A Passion for Whisky: How the Tiny Scottish Island of Islay Creates Malts that Captivate the World

by Ian Wisniewski

Longlisted for the André Simon Drinks Book of the Year 2023

Selected as one of Waterstones Best Books of 2023: Food & Drink
As featured in Forbes's Holiday Gift Guide 2023: Whisky Books That Whisky Lovers Will Actually Read

'Ian Wisniewski is one of our foremost drinks writers. At once affectionate, knowledgeable and entertaining, this engaging book is essential reading for any fans of Islay whisky.' - Charles MacLean

'If there was one whiskey book to read on a crisp evening with your dram of choice and a small fire providing modest warmth, this is most certainly a worthy choice. Delightful from cover to cover and an excellent gift for the whisky lover in your life who enjoys a good book.' Drinkhacker

The Scottish island of Islay produces some of the world's most revered malt whiskies, and is described by the New York Times as the equivalent of Bordeaux for wine lovers. In A Passion for Whisky Ian Wisniewski explores the unique combination of tradition, innovation, climate and location, which create such superlative examples of Scotch whisky, accompanied by specially commissioned illustrations by Melvyn Evans.

Individual profiles of Islay's 13 distilleries include tasting notes for selected malts that illustrate the incredible range of peated styles produced, together with a section on tasting techniques, making this an indispensable guide for Scotch whisky lovers.

'A must-read for anyone who has fallen in love with single malt Scotch whisky, and the perfect postcard for this peaty spirit from the most magical of Scottish islands.' Club Oenologique

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 12, 2023

Reviews

[Tej Dhawan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book at an Islay property where Ian (author) and I was staying. Being new to this title and liking what I sampled within, I purchased a copy and just finished this beautiful book. Sadly, I failed to sync with him in time to obtain his autograph in the book :(

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Books on Islay whiskies abound but this new book has quickly become a favorite. Ian presents the unmistakable and renowned Islay spirit, concocted by tradition and folklore, seemingly in equal parts. The book takes a holistic view of the production process, a generic chemical reaction made different by the many people, processes, voices and their craftsmanship. He discusses the distillation process, how the mills (and their repairman {singular, on purpose}), the stills, the wash backs, the grain, its farmers, the yeast, the water, air, and the sea all impact whisky. Having distilled (pun intended) the process thoroughly, Ian then {alphabetically} takes the reader on a virtual tour of each distillery. The tours are unique and don't just follow a template. Discussions include the new and retired distilleries, those that stood through the industry's downturn(s) and those that shutdown and restarted. He discusses people and their individual contributions to the spirit, their collective contributions to the island's industry, and their dedication to the craft.

The books is a must own and must read for any Islay afficionado. And if you aren't one yet, you might become one based solely upon Ian's tasting notes for select expressions that follow each distillery

[Olivier Chainé · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice book giving a lot of insight on the history Islay distilleries and on specific techniques those distilleries are using.

[John Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think you want to visit Islay now, just wait until you read this beautiful love letter to the island and its wonderful distilleries.