The New Single Malt Whiskey Book

I'm proud to have some of my whiskey writing published in a voluminous new Single Malt book that was released last month.

The New Single Malt Whiskey book, published by Cider Mill Press and edited by Carlo Devito, is a hardcover book of over 620 pages and currently priced at $21.16 on Amazon. Over 40 writers contributed to this encyclopedic tome, which covers 197 distilleries, from over 25 countries, and reviews more than 325 whiskies. Approximately 25% of the contributors are women, showing the growing role of women in the whiskey writing world. As women currently consume at least 37% of all whiskey, then it is good to see growing numbers of women writing about whiskey, sharing their knowledge and experience.

The book begins with a series of essays about whiskey topics, covering issues from the Effects of Barrels to Peat, Whiskey Glasses to Adding Water. You'll understand the basics of whiskey production and some of the factors which might affect its taste. You'll then find another series of essays on Whiskey Cocktails, which includes a number of recipes, from the Rye Old Fashioned to the Savannah Mule.

Next is the heart of the book, articles and tasting notes for almost two hundred distilleries across the world, from Australia to Wales, from Finland to Taiwan. The book only discusses Single Malt Whiskey, which, in short, must be made from malted barley and come from only a single distillery. The book doesn't cover every single malt whiskey made in the world, veering away from some of the classics of Scotland and not including every variation made by each distillery. However, it covers a huge amount of single malts and I'm positive you will find plenty you knew little, if anything, about. In addition, scattered through this section are a number of additional essays and interviews.

This is an excellent reference book, one which you might find yourself using on a regular basis as you explore the diverse Single Malts available around the world. You'll probably find information about whiskies that intrigue you enough so you actively seek them out. Hopefully this book will also lead to you expanding your palate, tasting new whiskies which you might not have otherwise tasted.

With the holiday coming, this book would make for a nice gift for any whiskey lover on your shopping list. I've been fascinated myself reading about a number of distilleries which were new to me. If you purchase a copy of this book, I'd love to hear your thoughts too.