn't making his decisions lightly and it shows. He is carving a set and they stand like the stones of Stonehenge - individual and hewn - but in a common configuration and forming a common whole. This common whole, that you don't immediately see until you've read and understood and thought about the set of selections, is a powerful statement about how to appreciate whisky. In this aspect 101 World Whiskies stands head and shoulders above its brother and emerges, in my opinion, as an important book. Buxton wants you to be rounded. He wants you to be worldly. He wants you to transcend your own limitations and the blinders of preconception that hinder virtually every community of drinkers I've ever come across. That is the special genius of this book. This is why I picked up my kindle off the floor and resolved to grab a bottle of Buffalo Trace White Dog Mash #1 - tail firmly planted between my legs - and take my medicine. I know that if I follow Buxton down all these paths I will grow as a whisky drinker. It's a little bit like the part in Karate Kid where the master has the kid picking up the coat over and over. The logic isn't immediately apparent - but one day it's going to be the margin of glory and honor.

So buy 101 World Whiskies. Buy it as a bathroom read. Buy it as an excellent shopping list. But most of all buy it to have Ian Buxton lead you to become bigger inside. Buy it to have Ian Buxton fill your heart and your sails with the joy of discovery and the delicious anticipation for what is yet to come. ...more

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Jul 29, 2017 Cristhian rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Este libro de Ian Buxton (@101whiskies) fue uno de los regalos de mi esposa y, se ha vuelto -de manera peligrosa-, un To Do List. Actualmente (julio 2017) puedo decir que he probado 23/101 con dos más en camino (Clynelish de 14 años y The Singleton of Glen Ord de 12 años).

Me sorprende la cantidad tan variada de drams (49) que podemos conseguir con relativa facilidad en México, (estos dos últimos que vienen en camino son algo complicados de conseguir en UK) por lo que el challenge de los 101 par ...more

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Jul 24, 2017 Tomasz Stachewicz rated it it was amazing

While I might not agree with all of the choices, it's still a great guide to whiskies worth trying at least once. I have deep respect for sticking to "no limited releases" rule and focusing on widely available bottles of whisky.

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Aug 14, 2017 Tomasz Stachewicz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Really good choice of 101 whiskies, of all types and price ranges. While I might have a personal preference to substitute author's choice for a different whisky here and there, it's still a very solid list well worth going through.

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Aug 21, 2018 Alex Bleach rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Alex by: alexanderbleachwriter@gmail.com

Easy read, non-patronising and unpretentious. Covers a lot of obvious choices and a few obscure ones.

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Jul 29, 2018 Vijaya Kumar rated it did not like it · review of another edition

More affordable

Honestly I believe that the book is written to keep the available whiskies...I some how didn't like it .... ...

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Sep 05, 2017 Katherine Simmons rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It is a good list of buyable whiskies that will cover the bases written in a friendly manner

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Apr 28, 2017 Scott rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Good reading...

If you live in the U.K.
The US needs a version of this. He does a great job of introducing all of the different types of whisk(e)y but the selection is U.K. based.

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Feb 06, 2013 j_ay rated it really liked it

Shelves: criticism-observation

I haven't tried many of these...so far just 6 of 101. So far.

1- Aberfeldy, 21 Years Old
2 - Aberlour, a'bunadh
3 - Amrut, Fusion
4 - AnCnoc, 16 Years Old
5 - Ardbeg, 10 Years Old
6 - Ardbeg, Uigeadail
7 - Asyla
8 - Auchentoshan, Classic
9 - Balblair, Vintage 1989
10 - Ballantine's, 17 Years Old
11 - Basil Hayden's
12 - BenRiach, Curiositas Peated
13 - Benromach, Organic
14 - Bernheim, Original Wheat Whiskey
15 - Black Bottle
16 - Black Grouse
17 - Bladnoch, 8 Years Old
18 - Blue Hanger
19 - BNJ, Bailie Nicol J ...more

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Feb 20, 2017 Matt rated it really liked it

Great style of book, would they be my 101 whiskies probably not, some are firm favourites others I've not tried or don't like. What I like is the fact it's not the "best" it's just 1 mans opinion with honest taste notes and a dedicated space on each page for personal notes. I've decided to try ad sample as many on here as possible before I die like the book suggests. I'm doing well as over the years I've tried just under half of them.

