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Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert
Davin de Kergommeaux takes readers on a journey through the first systematic presentation of Canadian whisky: how it's made, who makes it, why it tastes the way it does, its history, and the rich, centuries-old folklore surrounding it.
Join whisky authority Davin de Kergommeaux on a pan-Canadian journey from British Columbia to Nova Scotia, celebrating the diversity of Canada's unique spirit. With his conversational and accessible tutelage, de Kergommeaux offers readers a carefully researched, reliable, and authoritative guide to Canadian whisky that is, quite simply, not available anywhere else. Not only a book describing the history and culture of the spirit, Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert is also an informed exploration of taste. For the first time, whisky consumers -- experts and novices alike -- can approach Canadian whisky with a connoisseur's appreciation of its rich subtleties.
Join whisky authority Davin de Kergommeaux on a pan-Canadian journey from British Columbia to Nova Scotia, celebrating the diversity of Canada's unique spirit. With his conversational and accessible tutelage, de Kergommeaux offers readers a carefully researched, reliable, and authoritative guide to Canadian whisky that is, quite simply, not available anywhere else. Not only a book describing the history and culture of the spirit, Canadian Whisky: The Portable Expert is also an informed exploration of taste. For the first time, whisky consumers -- experts and novices alike -- can approach Canadian whisky with a connoisseur's appreciation of its rich subtleties.
- GenresBoozeNonfiction
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 8, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 12, 2013
This deserves five stars just for the section on tasting technique. I've read many books on wine tasting, of course, and a few on whiskey tasting as well. This is the most sensible and approachable of them all. The author begins his advice on whisky tasting by tackling the conventional imagery head on, telling the wince and gasp crowd "A little bit of flavor will linger on your tongue, but your mouth will be anesthetized, your eyes watering and you will have missed 95 percent of what you could be enjoying...It's called sipping whiskey for good reason." The book is structured into three basic blocks. The first focuses on the how, describing the components that go into the blend and the processes by which canadian whiskeys are made. Its a good preparation for the second block, which concentrates on tasting---the why. Once he's got you hooked, de Kergommeaux moves on to the longest part of the book, which goes into the colorful history of the Canadian spirits industry. De Kergommeaux is a good story teller. He chooses well and gives you a wonderful sense of the dogged determination and drive that created the diverse and colorful world that Canadian whisky represents today.
June 24, 2012
"Canadian Whisky - the portable expert" by Davin De Kergommeaux shines a brilliant spotlight on a vital area long overlooked
Canadian Whisky - the portable expert fills an enormous hole in the high-end whisky Zeitgeist where the largest selling whisky in the USA lives. Canadian whisky constitutes over 1/3rd of the American whisky market, and has so since forever (perhaps the Civil War) by being smooth. However, "smooth" has become a dirty word in the new high-end movement and there hasn't been a voice for Canadian whisky pride until now. Indeed, until this title, virtually nothing authoritative has been written about this vast and important area. Canadian Whisky - the portable expert is a stunning achievement that is really three books in one: 1) a treatise on whisky, it's production, and how to appreciate it; 2) an economic and biographical history of the Canadian whisky industry: it's titanic industrialists, innovators, and entrepreneurs; and 3) a comprehensive set of tasting notes and distillery profiles. As such it is one of the most useful and complete books on a whisky segment that I have ever seen or, indeed could even imagine. And while the tone is authoritative and scholarly, the obsessive love and attentions to detail, plus the language of the epilogue makes it clear that De Kergommeaux is a partisan, a defender, of Candian whisky's particular and unique flavor profile and role in Canadian culture, life, and economy.
This isn't a book coming from some Canadian chamber of commerce type, however. Davin De Kergommeaux is one of the twenty-four Malt Maniacs - the elite group of whisky epicures who help mold and shape the culture and agenda of high end whisky epicurianism world-wide. Thus his whisky connoisseurship is impeccable and well predates his particular career as a blogger of and advocate for Canadian whisky. FYI - his blog http://www.canadianwhisky.org which has been around for a couple of years, is clearly the web's preeminent location for Canadian whisky reviews, news and scholarship. Since 2011 De Kergommeaux's position eminence concerning Canadian whisky was confirmed further by his appointment as Canadian Contributing Editor to Whisky Magazine.
Canadian Whisky is a fairly compact 300 pages. It begins with the elements of grains, water, and wood. Then it moves onto the mechanisms and methods of distillation, blending and aging. Next is flavor science, tasting, and epicurianism covered from glassware to flavor mapping. These sections on how to drink are brief but as solid a treatise on the subject as you'll find. Then De Kergommeaux spends the next hundred pages on "A concise history of Canadian whisky" - which consists of biographies of mercurial geniuses and titans of industry such as Gooderham and Worts, Thomas Molson, Henry Corby, Joseph E. Seagram, Hiram Walker, J.P. Wiser and Sam Bronfman. But this section is far more - it is the history of towns and whisky expressions both booming and long gone. It is a vigorous bit of investigative journalism into a secretive industry that is seldom documented well - if at all. This is the first time that this history has been told with anything like this kind of comprehensive reach and vision. It is a gripping achievement which will appeal to students of history and economics as much as whisky enthusiasts. It reminds me quite a bit of wonderful books of economic history such as Ron Chernow's The House of Morgan. The book concludes with 100 pages profiling the nine distilleries of Canada: Alberta, Black Velvet, Candian Mist, Gimli, Glenora, Highwood, Hiram Walker, Kittling Ridge, and Valleyfield. Yes, all of Canada's titanic output of whisky comes from just those 9 distilleries.
