Single Malt: A Guide to the Whiskies of Scotland: Includes Profiles, Ratings, and Tasting Notes for More Than 330 Expressions

by Clay Risen

A follow-up to his bestselling American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye : A Guide to the Nation's Favorite Spirit , Clay Risen's Single Malt is an introduction to the long history, fascinating science, and incredible diversity of malted whisky, as well as a practical drinker's guide to buying and enjoying hundreds of the greatest examples of the distiller's tradition. With maps of essential whisky regions of Scotland, profiles of each of the makers, and photographs of the bottles and tasting notes for each of the most widely available expressions--compiled from tasting sessions conducted by a panel of leading whisky experts--readers will discover a rich vein of knowledge about one of the world's most storied beverages.

Selected from more than one hundred active distilleries in Scotland, the 330 expressions featured in this book provide a curated yet comprehensive primer of the single-malt whiskies any growing aficionado should be familiar with. Additional features include a directory of distilleries, Risen's top whisky picks in various categories, and a full index of the expressions featured in the book.

384 pages, Hardcover

Published October 16, 2018

Reviews

[Joshua Feldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

That moment where you hit the liquor store to buy a bottle of Scotch for yourself or as a gift and you want to pick something excellent for the money and for the palate of the recipient... This book is the guide you need. Firmly in the footsteps of great guide writers like Michael Jackson, but with the content fresh for the current market, this book doesn't disappoint. There is an excellent introduction that gives the history and geography of Scotch whisky, along with sections about how to drink, and how to host a tasting. But the star of the show is the 330 listings. They cover the regular distillery "OB" bottlings - the ones you can actually find in liquor stores. And they are keyed with simple graphical icons for their pricing and subjective quality review. You can tell at a glance if the bottle is in your price range and is a decent pick for the money. The only thing missing is the world of independent bottlers with their single cask editions (because it's well nigh impossible to treat that vast world in a book. (Try the WhiskyFun blog for over 10K reviews of those).

FULL DISCLOSURE - I was on the tasting panel that helped the author, Clay Risen, rate these hundreds of Scotches and Clay is a friend of mine. The year of weekly Scotch tasting and scoring was a wonderful symposium of whisky writers meeting at the publishers office in Manhattan and conversing while tasting flight after flight week after week for over a year. I had a lot of fun that that might color my view of this book. Also, I'm credited in the back in the section that describes the tasting panel. However, I'm also a consumer of books like this and I've tried to view it among its peers and I can honestly recommend it without feeling in any way like a hypocrite. This is a useful Scotch omnibus, tailored for the US market and the beginning to intermediate whisky geek. Clay is a great writer and a fine whisky aficionado. You won't be disappointed.

[Ian Hrabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s rare I’ll read a reference volume cover to cover but this one is super fascinating. Despite being an American, Risen knows his scotch (and it’s history) and I loved reading about the wide variety of Scottish distilleries (and making a wishlist). I personally loved the occasionally off the wall tasting notes. Usually it’s the same old same old but every once in a while you’ll get something like “baby vomit,” “cinnamon toast crunch,” “nerds candy,” and one particularly bad whisky was ethered with the assessment “tastes like the floor of Home Depot.” There’s an American-ness to those notes that I can get behind, and while I don’t need to know how he knows what the floor of a Home Depot tastes like, it’s certainly evocative.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully done book that has breadth of coverage and just enough depth to give the reader the information they need/want. The introduction was a pleasure to read and broke down what can be a complex topic in an easily understood way. Definitely recommended if you're looking to purchase a bottle or want a unique gift for the single malt fan in your life.

[Debbie Hastings · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to learn more about whiskey. While I did learn some; this book is for the serious experts.

[Jon B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

a top notch guidebook.