Allhoff, F. & Adams, M.P. [Editors]

WHISKEY & PHILOSOPHY. A Batch of Spirited Ideas. New Jersey, USA: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. xiii + 366pp. 9x6”. Foreword by Charles MacLean. Introduction by the editors. Many moons ago when I used to issued proper printed catalogues listing 500 – 600 books I was asked by a well known author of wine books did I read them all? The answer was no, haven’t got time. So how do I catalogue a book without reading it? I read the publishers blurb, the reviews that usually appear on the back cover or dust jacket and anything else I can find about the book. You then look at the design of the book, and the relevance of the illustrations and the amount of unused space on a page. Then I turn to the back of the book to find the bibliography, and then peruse the index, that is of course if they are present. This book hasn’t any illustrations except for some small b/w decoration. Nor does it have a bibliography though most of the essays have bibliographical notes. It does have an index that throws up some interesting entries. How many whiskey books do you own that have the following in their index:  Aristotle, boredom, Hilary Clinton, Dagestan, W.C. Fields, god, existence of, immorality, laws of nature, Moscow Times, pain, rhetoric, sex appeal, typicality, and Wonder Woman. Then there are the Contributor Biographies. I lost count of the number of M.As. Ph.Ds and other academic qualifications and there is even an essay by a teetotaler, now that must be a first for any whisky book. The book is a collection of essays on various aspects of whiskey and drinking whiskey with a strong emphasis on philosophy. In fact many of the contributors are philosophers, though there are a few names that will be known to whiskey drinkers, including Ian Buxton, David Wishart and Mark Waymack, the latter being a philosophy lecturer and an author of whiskey books. A full listing of the contents can be found here. So have I read any of the book? The answer to that is yes, the foreword, the introduction, the contributor biographies and a few of the less challenging essays. It is not a book that needs to be read from cover to cover, but to be dipped into from time to time and the editors suggest that to start with you should read an essay from each section. So is it worth buying; the answer to that has to be yes. Any book that looks at whiskey from so many different angles and isn’t just a listing of tasting notes [there is a appendix of tasting notes just in case you suffer withdrawal symptoms]  deserves to be read. As Jim McEwan [Production Director, Bruichladdich Distillery] puts it on the back cover “After decades of cut and paste offerings on the subject, this book is a must read for anyone interested in whisk(e)y – whether single malt, bourbon, or anything else – and all that makes it truly unique.” When you are reading it I recommend having a strong drink [preferably your favourite whisk(e)y] and a dictionary near to hand. Paperback. RRP £14.99 £10.25 Save £4.74 BUY

 

Barnard, A. 

DISTILLERY PAMPHLET SERIES – DALMORE. 36 pp. 7½x6¼ With 22 b/w plates First in a series of five. This reprint of a pamphlet originally publish some hundred years ago will also include a short biography of Barnard and a brief Introduction to Dalmore. For more details of this forthcoming reprint from Classic Expressions click here.

 

HOW TO BLEND SCOTCH WHISKY With a Brief Description of Lagavulin Distillery, Islay, Laphroaig Distillery, Islay, Craig-Ellachie Distillery, Glenlivet. 2005 facsimile reprint of original 1904 edition. 36pp. 9½x7¼ Illustrated An original copy was discovered by author Walter Schobert in the Museum of Islay Life, and has produced this facsimile to help the museum's funds. Original editions are extremely scarce and this reprint allows whisky drinkers of today read a first hand account of whisky blending at the beginning of the twentieth century. The book has plenty of historical anecdotes and interestingly Barnard states that illicit whisky is called moonlight and legal whisky daylight. The book is produced exactly as the original except the facsimile is a hardback whereas the original had paper covers. VG+. Book No.786. £12.00

 

Beer Mats

THE FAMOUS GROUSE. A beer mat issued by Mathew Gloag & Son Ltd to advertise The Famous Grouse Whisky. Date of issue not known, but probably c1980. Odd design with cut outs to edges and a hole in the middle. Reason for this strange shape unknow. Mat is 4½ inches in diammeter at widest point. Click here for view the mat. VG+. Book No.583/1. £1.00

 

GLENFIDDICH. A beer mat issued to promote Glenfiddich Malt Whisky, offering a free glass. Date of issue unknow, but probably c1980. Shaped like a glass it is 4 inches tall and 3 inches wide at top tapering to 2¼ inches at the bottom. Click here to view mat. VG+. Book No.583/2. £1.00

 

Brooks, B.

WHISKY DISPENSERS & MEASURES. Sheffield: The Author, 2000 1st ed. 36pp (inc covers). 8¼x5¾ Col illus to outside of covers, numerous very good b/w illus. Every space in this booklet has been used giving details of measures and dispensers mainly glass, but also brass, copper, pewter, china and earthenware. Very detailed, the work of a true enthusiast. Card covers. VG+. Book No.161. £6.00

 

Cooper, D.

LE GUIDE FAMILIER DU WHISKY. Scotch, Irish, Bourbon. France: Editions La Boétie, 1980. 157pp. 9¼x5 B/w illus mainly from Barnard's book. Maps. French text. This is a French edition of the Guide to the Whiskies of Scotland published by Pitman in 1978. Glossy paper covered boards. VG. Book No.170. £4.00 

 

Cunningham, K.

BUSINESS AS USUAL- The Miquel Way. Co. Durham: The Memoir Club, 2000. 200pp. 9¼x 6 B/w illus. The first book about Raymond Miquel who spent thirty years at Arthur Bell & Sons, transforming the company into one of the most successful businesses in Scotland. Details in the book include his early years at the company, his rise to the top, the takeovers of Canning Town Glass Company and Gleneagles Hotel. Plus never before told details about Guinness's takeover of Bells, the intrigue and double standards, in effect a dress rehearsal for the Distiller's takeover which led to the jailing of Ernest Saunders. The book provides a fascinating insight into his unique business philosophy and a tantalising glimpse of the man behind the business persona. Hardback in dw. BUY