Jim Murray's Whisky Bible
Jim Murray
Carlton Books Limited

Jim Murray's Whisky Bible was a roaring success when it was published for the first time in 2003. This authoritative guide is destined to become an annual drinks bestseller in the lead up to Christmas. It takes account of all the important developments in the world of whisky, featuring new brands and distilleries, changes in legislation, and listing the world's best expressions of the distiller's art chosen by the whisky guru himself. What makes this book unique, however, is the unparalleled breadth of coverage of the whisky tasting notes. The author has travelled around the world experiencing whisky from distilleries as far-flung as Pakistan and Finland, as well as the world-leaders, Scotland, Ireland, Japan and the United States of America. He is acknowledged as a world leader when it comes to describing the tastes and sensations to be enjoyed sampling the different whiskies available today. His infectious and passionate style instantly singles him out as an exceptional writing talent.

Whether you have little more than a passing interest in whisky or your home is a shrine to malts and blends, you simply *must* buy this book -- especially at this price. I commend this title to you not merely for the mellifluous and highly entertaining nature of Murray's prose and his poetic use of metaphor (anyone who describes the nose of a whisky as reminiscent of a warm-running model train has to be touched by a certain genius) but, quite simply, because the author's judgements are (in my opinion, at least) bang on.

I've enjoyed and been enlightened by this slim volume in equal measure, and admire the zeal of Murray's commitment to getting distilleries to lay off the caramel, as well as his salutory reminder that there are some sensational blends out there that rival the very best of malts in every department.

The nose/taste/finish/balance descriptions really do help you to distinguish the different stages of savouring a whisky -- this isn't pretension, its education!