Interspersed among the content, as color block side bars, are brief encapsulated tasting notes. Ultimately, this is the weakest part of the Canadian Whisky. Anyone who wants to read the full treatment of these tasting notes will have to visit http://www.canadianwhisky.org as the full tasting notes do not appear in Canadian Whisky at all. This is really much more of a book about Canadian Whisky's history, production, and industry than a flavor analysis of the particular expressions. Nevertheless, this book has revolutionized my understanding and appreciation of Canadian whisky - not only because I now have a much fuller sense of the full segment and the universe of expressions being made (and that were made in the past). It's the depth of analysis of how Canadian distillers achieve their flavor profiles - and why they labor so hard to achieve them - than has really affected my comprehension and perspective. Most Canadian whiskies are blends. "Base" whiskies, typically distilled via column still at high proof, aged in extensively refilled barrels, and then diluted down to a greater extent than many other whisky traditions, are mixed with rye "flavoring" whiskies. Rye gives the character and the base whiskies bring sweetness and smoothness. Massive averaging and blending traditions assure consistency - but also another layer of smoothing. The incredible smoothness and soft finishes of Canadian whiskies are no accident. They are the achievement of a century of careful tuning to kill the bugaboo of 19th century raw whisky - roughness and the taste of youth.
Bottom line, every whisky drinker or student of any related field needs to read De Kergommeaux's Canadian Whisky - the portable expert. It is a towering achievement in the field of whisky writing and shines a brilliant spotlight into a huge, important, and yet almost totally overlooked subject.
Canadian Whisky - the portable expert fills an enormous hole in the high-end whisky Zeitgeist where the largest selling whisky in the USA lives. Canadian whisky constitutes over 1/3rd of the American whisky market, and has so since forever (perhaps the Civil War) by being smooth. However, "smooth" has become a dirty word in the new high-end movement and there hasn't been a voice for Canadian whisky pride until now. Indeed, until this title, virtually nothing authoritative has been written about this vast and important area. Canadian Whisky - the portable expert is a stunning achievement that is really three books in one: 1) a treatise on whisky, it's production, and how to appreciate it; 2) an economic and biographical history of the Canadian whisky industry: it's titanic industrialists, innovators, and entrepreneurs; and 3) a comprehensive set of tasting notes and distillery profiles. As such it is one of the most useful and complete books on a whisky segment that I have ever seen or, indeed could even imagine. And while the tone is authoritative and scholarly, the obsessive love and attentions to detail, plus the language of the epilogue makes it clear that De Kergommeaux is a partisan, a defender, of Candian whisky's particular and unique flavor profile and role in Canadian culture, life, and economy.
This isn't a book coming from some Canadian chamber of commerce type, however. Davin De Kergommeaux is one of the twenty-four Malt Maniacs - the elite group of whisky epicures who help mold and shape the culture and agenda of high end whisky epicurianism world-wide. Thus his whisky connoisseurship is impeccable and well predates his particular career as a blogger of and advocate for Canadian whisky. FYI - his blog http://www.canadianwhisky.org which has been around for a couple of years, is clearly the web's preeminent location for Canadian whisky reviews, news and scholarship. Since 2011 De Kergommeaux's position eminence concerning Canadian whisky was confirmed further by his appointment as Canadian Contributing Editor to Whisky Magazine.
Canadian Whisky is a fairly compact 300 pages. It begins with the elements of grains, water, and wood. Then it moves onto the mechanisms and methods of distillation, blending and aging. Next is flavor science, tasting, and epicurianism covered from glassware to flavor mapping. These sections on how to drink are brief but as solid a treatise on the subject as you'll find. Then De Kergommeaux spends the next hundred pages on "A concise history of Canadian whisky" - which consists of biographies of mercurial geniuses and titans of industry such as Gooderham and Worts, Thomas Molson, Henry Corby, Joseph E. Seagram, Hiram Walker, J.P. Wiser and Sam Bronfman. But this section is far more - it is the history of towns and whisky expressions both booming and long gone. It is a vigorous bit of investigative journalism into a secretive industry that is seldom documented well - if at all. This is the first time that this history has been told with anything like this kind of comprehensive reach and vision. It is a gripping achievement which will appeal to students of history and economics as much as whisky enthusiasts. It reminds me quite a bit of wonderful books of economic history such as Ron Chernow's The House of Morgan. The book concludes with 100 pages profiling the nine distilleries of Canada: Alberta, Black Velvet, Candian Mist, Gimli, Glenora, Highwood, Hiram Walker, Kittling Ridge, and Valleyfield. Yes, all of Canada's titanic output of whisky comes from just those 9 distilleries.
