This is a novelty here at BarleyMania: my first-ever book review! It centers around “Whisky aus Schottland – Das große Nachschlagewerk zu Scotch Whisky”, a thick and heavy dramming encyclopedia in German language. The book was conceived, written, and released by online mailorder and indie bottler Whic, who put a lot of effort into this project. On no less than 567 pages, the reader gets a comprehensive overview of Scotland’s manifold distilleries, both active and mothballed. Be it big names like Macallan, Springbank, and Bruichladdich or hidden gems like Strathearn, Kininvie, and Glen Ord – each production site is featured with a well-structured info page consisting of a concise text and a consistent photo. The same is also available for ghost distilleries (e.g., Littlemill, St. Magdalene), grain makers (e.g., Strathcylde, Carsebridge), and up-and-coming players (e.g., Lagg, BrewDog). One thing I find especially nice is the fact that the authors describe the house style of (almost) every unit, too. Given the huge variety that many Scotch distilleries offer, it is of course not always easy to identify the notes and complexions that are most characteristic for them. Yet, I still find it very helpful to be able to open “Whisky aus Schottland” and learn, for example, that the fruity malts of Ben Nevis tend to be a little dry and oily; or that the wine-like and aromatic whiskies of Tullibardine are often heavily influenced by their respective wood finishes. While all of these pieces of information are also readily available online in the digital age, I would not hold that against this book. After all, it feels great to hold something tangible in your hands from time to time. And – I am sure most of you will agree – an article in a printed publication is generally a much better and more fitting companion to a quality dram than a webpage opened on the smartphone.

Basic Info

Publisher: Whic GmbH
Authors: Arne Wesche, Leon Schuster, Leonie Klinkhammer
Pages: 567
Images: 200+
Category: Non-fiction
Release: 2022
Price: 15 Euro
Buy it here: Free promo version ; Regular retail version

Whic @ Web:  https://www.whic.de/

*** I got a copy of the book for free from Whic. Thank you. ***