The World's Best Whiskies by Dominic Roskrow

Books on whisky often miss the mark when trying to interest readers and whisky enthusiasts. Stories about a terrible incident in a boiler room, monumental effort towards reconstructing a distillery or the production count of spirits by a distillery may fail to entertain or enlighten readers. However, concrete information on specific whiskies may capture the attention of whisky aficionados.

The world of whisky has captivated the interest of millions. The spirit of whisky is infused with passion and tradition. Every whisky lover sets aside a brand that they prefer over others. Few settle for contemporary distilleries like Oregon’s Rogue or California’s St. George; while many others have classic favourites like the Maker’s Mark from the U.S. or the Bushmills from Ireland. However, if you are a relative beginner or a potential whisky lover, Dominic Roskrow’s ‘The World’s Best Whiskies’ book is sure to be a great checklist for you or anyone who is just kickstarting to discover the world of whisky.

Editor of the magazine ‘Whiskeria’, award winning freelance drinks writer, whisky taster and a celebrated whisky expert Dominic Roskrow gives a book on whisky, a bespoke collection of the world’s finest and most fascinating whiskies obtained from diverse locations across the globe like France, Australia, India, France, Sweden, Wales and Germany. Whisky highlands like Canada, Ireland, America, Scotland and Japan are included too. For anyone seeking a superior understanding of the whisky sector, this book by Roskrow is a must. The writer engages topics like the geography, history and people in the book which lends a distinct edge to the book over other whisky books available. This also in a way creates a connection between the reader and the characteristics featured in the book, influencing the reader to fall in love with the place and people of the whisky homelands.

Roskrow has a free-flowing style and a lucid writing pattern, making it a breeze to read, so you fly through the book. A complicated and hollow literary style of writing lacks readability and fails to electrify the readers. Roskrow, in his attempt to make the book interesting to read, which he substantially did, included terse articles on different distilleries. Unlike typical humdrum details of dates and statistics that are boring to readers, such articles are more often than not fun to read.

The book has a smooth start that takes off on an introductory ground for whisky fanatic beginners, covering the general terminologies related to the sector, short notes on the different kinds of whiskies available as well as a slice of the ‘how to taste’ bit.

Long-time whisky enthusiast, Dominic, in his book ‘The World’s Best Whiskies’, presents an account of 750 of the best whiskies and digs into the account of each dram, giving his readers a stimulating reading experience. It is a beautifully designed and full-coloured coffee table book. What seems crisp about this book, making it stand out in the crowd of whisky books available, is the inclusion of fresh interviews conducted with the distillers of the whiskies mentioned in the book. Brief sketches of the whisky producing regions alongside the colourful characters who made them are also enclosed. This indeed is a relatively fresh concept that Dom introduced in his book. Neophytes and whisky connoisseurs are certain to find this book as fascinating as informative. Written in a chatty and personal tone, the book is a comprehensive guide that inculcates an interesting combination of the classic tasting notes of each dram with the stories related to the whiskies previously unknown to anyone.

While Harpers Wine and Spirit Trades has been quoted saying, “It's designed to capture the personality of whisky, tell its story from a human point of view, and bring the spirit alive” about the book, Booze News was heard commenting “The World's Best Whiskies is a beautifully researched and illustrated book that will give you the inside track to your favourite tipple”. Big-league distilleries like Laphroaig, Talisker, Ardbeg and Macallan along with dimly known gems likeBrora, Glendronach and Mortlach, all of that just for Scotland, account for Dominic’s personal choice of the finest drams.

‘The World’s Best Whiskies’ is a treasure trove locked away in the pages of the book. Details of an assorted range of whiskies from Woodford Reserve, an American boutique distillery and Australia’s Sullivan’s Cove to Sweden’s Mackmyra are covered in the book. This engaging and sweeping collection covers almost all the parts of the world, maverick newcomers and classic distilleries. Summaries of universal global styles, production process of the drinks, maps and tasting notes and symbols accompany the intoxicating collection.

With fables and folklores of the globally prized distilleries resting alongside Dominic’s suggestions for matching food tips and whisky cocktails, the book makes the exploration of the 750 drams inside the pages absorbing and genuinely impossible to miss. The World’s Best Whiskies is certainly to enthral the whisky voyager and the armchair connoisseur alike.