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Dec 09, 2014 Laurel Bradshaw rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle, non-fiction, whisky, purchased

A nice, concise guide to whisky without a lot of gibberish about the history and making of whisky. Just a page (and a picture) for each of Ian Buxton's choices, with some basic facts (often humorous and occasionally snarky). I liked the variety. It includes not just single malt Scotch, but blends, American ryes and bourbons, Japanese and other world whiskies. I doubt I will ever try all 101, but I found a few recommendations that I want to try. Clearly written for a UK market, so I don't know wh ...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Keith rated it really liked it

The opening lines of the introduction say it all:

[This] is not an awards list.

It is not a list of the 101 'best' whiskies in the world.

It is simply, as it says in the title, a guide to 101 whiskies that enthusiasts really should seek out and try—love them or hate them—to complete their whisky education.

The author has selected 101 whiskies from around the world representing a range of tastes and styles. There are single malts and blended whiskies, bourbons and ryes, whiskies from major producers ...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Imillar rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Let's make one thing clear: I hate whiskey, but I love this book. I'll leave it to the other reviewers to tell you why it's an entertaining and excellent reference (which it is), but here's what you really need to know: it's funny. Yes, funny. Under the heading for Revel Stoke Spiced Whiskey,for example, Buxton describes the distillery location as "A blend with some stuff in it". A whole new geography of drinking obviously awaits you here. For the Johnnie Walker Diamond Jubilee Whiskey, the loca ...more

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Mar 13, 2011 Ron rated it really liked it

This is a book I may never finish and the clue is in the title. I saw the author speak at the Pitlochray theatre and his knowledge of whisky and the industry is extensive. This is an unpretentious and practical guide for enthusiasts who, to use the authors words, are "real people". The whiskies he enumerates are for the most part accessible by cost and can be sourced. He deliberately excludes those ridiculous ones in Lalique crystal decanters or similar at fantastic prices.

I will delight in tic ...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Collegiate rated it it was amazing

Great... Will point you in the direction of some great drams. Not a rating system book that will will frustrate you with rating scores out of 100 that make insignificant sense when comparing completely different types whiskies. Humorous writing pointing out the numerous contradictions and hypocrisies of the scotchy world. Generally realistically attainable bottles. This book will will keep you busy if you are in the mood to try lots of different stuff from lots of different places (or better yet ...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Parrish Lantern rated it liked it

This is a book that cuts through the clutter, decodes the marketing hype and gets straight to the point; whether from India, America, Sweden, Ireland, Japan or the hills, glens and islands of Scotland, here are the 101 whiskies that you really want to taste.

http://parrishlantern.blogspot.com/20...

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Dec 28, 2014 Jorgen Lundgren rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: factual, whisky

Good book with a wide range of whiskies. Appreciate that Ian included my favourites such as the Ardbeg, Kavalan and the Japanese one's. This book explored and gave me new insight to some others which been added to my wish list to keep my eyes on during my travels.I have a different opinion regarding the Swedish mackmyra but I shall try it again to see if my old brothers can convince me. Slante.

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Mar 07, 2012 Ron is currently reading it

Currently reading my way thru this fascinating book. If only I had enough money I could be drinking my way thru it, which would probably be even more fun. I guess I have come a long, long way from Ripple and Boone's Farm and the other indiscretions of my youth!

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Dec 26, 2011 Tom rated it really liked it

Shelves: reference-library

An interesting to do list, and I am looking forward to making some progress on the listed items. The list us written from an UK point of view and out might be a challenge to find some of these whiskeys in North America.

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Mar 17, 2013 Tony rated it liked it

Shelves: food-and-drink

A little gem. Any book that introduces you to Glenfarclas 21 yr old, Green Spot and Hedonism can't be bad!

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Jul 12, 2015 Dipra Lahiri rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015, food-and-drink

Great read for the whisky enthusiast, written in an accessible style, plenty of great recommendations.

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Feb 10, 2014 Stephanie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014, february

A highly useful tasting guide that is unfortunately marred by the author's unabashed biases and the inclusion of whiskies you are unlikely to every try (Johnnie Walker Diamond Jubilee, for example).

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Mar 20, 2015 Richard Mayston rated it it was amazing

Terrific list guaranteed to broaden your whisky horizons. If you are stick in a peat rut and don't know which of the 4000+ whiskies to try next, this book is just the ticket.

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