Malt Whisky Companion [Hardcover]

 

 

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This review applies to the 5th edition and no other.

The first thing I noticed about this new edition of Michael Jackson's book is how much heavier it is than the previous printing, 20% heavier according to my scales. It is also in a slighty larger format. If this book ever was considered a 'pocket book', it should not now be treated as such.

The book is split into three distinct sections: an introduction, tasting notes, and some notes about non-Scottish malts and advice on tasting.

The introduction section is thrice the length of that for the previous edition. It covers the origin and history of the whisky industry, and discusses styles, wood finishes and information about what to look for on the label. There is a sizeable section concerning the affects of the environment on the final taste of whisky. Much ground is covered, not to mention granite, heather, peat and seaweed. Jackson moves swiftly through these subjects and the text doesn't get bogged down in technical detail. The seasoned malt enthusiast will probably find little new here, but the newcomer will hopefully find it of interest.

The bulk of the book is the tasting notes for malt whiskies, and every working distillery and some closed distilleries are covered. Each distillery gets about a page of text giving brief details of its origins and recent happenings. Unlike the previous edition, there are no pictures of the distilleries in this section. This is a pity as Jackson often refers to architectural features, and it would have been worthwhile if some of these had been illustrated; the musical clock at Tormore being an example. For each bottle sampled, the author gives his opinion of: colour, nose, body, palate and finish. He also gives most samplings a score out of 100. Some writers have criticised the idea of awarding scores; I would say that it is a tool which can be useful provided the reader is aware of how the score has been arrived at and also has some appreciation of what the scorer considers 'best'. Jackson shows appreciation for fruity and flowery Lowlanders and for the lighter honeyed creamy Speysiders; but it is the powerful peaty products of Islay, the smoky Highland Parks from Orkney and the volcanic Talisker from Skye which tend to get the highest scores. If these are not your tipple then you may need to tread carefully when following Jackson into the higher scoring malts.

Macallan receives no less than 24 pages of tasting notes, this is the result of the distillery releasing a series of vintage bottlings over the last couple of years. While these may be of some interest, I am not sure just how useful these really are. The bottlings were very limited and the cost ranged from several hundred pounds up to several thousand pounds. This generosity to Macallan has come at a cost, and the distillery which seems to have borne the brunt of this is Bowmore. Tasting notes for this wonderful distillery are limited to "expressions with no age statement", I thought this omission might have been a mistake, but I have been informed by the publisher that "Although the 5th edition was 112 pages longer, we were still not able to include all of the malt whiskies tasted since the last edition".

The final section includes a brief overview of non-Scottish malts, probably too brief to be of any real use, and a piece concerning glassware and dilution for tasting. I think this latter piece might have fitted better in the introduction section just before the tastings, being right at the back it may well be missed.

There are several books on the market giving tasting notes on malt whiskies which are revised every four or five years. Most of these books give only one or two tastings per distillery, covering those bottles that will be found in the larger supermarket or the local wine shop. Should you be lucky enough to be visiting a more specialist retailer, in search of something special for a friend, or better still for yourself, then you may find that these books will offer little guidance about the more aged malts on offer, or those from the independent bottlers. This is where Jackson's book comes into its own. He will not desert you on such premises, he will offer help and advice when choosing that more exotic (we hope) and (probably) more expensive malt.

I have one or two minor gripes about this new edition, but this is still the first book to turn to for the malt drinker.

Update January 2008
Sadly Michael Jackson died last year (2007) so this is likely to be the last edition of this book, under his stewardship anyway. Things don't stand still in the world of malt whisky, nevertheless this is still a very useful and comprehensive book, well worth adding to the bookshelf.

Writing the latest version of Michael Jackson's Malt Whisky Companion is akin to taking over the squad football shirt from a legendary footballer; you cannot possibly win in the eyes of his followers. Any yet winning isn't really the point; you know you will never replace the great man, you are aware of his permanent place in the hearts of millions, you continue to honour his memory and you move on. This is exactly what Dominic Roskrow, Gavin Smith and William Meyers have done. And how.

Roskrow et al have done a fabulous job. They have made it clear that this is still very much Jackson's book, two and a half years after his death. They have written each new review in the same spare but highly evocative language of the great man, whilst leaving much of his original material intact. Jackson's introductions and his section on his beloved Macallan are left largely as they are, although the book is updated for newer bottlings (e.g. the Fine Oak range). Out go the reviews for malts long since unavailable, and in come bang up-to-date bottlings, including selected Vatted Malts, Japanese, American and European single malts. Of course, some will quibble about the whiskies included and not included and of the marks accorded, used as we are to Jim Murray's rather top heavy scoring. How, though, in such a subjective and value-laden topic is this to be avoided? As good as his books are, Jim Murray all too often lapses into relative judgements which mean nothing to the reader. The latest edition of the Malt Whisky companion avoids this by sticking to crisp and clear absolute descriptions of each whisky.

The real question is whether anyone not aware of Jackson's death (and surely there can't be many) REALLY notice that this wasn't written by him? The answer, I suggest, is no. This is a must have for any whisky buff. Well done boys, the great man would be proud.

Despite being almost 5 year's old this book is still an essential purchase for the whisky-buff. Collectors will appreciate the older labels reproduced inside and the extensive tasting notes can be compared to current bottlings for any differences that have occurred in the passing years.

Unfortunately we may never see a completed 6th Edition despite efforts to get other writers to finish the work that Michael left behind. If this is the case then the legacy will live on in this edition.

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5.0 out of 5 stars latest info on whisky
This guide is worth the extra cost over cheaper alternatives.The information is personable and up to date, which is important as the industry is constantly changing, and... Read more

Published 6 months ago by N. Maden

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful to view and to handle
The book in itself is a joy to hold and to flick through, even for those not interested in the content. Read more

Published 13 months ago by Prior Dougal

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Bought this book for my husband who says that it is absolutely first class. He wanted a book which showed pictures of the bottle labels which this does perfectly. Read more

Published 13 months ago by Granny Smith

5.0 out of 5 stars For single malts lovers
The book is very good. If you want to know somthing about single malts, this is the book.
I am not to sure how Mr. Read more

Published on 24 Dec 2009 by Mauricio A. Cabrales

3.0 out of 5 stars A Niche Book, Not for Everyone
I use this book regularly, but it comes with a series of caveats:

* I do not like the scoring system. Read more

Published on 9 Nov 2009 by O. Beltrami

3.0 out of 5 stars whisky book
This book had good reviews which is why I bought it. My friend was really pleased with it..... but then he had to say that didn't he!!

Published on 15 Aug 2009 by S. Machell

4.0 out of 5 stars Malt Whisky Companion
I'm giving this book 4 stars for Michael Jackson's top notch knowledge and good descriptions of Scotch Malt Whiskies. Read more

Published on 9 April 2007 by Douglas Traill

5.0 out of 5 stars The first book to turn to for the malt drinker
This book is getting a little dated now (time for a new edition Michael), but it is still the first book that most malt drinkers turn to for information about a distillery and an... Read more

Published on 28 Mar 1999

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