Know It All Whiskey

The 50 Most Elemental Concepts of Whiskey, Each Explained in Under a Minute

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Pub Date 01 Sep 2017 | Archive Date 11 Jan 2018

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Description

Knowing whiskey is social capital these days. Know It All Whiskey is here to make sure you know your Scottish single malts from your Kentuckys.

So you enjoy a dram or two, but do you know how whiskey is made? Do you understand how to nose and taste whiskey, and can you tell the difference between regional and national varieties? Pour yourself a measure, take a seat, and let Know It All Whiskey take you on a journey from the very first distillers to the latest brands around the world. 

Know-It-All Whiskey demystifies the origins, history, production, and varieties of one of the world’s favorite spirits. Compiled by whiskey experts, this beginner’s guide serves up all you need to read the message in the bottle in 50 small nips—or rather, with 300 words and an image.

Entries explain everything from the history of whiskey production, including the ins and outs of the whiskey trade, to which foods to pair and which whiskey festivals to visit. Distilled with spirited graphics and supported by glossaries and biographies of key figures, here’s how to enjoy whiskey—or whisky—from the single malts and blends of Scotland to their acclaimed Irish, North American, and Asian counterparts. 


The Know It All series takes a revolutionary approach to learning about the subjects you really feel you should understand but have never gotten around to studying. Each book selects a popular topic and dissects it into the 50 most significant ideas at its heart. Each idea, no matter how complex, is explained in 300 words and one picture, all digestible in under a minute.

Other titles in this series include: Know It All Anthropology, Know It All Chemistry, Know It All Classical Music, Know It All Energy, Know It All Fashion, Know It All Great Inventions, Know It All Jazz, Know It All Medicine, Know It All Shakespeare, Know It All Wine, Space In 30 Seconds, Sports in 30 Seconds.
 
Knowing whiskey is social capital these days. Know It All Whiskey is here to make sure you know your Scottish single malts from your Kentuckys.

So you enjoy a dram or two, but do you know how whiskey...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781577151623
PRICE $14.99 (USD)
PAGES 160

Average rating from 8 members


Featured Reviews

Know It All Whiskey: The 50 Most Elemental Concepts of Whiskey, Each Explained in Under a Minute by Charles MacLean is both a history and an education on whiskey.  MacLean has been described by The Times as "Scotland's leading whisky expert." He has been researching and writing about whisky for 35 years and has published 15 books on the subject.

My understanding of whiskey has changed since those underage and early twenties Jack and Cokes.  What better whiskey was there than Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, or that special high-end whiskey Wild Turkey?  I have never developed a taste for Scotch, but not from lack of trying.  Today a nice rye is my favorite and no need to mix it.  Growing older I have discovered that whiskey tastes good on its own. If I want to mix, though, it's back to a blended whiskey or big name whiskey.  

Know it all Whiskey will take the novice reader through the history of different whiskeys and their origins.  Facts like Japan is one of the big five whiskey producing countries along with the US, Canada, Scotland, and Ireland are found throughout the book.  Rye is an American whiskey that contains at least 51% rye in the mash.  In Canada, however, whiskey is commonly referred to as rye although is a blended whiskey that does contain some rye.  The reader will also travel the world and out more information on Scotch and its varieties.  Whiskey itself is a generalization distilled mashes much as wine covers the many varieties of fermented grapes.  Bourbon is different from Rye, is different from Scotch, is different from blended whiskey.  These may also vary by location.

The book itself is well organized.  The pages are nicely illustrated and the small history lessons are done on a black background with white text. The main text is written in the center column.  On the right is the “3-second nip” and “3-minute distillation” providing nice simple summaries.  On the left is “Related Topics” with page references inside the book, information on distillers, and the variety expert.  Between chapters is a list of keywords and their definitions.  Know It All Whiskey provides a wealth of knowledge in a very usable form.  Tips on tasting and serving will allow the reader to choose the right whiskey for every occasion.

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This was a fun book to read! I am a whiskey drinker and throughly enjoyed reading about the details of making, distilling, distributing, drinking and regions of whiskey, bourbon and rye.
Lots of great history and information for you to gleam, it is detailed enough to provide information and not to technical that it makes you cry. A great book to have or give to any whiskey drinking friend.
Enjoyed this book completely!

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I recieved a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This was an interesting book that gives you a look at making, distilling and drinking whiskey. It provides lots of history and infprmation without getting too technical.

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Know It All Whiskey really is a know it all guide. It breaks down the history of the spirit, how it's made, where it's made, most popular places it is consumed, and even breaks down how to define what kind of whiskey is a blend, a rye, a scotch, etc. As a bartender, I loved the extra knowledge. As a whiskey drinker, I loved the history. This is definitely a go to book for anyone that is in the industry or just a lover of knowledge. Having little facts on hand makes one interesting and keeps a customers interest, especially when they ask "do you have any good whiskey". The layout was perfect. It was easy to take in and was not overwhelming. The information transitioned and flowed very nicely from one topic to the next. I will be purchasing this for a family member when it is available.

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A very abbreviated look at everything whiskey from types, origins, collecting, pairings, etc.
Know It All Whiskey is visually pleasing and streamlined. Quick information about each of the chapters is featured along the left sided of the book. On the other side are 3 second biographies highlight people in whiskey's history. Any whisky lover should add this informative read to their collection.

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