Appreciating Whisky [Paperback]

According to Phillip Hills, it is only in the last couple of decades that distillers have woken up to the fact that some people drink whisky because they actually like it. This is a startling claim, but one that is supported by even a cursory survey of past whisky marketing practices. The stuff was flogged as a signifier of, variously, Scottishness (the wee dram) or social class (upper-class male tipple, usually with soda), but rarely if ever on the grounds of its taste. Those were the days when the only whisky available was blended. Even now that malts have made such a spectacular comeback, the old marketing habits persist in a new guise: whiskies of all types come accompanied by so-called tasting notes of the most dubious provenance and usefulness. Phillip Hills, one of the leading lights of the modern malt revival, will have none of this nonsense. The only way to tell good whisky from less good is to taste as many as possible, taste again and keep tasting until one has confidence in one's powers of discrimination. It will also help to have as deep a knowledge as possible of the chemistry, materials (five of these), manufacturing processes (five of these, too) and cultural history of whisky. All of these he has provided in Appreciating Whisky, an exhaustive--but far from exhausting--primer for the aspiring whisky connoisseur. Independent-minded, witty, erudite and on occasion iconoclastic or downright bawdy, Hills is clearly obsessed by whisky, which makes him the ideal guide to this complex and fascinating drink. This excellent book is likely to remain the most authoritative in its field for a long time. --Robin Davidson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Appreciating Whisky covers ground never before addressed by the literature of whisky ... and does so lucidly, thoroughly, idiosyncratically and with good humour. This book will join that small shelf of 'key sources' in my whisky library. It is essential reading for anyone who, in Phillip Hills' words, wishes to "climb by your own efforts from the slough of incomprehension into the dim light of understanding". Charlie Maclean, Whisky Magazine Independent-minded, witty, erudite, and on occasion, iconoclastic and downright bawdy, Hills is clearly obsessed by whisky and this makes him the ideal guide to this complex and fascinating drink. This excellent book is likely to remain the most authoritative in its field for a long time. Robin Davidson, Amazon.co.uk This book is wonderfully written ... it educates in a very thorough and pleasing manner. Everything you need to know about appreciating whisky, technically and culturally, is here. Read it and you won't need another whisky book in your life. Gordon Haggarty, The List magazine In this swashbuckling book, Pip Hills lays bare all the secrets of whisky from its chemistry to its culture. He goes straight to the heart of the matter with admirable dispatch, revealing how the communion of barley, water, peat and oak creates a spirit of unique complexity. If there was ever a Master of Whisky course, this would be the primer to have at your elbow. Derek Cooper, Food writer and broadcaster

Appreciating Whisky covers ground never before addressed by the literature of whisky … and does so lucidly, thoroughly, idiosyncratically and with
good humour. This book will join that small shelf of 'key sources' in my whisky library. It is essential reading for anyone who, in Phillip Hills' words, wishes to "climb by your own efforts from the slough of incomprehension into the dim light of understanding”.
Charlie Maclean, Whisky Magazine

Independent-minded, witty, erudite, and on occasion, iconoclastic and downright bawdy, Hills is clearly obsessed by whisky and this makes him the ideal guide to this complex and fascinating drink. This excellent book is likely to remain the most authoritative in its field for a long time.
Robin Davidson, Amazon.co.uk

This book is wonderfully written … it educates in a very thorough and pleasing manner. Everything you need to know about appreciating whisky, technically and culturally, is here. Read it and you won't need another whisky book in your life.
Gordon Haggarty, The List magazine

In this swashbuckling book, Pip Hills lays bare all the secrets of whisky from its chemistry to its culture. He goes straight to the heart of the matter with admirable dispatch, revealing how the communion of barley, water, peat and oak creates a spirit of unique complexity. If there was ever a Master of Whisky course, this would be the primer to have at your elbow.
Derek Cooper, Food writer and broadcaster

An accessible and jargon-free guide to understanding, learning how to taste and appreciating Scotch whisky, by the founder of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society

As with fine wines, there is a social cachet in being able to ‘appreciate’ a good Scotch. But how exactly do you learn this skill? Where can you acquire the knowledge to join this whisky-appreciating elite?

The answer is Appreciating Whisky. This beautifully illustrated book offers the reader detailed, structured tuition on how to develop his or her palate for whisky. Readers are first taken on a detailed tour of how whisky is produced, what each of its constituents and each of the stages of its manufacture bring to the final product. With this grounding, they are then introduced to the various chemical processes at work during distillation and maturation that give each whisky its distinct characteristics.

Using specific popular whiskies which readers are encouraged to have to hand as they work through the book, they are taught how to recognise what it is they are tasting and smelling, and how to describe this in the language of the experts. Armed with this knowledge, readers will ultimately be able to develop their own informed impressions of the whisky they drink, rather than receive them second-hand from other books.

Packed with diagrams and illustrations, this is the definitive guide for the aspiring whisky buff.

As with fine wines, there is a social cachet in being able to ‘appreciate’ a good Scotch. But how exactly do you learn this skill? Where can you acquire the knowledge to join this whisky-appreciating elite?

The answer is 'Appreciating Whisky'. This beautifully illustrated book offers the reader detailed, structured tuition on how to develop his or her palate for whisky. Readers are first taken on a detailed tour of how whisky is produced, what each of its constituents and each of the stages of its manufacture bring to the final product. With this grounding, they are then introduced to the various chemical processes at work during distillation and maturation that give each whisky its distinct characteristics.

Using specific popular whiskies which readers are encouraged to have to hand as they work through the book, they are taught how to recognise what it is they are tasting and smelling, and how to describe this in the language of the experts. Armed with this knowledge, readers will ultimately be able to develop their own informed impressions of the whisky they drink, rather than receive them second-hand from other books.

Packed with diagrams and illustrations, this is the definitive guide for the aspiring whisky buff.

Phillip Hills was a founder of the Scotch Malt Whisky Association and through this, played a significant role in persuading whisky companies to produce malt whisky for general consumption. He is the owner of The Malt Masterclass, a company specialising in private and corporate tasting classes. He is also the first (and only) holder since 1791 of a private licence to distill whisky which he does for demonstration purposes onhis private still.