Canadian Whisky: The New Portable Expert

by Davin de Kergommeaux

Savour the bold notes and rich varieties of Canadian whisky with this fully revised, updated,  and indispensable guide.

This fully updated and revised edition of the award-winning Canadian Whisky invites you on a journey across Canada and back through time to discover the story of this unique spirit. Independent whisky expert Davin de Kergommeaux weaves a compelling narrative, beginning with the substance of Canadian whisky—grains, water, and wood—and details the process of how it’s made and how to taste it. He traces the fascinating history of the country’s major distilleries and key visionaries, and introduces the present-day players—big and small—who are shaping the industry through both tradition and innovation.
     Newly designed, and now including a map of Canada’s whisky distilleries, over 100 up-to-date tasting notes, and a handy tasting checklist, Canadian Whisky reflects the latest research on flavour development and the science of taste. At once authoritative and captivating, this is a must-have resource for beginners, enthusiasts, and aficionados alike.

336 pages, Paperback

Published October 3, 2017

Reviews

[Mary Stanik · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the many people around the globe who have realized (or about to) that Canadian whisky can be far more elegant and complex than the stiff brown stuff one's grandfather might have drank at a VFW, Canadian whisky master Davin de Kergommeaux's second edition will be a treasure chest brimming with how-to information, history, and highly expert tasting reviews of the great gift Canada has bestowed upon the world. There are excellent tutorials regarding the production processes that turn pure water, corn, rye (and sometimes wheat) into Canadian whisky. But this book is about much more than a discussion of how to make good and even stupendously great whisky. This book is a story about Canada itself, as many who took Canada's natural gifts (wood, water, agricultural plenty, pioneering spirit) and turned them into whisky also were people who built much of the Canada we know and admire today. This is, to be sure, a book about Canadian whisky. But it's also a story about the growth of one of the most wonderful countries the world has ever known.

[Donald Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Davin is a great writer, but he seems to get a little too politically one sided against regulation (libertarian...not so subtly expressed and yet not acknowledging it outright) and maybe a little too enthusiastic and prejudiced in favor of Canadian whiskey. The flavor profiles he gives: nose, palate, and finish...are way too creative and laudatory. I'm sorry...but there are some bad products out there. A $6.99 bottle of Canadian Mist...may not be good. An argument is more believable when it's honest and not so one-sided. That being said, where he tends to stick to less interpretive heavy analysis, his writing and historical work shines. It's a great book that makes me really want to give Canadia. Whiskey a shot...where it definitely finds an angry mob of Whiskey snobs who may also be a little one-sided against it as Davin is, on the flip side, one-sided for it.

I'd like to find such a great equivalent for Bourbon, Rye, Irish, or Scotch...but they may not need as much justification or defending...and thus not seem to require it.

[Andre · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough journey through not just what a Canadian Whisky is, but also the history of whisky in Canada. I found it enjoyable since I have either heard of these names, or know the locations that are spoken of. Too bad most of the old distilleries seem to be lost to the vagaries of time.

[Blake Hamm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for Canadians who like whisky but aren't aware of what their own country's spirits have to offer.

[Baldpacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent reference book that has gotten me excited about Canadian whisky again. I first read this book a month ago and am already reading it for the second time (and many chapters multiple times) as I hone my knowledge of whisky in general and Canadian whisky in particular.

I appreciate Davin's efforts in compiling this book and hope the whisky industry comes through in releasing premium products and marketing Canadian whisky to make it the globally sought-after spirit that it should be!