18 Under 30 Part 18: The Malt Whisky Yearbook

Phew!  Here we are, part 18 of our 18 Under 30.  It's been a long and (very boozy) winding road to some essential purchases this Christmas and we very much hope that you've had an opportunity to try some of the sensational liquids we've featured.

However our final part doesn't concern a liquid at all.  Nor is it edible in any way - unless you happen to be desperately hungry or are an extreme whisky fanatic. No, our final part is arguably the best whisky book out there:  The Malt Whisky Yearbook, which nips the ankles of the whisky world like an enthusiastic Jack Russell.  Packed with the most up to date facts on just about every malt distillery around the globe the Malt Whisky Yearbook is updated annually and has features written especially by some of the best whisky writers around (and one of them there Caskstrength chancers too...)

If you haven't already got a copy of this book and own more than three bottles of whisky in your cabinet, something is seriously wrong.  If you are beginning your journey into malt whisky this Christmas, have some book tokens (can you still get these??)  and fancy some engaging reading about whisky, then look no further.  You'll also have change from £15 quid to buy yourselves a Glencairn glass or two...

Speaking of which... If you have received some sensational liquid wares from Santa this Christmas but don't have any decent glassware, it's perhaps time to grab yourself a six-pack of a different kind.  Hell, you can even invite your mates over to finish off some of that whisky...

You can pick up the Malt Whisky Yearbook here:

And a Glencairn six pack here:




Right, without further ado, we'd like to wish all of you the most merry Christmas, wherever you are... (even those lucky ones who'll probably be on the beach, or eating a tasty barbecue with a dram of something very decent in hand... yes, that means you, Wim ;-) !!)

Happy holidays folks,

Joel & Neil x

New Malt Whisky Yearbook 2012

Exciting news folks, the new Malt Whisky Yearbook 2012 is released on the 1st October and this time round, i'm pleased to mention that I was asked to contribute a chapter to this excellent tome.

This year's edition is the biggest ever, running at 300 pages and features chapters from Charlie Maclean, Ian Buxton and our good friend Colin Dunn. It also features a brand new section on Japanese whiskies from Chris Bunting, the creator of great Japan-based blog Nonjatta.

If you fancy grabbing one, visit www.maltwhiskyyearbook.com for more details...

Shameless plug over...

Slainte!

Neil x

Read All About It

Whisky books are becoming a pretty common sight when you head to your local retailer (assuming they haven't all been closed down and turned into a bloody Starbucks...)

We've long since been big supporters of Ingvar Ronde's superbly researched 'Malt Whisky Yearbook' and if any of you are looking for a detailed account of every working distillery, then look no further. In fact, there are so many good publications out there, it goes to show that there's life in the old bedside read yet.



Recently there's been a trend towards the rediscovery of long since deleted tomes and historical texts. The brilliant, but tricky to find 'Whisky Distilleries of The United Kingdom' by Alfred Barnard has just been reprinted and is in our view, essential reading for those wanting to learn more about distillery characteristics at the turn of the century.

So it was a huge pleasure to recently receive two very interesting tomes by whisky author Ian Buxton. Ian is one of the founders of Classic Expressions, a publisher specialising in the re-introduction of long, lost distillation books, beautifully reprinted using premium quality paper and binding. To simply handle one really gives you the impression that you are delving into a very special text indeed and their two latest releases are no exception.

Ian has clearly been a busy man over the last year or so. 'Glenglassaugh- A Distillery Reborn' offers what he describes as a 'semi-detached' explanation of the distillery's history, closure and subsequent rebirth back in early 2008. The most striking aspect of the book (save for its wonderful presentation) is the sheer amount of research which has clearly gone into the project. From the initial photograph showing a warehouse in desperate need of repair, you are drawn into the magical journey of discovery, which the new owners must have experienced when taking on such a mammoth task to breathe life into the sleeping Highland giant. There are accounts from former distillery managers of the early 1970's as well as a huge amount of historical imagery and Ian does a tremendous job of making the resurrection of Glenglassaugh a wholly enjoyable read, rather than merely a collection of prosaic facts. Anyone interested in this brand new (old) distillery would be advised to grab a copy of Ian's book, uncork a bottle of their fabulous 26 yo (or 40 yo, if you're flush enough...) and settle back for an evening of pure whisky indulgence.

UK RRP £19.99 ISBN 978-1-906476-13-7
Published by Neil Wilson Publishing (Angel's Share)

Next up is a very special book indeed. We're pretty clear on Caskstrength about our love for Highland Park and when Ian mentioned he had been working with the distillery on a historical project we were very intrigued to find out more. The result is a superb recreation of 'Highland Park'- A Good Foundation'- essentially a brief account of the distillery from 1924, which Ian has applied his meticulous reprinting genius to. In short, it looks, feels and reads superbly. From the hand block-stamped facsimile of an original promotional booklet cover on the back, to the perfect blemish-free black and white photos of the distillery from the early 20th century, every page positively reeks of Orkney and a golden age in Highland Park's rich history. It is reassuring to read that many of the distillation practices pioneered nearly 90 years ago are still cherished by the current custodians of the distillery and highlights just how important it is to protect the legacies of our best loved whiskies. The book is currently unavailable commercially, but we're sure plans are afoot to give this the exposure it deserves. Watch this space.