Another book review in which I want to talk about David Stirk's The Malt Whisky Guide (Making Whisky Fun), GW Publishing, 2002, including the 2003 addendum.
It follows the tried-and-tested formula of briefly explaining where whisky comes from and how it is made, before stopping at most distilleries. Stirk's criterion is to talk about those plants from which bottles are readily available (or were, in 2002). It means several household names such as Dufftown are not included, because Diageo was not widely bottling Dufftown yet. The 2003 addendum addresses that, and they now market it under the name The Singleton, but the 2002 edition of the book came out in a very different world.
The tone throughout the book is very enjoyable, direct yet sober, neither condescending, nor pontificating, and it never feels too scholarly. The content is informative to very informative; although a sea of content has been published since, I learnt things about several distilleries that I never read or heard elsewhere, neither in print, nor online. The work is also well illustrated, blending pictures taken for the book and never-before seen stock pictures.
It is particular in that it has an interesting format: it is a ring binder that allows one to add pages for tasting notes (available separately). The flipside of that is that several pages of the copy I read were missing -- probably twenty pages in total, keeping it just within what my attention span allows me to read. ;-)
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| Sheets for tasting notes |
There are two aspects that I liked less. Firstly, there is a plethora of typos, mainly misspellings of its/it's. For a first book, one probably spends what little investment there is on pictures and content, rather than proofreaders. The grammar-police-officer side of me was mildly annoyed all the same.
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| One sheet per distillery, whisky on one side, history on the other |
Secondly, although David starts off focusing on distilleries, he switches to brands / make types several times. For example, Springbank, Hazelburn and Longrow all have their respective entries for being different makes. That would be understandable, were the distillery description not exactly the same for all three. The Springbank distillery overview is pasted thrice, once for each make type. Same goes for Loch Lomond / Inchmurrin / Rhosdhu, and for Tobermory / Ledaig.
All in all, it is a good wee book, regardless of one's level. Well worth reading, if one can find it. It does not take itself too seriously, it is more than a basic introduction, and a promise of better things to come from a friendly character of the W world, who, indeed, went on to write an excellent archaeology essay about Campbeltown distilleries.
Now, let me follow Stirk's approach and try something that is accessible, in all possible ways.
Oban 14yo (43%, OB, b. ca early 2000s): nose: brine and sea spray sprinkled onto varnished wood and lukewarm marmalade. This nose has a good dose of nuts too, with salted peanuts perhaps most prominent, oily and, well, nutty. After a couple of minutes, the peanut oil morphs into linseed oil, before a heavier woody side emerges. It is exotic woods, with teak and ebony, then ink, bordering on metal. In the long run, the metal becomes burnt metal, and there might even be a pinch of charcoal in the mix. Mouth: though it gives a mellow mouthfeel, the dilution cannot totally remove the sea spray. What develops on the tongue, however, is juicy marmalade -- marmalade which would have been sprayed with sea salt. Pan-seared plums, juices running and all, before deglazing the pan with seawater. It reads weird, but it is excellent. Finally, apple compote with plenty of cracked black pepper. Finish: the salty fruity walkabout continues, with seawater, marmalade, burnt wood, in the distance, and the tiniest pinch of nigella seeds. Pepper appears too (it is no Talisker, mind!), but this is mostly a salty affair -- much more than I remembered. Retro-nasal olfaction brings back roasted peanuts and peanut oil too, ink has not totally disappeared, but it is discreet alright. It is always useful to go back to an entry-level, officially-bottled whisky and see how the producers showcase their flagship. This one is full of qualities. 7/10
Alright, Mr. Stirk. Like you, I have tried something available, affordable and approachable. Now, let me do away with those.
Oban 19yo (59.5%, OB The Manager's Dram, Refill Cask, SE 102, b.1995): nose: mute at first, it is only seconds before it leaps out of the glass screaming: PLASTICINE! WAXY FRUIT! SHINGLES! Oh! There is salty air too, but it takes a second role, here. The star is peppery lemon marmalade, spread onto shingles on the beach. A couple of minutes later, it is an old-school boiler, greasy charcoal, and the muddy footprints of the person who brought the charcoal in from the shed. The lemon marmalade comes back to claim its throne, which it does effortlessly, though it seems happy to share it with tinned sardines in virgin olive oil (tucked with a slice of lemon, for good measure). As said previously, sea air may be in the back seat, but it is not absent at all. Later on, alcohol-free after-shave lotion storms in, almost hiding a puffer's engine exhaust. Mouth: the palate starts velvety, in a lemon-marmalade sort of way, yet quickly sees a lichen-y note grow in intensity -- or is it verdigris? The texture is unctuous regardless, and the considerably-higher strength is perfectly tolerable neat (so much so that I will forget adding water). Citrus grows and grows, mostly Sicilian lemon, but calamansi too. Subtle white pepper, marmalade, unripe kiwi. The second sip invites green-chilli flakes, though the spiciness is very much under control. After a while, something slightly wine-y appears; my guess is a mulled white wine. Finish: assertive without being show-offish, the finish welcomes peppery citrus (calamansi and sweet lemon, once again), or white pepper on lemon marmalade. This time, it has a faint bitterness to it, reminiscent of tonic water -- is this the most expensive gin & tonic in the country? I seem to even detect cucumber peel, now! Despite the older age, this one has virtually no woods in the finish. It is all fruity cocktails, tame spices and even-tamer sea air. Oh! Pine wood? Pine needles? Late appearances, but it would seem that way, yes. Fulfilling dram, this. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)
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