Malt whisky yearbook 2006-2010

This series of books is a favorite of mine, I have every copy and they seem to only get better and better.
One of the really best things about it is that is has seemed to be up to date on most of whats written in the book. And, this is where i get a bit sad. Because from the 2010 the book has included tasting notes, which in all honesty I don't see what they are doing in a book like this. Frankly I don't care what the standard impression of a specific distillery tastes like at any given point in time. I'm sorry but that is the way I feel about it. Also, My guess is that most of the people buying the book will either have allready tasted it, or won't care to taste it.
The rest of the book is just what I like, The interviews with distillery managers is a real bonus.

I will be ordering my copy of the 2011 version right after this review is done.

2010 version
Encyclopediawise 9/10
Info and background stories 7/10 (more of it would raise the grade)
Total 8/10

Recomended

Peteys

The Legend of Laphroaig. Marcel van Gils & Hans Offringa

Try to get the complete history of a distillery into one book and add to that a collector’s guide and a lot of pictures. The book has 216 pages and it took me 3-4 hours to read it all! The book succeeds in the historical account, at least with the explaining of the history, the pictures of unreadable documents could maybe have been shortened down a bit. The older pictures of the distillery are however almost worth the purchase price of the book. Seeing pictures of worm tubs, and bolted stills are something else.

The history section gets 9 out of 10 only deductions are the high number of pictures of unreadable old documents. My advice would be to make the distillery pictures larger, especially the older ones.

The collector part of the book soon looses interest with me, and I find it a bit confusing. Pictures of 10 almost similar 10 year old bottles on one page, why? If you are a collector these pages probably make a lot of sense, however to me, only the pictures of the really old bottling make sense. And, I really miss a timeline for the different bottlings. My guess is that from a collecting point of view this section would probably fetch 7-8 out of 10. But since I’m not a collector, I won’t rate it more than a 5 out of 10. A timeline with dates would raise that grade considerably.

This book is for you if;

You are a beginner who wants to learn about distilling in general, and/or Laphroaig in particular.

You are a connoisseur interested in the history of distilling, and/or collecting and/or Laphroaig (but then again you would have already purchased the book if you where)

In total I will give the book 8 out of 10 even though I don’t like the collecting bit very much, the rest of the book is really interesting.


Peteys

Enjoying malt whisky, Pär Caldenby

The book is currently on its second revision, or first refill edition, as its called and is a distillery by distillery history and bottlings kinda book. Caldenby has an easy to read writing style, maybe because English is not his first language?
The first edition has a few faults, some more evident than others. The funny one had got to be a rainbow in black and white! The second revision. Is an upgrade to colour in more than one way.
Caldenby seem to insist on reviewing the odd OB, but is more on SMWS, Cadenheads and Rare Malts.

The book can be used both as light reading, and light encyclopedia but only light. It is an easy read.

The latest revision
Readability 7
Whisky for beginners help 8
Total
In a nutshell 7+

Recomended for beginners, and people like me who can never have enough whisky books.

Beer Hunter Whisky Chaser

Not a book by Michael Jackson, nor is it about the man (well not a lot anyway). But a book written as a tribute to him. (And as a money maker for the Parkinson Disease Society, UK). For that alone it gets a few stars extra!
Now I am both a whiskyfan and a beer fan, so this book shoulf be great for me! It is, but only in whisky terms. Apparently I'm not used to read a lot about beer, other than recipes for making it, so I'm a bit lost reading those parts of the book.
Because of that, the whisky parts will have to cary the price. Luckily it does. Charles MacLean analysis of the renesaince of malt whisky is the star of the book in my view. And the rest is not bad either.

For diversity the book gets an 8
For the whisky, it gets an 8 as well
For the charity, it gets a 10
Total 8+

RIP
Michael Jackson

Ps, if you wan't to see why you should buy this book and support The Parkinson Disease Society, then just go to youtube and find the last interview with MJ. That ought to convince you if you have not allready bought a copy.

Peteys

The Pride of Perth, Jack House,

The pride of Perth is Arthur Bell and Co, in case you were wondering (I was). It is a book written on behalf of the company, so if you are no fan of Bells, this wont rock your boat.
Luckily, the book was written in an age where shameless advertising for a company was something rarely seen. Either that, or they wanted people to read it with a bit of interest. However the author seems to very impressed with the all directors of the company through the times.

From the writings on the early beginnings, the book is very interesting. It seems very accurate on the historical facts. The last half of the book is ok, but just not as interesting as the first half.

Reading value 6 (just don't get caught too much in the addvertising)
Historical value 7
6+

If it's not to dear, buy it, or better still, borrow it

Peteys

The Whisky Barons, By Allan Andrews

Allthough the author of this book died in 1984, 7 years after the book was written. It still seems ever relevant today, as an example of how entrepeneurship can help pusha brand.
The barons themselves must have been interesting caracters one and all, at least if the author is to be believed. But from what else I have heard about Jimmy Dewar, he had some good material to work with from the beginning.

The book is easy reading, even for someone like myself, where english is'nt the first language.

For historical interest 9/10
For easy reading 8/10

Total 8+

Recomended

For info on purchasng the book.
( http://www.nwp.co.uk/cgi-bin/cart.cgi?action=search&pageid=136 )

Peteys

In short, Jim Murrays Whisky bible 2010

Since this is the first review on the blog, I just happened to pick up the book in the top of the stack (not my fault its to small to be in the bottom of the stack)
Well, most of you have one or more of this lying arround, personally this is my 7th, (and the 7th bible as well). Some time ago I used to use it all the time, now I just seem to buy it as a habit, and to get his bible thumping and an overlook of the bottlings of the last year.

Negative:
Missing bottlings, because they are single cask and the bottler can't be bothered to send them in, or whatever reason there might be.
Positive: A lot of bottlings, (the most comprehensive list of bottlings I can find)
Negative:
Maybe this should be said about a previus version, but Really Jim, ½ points?

For reading the bible gets 5/10
As a tastenote Encyclopedia it gets a good 9/10 (would have been 9,5 but i rounded it down)
For beginners who remember that taste is personal end JM are NOT god, 8/10
Total score 7+

It's a thumbs up, and I'll probably be buying the next one as well.

Peteys