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Title: The Book of Bourbon: And Other Fine American Whiskeys by Gary Regan, Mardee Haidin Regan, Barry Estabrook ISBN: 1-881527-89-1 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co Pub. Date: October, 1995 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.75 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Outstanding
Comment: I consider myself very knowlegeable about both bourbon and single-malt whisky, having tasted and collected over 200 single-malts in my day and many bourbons. Regan's descriptions of the specific flavors and essences in the various bourbons are excellent, and having tried almost everything in the book and done my own taste analyses, I can say he truly knows his stuff.
Regan also does a fine job of discussing the history of bourbon and the various distilleries, and although this background is interesting too, and also the details on actual bourbon distilling, the best part of the book is the descriptions, as this is the best way to learn to detect and disciminate the features of the different bourbons. Bourbons differ from each other almost as much as single malts, and learning to appreciate the full spectrum of of styles and possibilities is one of the great things about bourbon. There are important differences in the flavors and essences present in bourbon vs. scotch. Although it's not a hard and fast rule, bourbons tend to be stronger with respect to the "dark fruits,"--that is, the plum, raisen, prune, and dates flavors, which single-malt whiskies typically don't have-- although Linkwood is one scotch that is famous for its raisen-like flavor.
Another difference between bourbons and single-malts is they are often sweeter and more sugary on the palette than scotch, which is why you can do things like pour it over deserts and ice-cream--something you probably wouldn't want to do with scotch--although I once had an amazing 17-yr. old Cadenhead, Ltd. (one of the several independent scotch agers and bottlers) bottle of Longmorn that was pure nectar, very sweet, and hardly tasted like typical scotch at all, and was more like a hybrid between a very sweet bourbon and Cognac.
One fun thing I learned from this book is why I like the Old Fitzgerald and Old Weller bourbons so much. Turns out they use some rye as well as corn in the malt, which accounts for the spicey character of these fine bourbons. I didn't realize they were doing this until I read the section on these bourbons. Makers Mark, originally a small batch, "boutique" bourbon that has really caught on in the last 15 years and has come a long way from its modest beginnings in a small wooden building, also does this.
One final thing I thought I'd mention is he points out that there is a legal distinction between "bourbon" and "sour mash." To call itself sour mash, it has to be filtered through 14 feet of southern maple charcoal, which accounts for the smokey flavor in Jack Daniels and other sour-mash bourbons. In fact, the reason you pay a premium price for the Gentleman Jack bottling is it's just filtered through the charcoal twice.
Well, I could go on for a while on interesting things about bourbon and scotch and how they resemble or differ from each other, but I'll leave the rest to discover for yourself, hopefully by way of this book. Good luck and happy tasting!
Rating: 5
Summary: The source
Comment: What's your favorite bourbon? This book will help you understand what makes your favorite different from others. And help you figure out which to try next. Invite a few friends over for a whiskey tasting; the authors will help you look like an expert. For real fun, make it a blind tasting and make sure you invite at least one whiskey snob. Better bourbons usually cost more, but that doesn't mean you have to spend $50 for a great one. This book will help you find the gems.
I took this book along to a large whiskey tasting in San Francisco a couple of years ago and came home with autographs of some of America's master distillers on the pages about their products. It's one of my favorite possessions.
Rating: 5
Summary: Indispensable reference tool on bourbon
Comment: I know about Bourbon. I've visited distilleries, I know of the major producers, I've met with master distillers, and I've sampled many different bourbons. Of the several books I've used to assist me in gaining knowledge I find this book outstanding. Nevermind that a couple of distilleries have changed names or owners or that their master distiller has changed in the few years since this book was written. If you want to understand bourbon both from the perspective of it being the U.S. national distilled spirit and its history to what the differences are between bourbons this is your book. This book even gives the ingredient differences by distiller and product. Don't make a fool of yourself thinking Jack Daniels is bourbon. This book will tell you why it is not, what products are, and what makes them different. I love the book. (and I get to write for magazines so I appreciate good research.)
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Title: The Bourbon Companion: A Connoisseur's Guide by Gary Regan, Mardee Haidin Regan ISBN: 0762400137 Publisher: Running Press Pub. Date: October, 1998 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Book of Classic American Whiskeys by Mark H. Waymack, James F. Harris ISBN: 0812693051 Publisher: Open Court Publishing Company Pub. Date: August, 1995 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
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Title: The Complete Guide to Whiskey: Selecting, Comparing, and Drinking the World's Great Whiskeys (Pocket Guide Series) by Jim Murray ISBN: 1572431512 Publisher: Triumph Books Pub. Date: April, 1997 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Handbook of Whisky: A Complete Guide to the World's Best Malts, Blends and Brands by Dave Broom ISBN: 0600598462 Publisher: Hamlyn Publishing Group Pub. Date: 01 September, 2000 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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