GREAT WHISKEYS
Material previously published in World Whiskey GREAT WHISKEYS 500 OF THE BEST FROM AROUND THE WORLD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CHARLES MACLEAN
LONDON, NEW YORK, MUNICH, MELBOURNE, DELHI US Editors Jenny Siklós, Shannon Beatty DK INDIA Editorial Manager Glenda Fernandes Senior Art Editor (Lead) Navidita Thapa DTP Manager Sunil Sharma Designer Heema Sabharwal DTP Designers Manish Chandra Upreti, Mohammed Usman, Neeraj Bhatia DK UK Editor Shashwati Tia Sarkar Designer Katherine Raj Managing Editor Dawn Henderson Managing Art Editor Marianne Markham Senior Jacket Creative Nicola Powling Production Editor Ben Marcus Production Controller Dominika Szczepanska Creative Technical Support Sonia Charbonnier Material first published in the United States in World Whiskey, 2009 This edition first published in 2011 by DK Publishing 375 Hudson Street New York, New York 10014 11 12 13 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 001 179127 April/2011 Copyright 2009, 2011 Dorling Kindersley Limited All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN 978-0-7566-7184-6 DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. For details, contact: DK Publishing Special Markets, 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 or SpecialSales@dk.com. Printed and bound in Singapore by Tien Wah Press Discover more at www.dk.com
CONTENTS Introduction 6 A Z of Great Whiskeys 8 Whiskey Tours Islay 60 Speyside 148 Ireland 202 Japan 330 Kentucky 370 A Z of Whiskeys by Type 378 A Z of Whiskeys by Country 380 Acknowledgments 383
INTRODUCTION There s an old saying in Scotland: There s no bad whisky. Just good whisky and better whisky. The whiskeys featured in this book come from all over the world. As you will see, great whiskey is now being made in South Asia, Australasia, and Europe, not just the established whiskey countries of Scotland, Ireland, the US, Canada, and Japan. Whiskey is recognized as the most complex spirit on the planet. It is made from the simplest and most natural of ingredients cereal grains, water, and yeast yet the craft and tradition that goes into its making elevate it to the rank of noble spirit, presenting a huge spectrum of aromas and tastes. Like people, every whiskey is different each has its own personality. Some are big, bold, and rowdy; others delicate, elegant, and shy. Some you may not take to immediately may later become good friends. My selection has been guided by six of the world s leading whiskey writers Dave Broom, Tom Bruce-Gardyne, Ian Buxton, Peter Mulryan, Hans Offringa, and Gavin D. Smith and I am deeply grateful to them for writing up the individual entries. How you choose to enjoy whiskey with or without water or ice; with soda or lemonade; with ginger ale or cola is a matter of personal preference. In China they like it with iced tea, in Brazil with coconut 6
water. However flavor is not just about taste, it also embraces smell. Indeed, to truly appreciate the nuances of flavor in whiskey, particularly malt whiskey, you should add nothing but a dash of water, and present the drink in a glass that allows you to consider its aroma to the full. Secreted within this listing of world whiskeys are tours that will guide you to whiskey regions of Scotland, Ireland, the US, and Japan. No experience adds more to the enjoyment of whiskey than visiting a working distillery, to savor the aromas, appreciate the skill, dedication, and time that goes into making this profound spirit, and of course, to sample a dram right at its source. Maybe you are just setting out on this journey of discovery; perhaps you re well down the road to becoming a connoisseur. Either way, I hope this book will be a useful guide and will introduce you to some interesting flavors. Explore and enjoy! Charles MacLean 7
8PM India Owner: Radico Khaitan www.radicokhaitan.com WHISKEYS A GREAT Launched as recently as 1999, 8PM had the singular distinction of selling a million cases in its first year (it now sells 3 million). The brand owner is Radico Khaitan, based at Rampur Distillery, Uttar Pradesh. Established in 1943, it is now a gigantic unit with a capacity of over 20 million gallons (90 million liters) of alcohol a year. The company owns other whiskey brands, including Whytehall, and it has recently formed a partnership with Diageo, the world s largest drinks conglomerate, to produce Masterstroke (see p248). 8 8PM CLASSIC BLEND Made from a mix of quality grains, this has a core that promises thaath (boldness, opulence) and the reach of a man to the dream world. 8PM ROYALE BLEND A blend of Indian spirits and mature Scotch malt whiskies.