Whiskies Galore: A Tour of Scotland's Island Distilleries

Not meant to be a travel guide or a critiquing of scotch whiskies, it is a very informative book on the history of the island distilleries and provides excellent background to the appreciation of the whiskey, the distilleries and the islands themselves - all written with a marvelous wit.

Found this book to be a relaxing read, and a good introduction to several different types of island whiskey (and gin!). The writing is entertaining, though the author is oddly obsessed with pens and ink.

mediocre shape but fast shipping.

It's a waste of time if intended as a travel guide and a confounding mess of inside jokes and self serving comments as a book. I was put to sleep by it in record time.

Nun lese ich das Buch, das ich meinem Mann geschenkt habe, endlich auch - obwohl mich nichts weniger interessieren könnte als Whisky.Es ist aber eben nicht das übliche "schmeckt nach XY" und 1000 Details über Fässer und Herstellung. Der Autor beschreibt in erster Linie seine Reiseeindrücke und die "kleinen Nebensächlichkeiten" so amüsant und immer wieder auch (selbst)ironisch, dass ich für den nächsten Schottlandurlaub ernsthaft über einige Abstecher auch auf die schwieriger zu erreichenden Inseln nachdenke. Obwohl ich normalerweise andere architektonische Meisterwerke als Bushäuschen an einsamen single track roads besichtige...

Scotland’s islands have been the birthplace, and in some cases the deathbed, of many whiskies. Geography and climate has made them testing environments for any business dependent on the fetching in of raw materials and the sending out of the finished product. The distilleries that have survived all have an interesting story to tell, and Ian Buxton’s excellent book makes these anecdotes and histories racily accessible for both visitor and armchair traveller. There is of course more to these places than whisky, and Buxton acknowledges this; but these accounts will appeal mostly to readers who already have an affectionate regard for this greatest of spirits, including course those who are passionate or even obsessive about it. The present day Scotch boom is also encouraging the creation of new, and often independent distilleries on the islands, and these also figure in this enjoyable book.He writes not just from first-hand visits to the places mentioned, but also from a deep fund of personal knowledge of the industry, in which he has worked for most of a lifetime. More than that, Buxton clearly scorns that tone and attitude of hushed reverence with which some writers approach the whisky business and its sacred places. He is not reluctant to vent a sceptical opinion or to bring out some of those awkward historical episodes that some aficionados might prefer to ignore. But all the better for that, and done with humour and style. A lot of fun.

Very different from most other whisky books out there. I thoroughly enjoyed Ian Buxton's jovial writing style, his tongue in cheek humour and also his honesty about the whisky industry and his behind the scenes experience in whisky marketing. I found it interesting, humourous and entertaining.

A most enjoyable read! You are taken around the Scottish western isles visiting the whisky distilleries. But this is no ordinary whisky survey, the author has 50 years of experience in the industry and entertains you with local background history, facts, and anecdotes that would never find their way into either conventional whisky surveys or travel books. We are introduced to some of the skilled people, the Still maintenance experts, the workers in bygone days and what they got up to, and he peels back some of the layers of the large producers. Entertaining and useful background whether you are a whisky buff or not.

The book give some whimsical and revealing insights into the distilleries around the islands, almost believable, until for whatever reason the author decides to get dewy eyed and romantic about the production of gin in "Ugly Betty" at Bruichladdich. He has already made several referrences to gin production and created the illusion of locally produced gin at Lussa on Jura. He then, inexplicably, fails to mention that Bruichladdich are not making the gin from scratch but are "importing" clear spirit in bulk from Birmingham and reprocessing with local botanicals, which for me cast a shadow over the authenticity of other revelations in the book. Can't imagine why unless he is party to keeping a secret paid off with large samples.