Interspersed among the content, as color block side bars, are brief encapsulated tasting notes. Ultimately, this is the weakest part of the Canadian Whisky. Anyone who wants to read the full treatment of these tasting notes will have to visit http://www.canadianwhisky.org as the full tasting notes do not appear in Canadian Whisky at all. This is really much more of a book about Canadian Whisky's history, production, and industry than a flavor analysis of the particular expressions. Nevertheless, this book has revolutionized my understanding and appreciation of Canadian whisky - not only because I now have a much fuller sense of the full segment and the universe of expressions being made (and that were made in the past). It's the depth of analysis of how Canadian distillers achieve their flavor profiles - and why they labor so hard to achieve them - than has really affected my comprehension and perspective. Most Canadian whiskies are blends. "Base" whiskies, typically distilled via column still at high proof, aged in extensively refilled barrels, and then diluted down to a greater extent than many other whisky traditions, are mixed with rye "flavoring" whiskies. Rye gives the character and the base whiskies bring sweetness and smoothness. Massive averaging and blending traditions assure consistency - but also another layer of smoothing. The incredible smoothness and soft finishes of Canadian whiskies are no accident. They are the achievement of a century of careful tuning to kill the bugaboo of 19th century raw whisky - roughness and the taste of youth.
Bottom line, every whisky drinker or student of any related field needs to read De Kergommeaux's Canadian Whisky - the portable expert. It is a towering achievement in the field of whisky writing and shines a brilliant spotlight into a huge, important, and yet almost totally overlooked subject.
April 15, 2014
UPDATED FOR SECOND EDITION:
Still the best. One of the greatest whisky books there is. The second printing is a beautiful oversized paperback, and the new layout and added content are remarkable. So much information on operating distilleries and historical perspective. If this doesn’t make you appreciate Canadian whisky more then nothing will.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Thoroughly researched and authoritatively presented, this can and should be used as a teaching guide for fans of any type of whisky. De Kergommeaux does an excellent job representing Canada's distilleries here and the historical portions are illuminating and detailed. This book delivered more than I expected; while some of the reviews on his web site can seem overly effusive at times, this book is extremely well-written and stays away from purple prose. Very nicely done. It's right up there in terms of whisky books with "Peat Smoke and Spirit."
Still the best. One of the greatest whisky books there is. The second printing is a beautiful oversized paperback, and the new layout and added content are remarkable. So much information on operating distilleries and historical perspective. If this doesn’t make you appreciate Canadian whisky more then nothing will.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Thoroughly researched and authoritatively presented, this can and should be used as a teaching guide for fans of any type of whisky. De Kergommeaux does an excellent job representing Canada's distilleries here and the historical portions are illuminating and detailed. This book delivered more than I expected; while some of the reviews on his web site can seem overly effusive at times, this book is extremely well-written and stays away from purple prose. Very nicely done. It's right up there in terms of whisky books with "Peat Smoke and Spirit."
May 10, 2012
An epic labor of love. Compelling history, amusing anecdotes, and a palpable passion for the subject. I've not learned so much from a whisky book in a very long time. Standing ovation for this one!
May 16, 2020
I picked this book up from the library on the recommendation of my brother. It is fascinating in terms of the details included: the history of Canada's distilleries, the ingredients and process unique to each distillery, and the overview of the whiskey industry in Canada as a whole. I am no whiskey expert, merely a consumer who enjoys the product. The book gave me a better understanding of the overall history and process that brings the finished product to my glass. The only reason I didn't give this five stars is that the photos (ALL of them) are filtered through an orange-ish hue, making them essentially useless. I think (from what I can actually discern) that the pictures the author chose would complement the text quite effectively. Why put a filter on these pictures that renders them useless? That aspect is baffling, and I could even take another 1/2 star away for that and the overall layout/design flaws in an otherwise incredibly interesting book.
December 10, 2012
The content of this book is a great deep dive into the history of Canadian Whisky and also how it is made (closer to a blended Scotch than the US definition of a blended whiskey). With a look at all the important figures and the current distilleries you will come out of reading this wishing the same kind of info was available for Scotland and even the US (caveat-I have not read Bourbon Straight from Chuck Cowdery).
The writing on the other hand could have used some work and would have called for 3 stars if not for the sheer quantity of information included. Because of the overlapping histories of some key figures and their distilleries, the same information gets repeated multiple times in only slightly different ways. In addition, de Kergommeaux does seem a bit defensive when describing how Canadian Whisky is made and the lack of neutral grain spirits in it (in the 80s, this was the case for the US market only hence the reputation we have for it here).
All in all though, a great read and it makes me long for a trip up north to taste some of the goodies that don't make it down here.
The writing on the other hand could have used some work and would have called for 3 stars if not for the sheer quantity of information included. Because of the overlapping histories of some key figures and their distilleries, the same information gets repeated multiple times in only slightly different ways. In addition, de Kergommeaux does seem a bit defensive when describing how Canadian Whisky is made and the lack of neutral grain spirits in it (in the 80s, this was the case for the US market only hence the reputation we have for it here).
All in all though, a great read and it makes me long for a trip up north to taste some of the goodies that don't make it down here.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews