Michael Jackson's Complete Guide To Single Malt Scotch

I've been researching Scotch Whisky as I've been exploring the flavors and profiles of my new favorite libation, and this book (and a previous edition) has been invaluable in helping me select a bottle for myself or as a gift when I've not had the opportunity to sample a scotch.As an example, I dislike too much "peat" flavor in my scotch, so the tasting notes on (virtually EVERY!) currently available bottling has really helped me make better choices. The last thing you want is to spend $60 or $100 on a bottle, only to open it and find out you'd rather use it to clean windows. This book really helps narrow me searching, informs my decisions, and is fun, accessible, and easy to read and understand as well.A must for any scotch enthusiast or novice.

This book is a great read and contains a huge amount of useful information. I have really enjoyed reading all the history of Scotch whisky, the details of how it's been made and matured, and the nuances of they many aspects of Scotch.I find that some of my very favorite single malts are not among those that Jackson rates most highly, but that doesn't make the book less useful to me for anything except for using the ratings as a guide when browsing the Scotch sections of my local stores. I can garner enough from his descriptions of the characteristics of the many rated Scotch whiskies to make good decisions in terms of trying bottlings that are new to me.Great book--I can see that I will need to keep up with new editions going forward, so I can read about Jackson's take on the latest bottlings along my Scotch journey.

I have heard of this book for a long time as a fan of single malt scotch. So, I finally bought a copy and this is like a text book for single malt university. I believe he has covered all or most of the most significant distilleries and has provide in not a lot of space a really good verbal representation of the scotch under discussion. I would recommend this to any lovers of single malt scotch.

Michael Jackson's "Complete Guide To Single Malt Scotch" is an encyclopedic collection of scotch knowledge and reviews of the most common offerings from every one of the nearly hundred malt distilleries in Scotland.The book starts off by offering a concise education about the origins of scotch, interpretation of scotch labels, flavors, regional variations and factors that influence the taste of scotch all distilled down to less than eighty pages with numerous color pictures.After you read the first section you will have a some idea about the decisions that affect the taste of your scotch, for example you might be able to tell whether the dram in your glass was matured in bourbon cask or a sherry cask and make some educated guesses about the shape of the copper stills that the scotch was distilled in.However the first section was just the warm up. The real meat of the book is the second section which is an exhaustive listing of the most common offerings from every one of Scotland's roughly hundred or so malt distilleries with reviews written in Michael Jackson's signature concise style and a ranking on a 100 point scale. If you're like me you'll find yourself reading the first section and then coming back to both sections periodically for quick reference on a particular distillery or region. The second section is more of a reference and not meant to be read linearly.And now I come to what makes this book unique. Michael Jackson is almost pathologically consistent in his review ratings, more so than the other popular whisky reviewers e.g. Paul Pacult. Taste is highly personal and subjective so it is unlikely you will agree with any one reviewer's ratings 100% of the times however Michael Jackson is very consistent about the factors that he rates well. I found that he especially appreciates robust full bodied whiskies with complex taste with no big surprises i.e. the nose should be a fairly good indicator of what the whisky will deliver in the mouth.So while you may not always agree with him, reading his reviews and the ratings gives you a fairly good idea of what to expect from the whisky. This is what makes Michael Jackson such a great author. That and the encyclopedic listing of reviews makes this book a must buy for a scotch enthusiast like me.Cons? Just a few. Like other Amazon reviewers have noted, he devotes an excessive amount of print to rare and expensive offerings that the average scotch drinker will never come across in his lifetime. Also his reviews are too concise. I would recommend getting this book for its unique merits but also looking into the writings of other scotch reviewers like F Paul Pacult, Jim Murray and Dave Broom who have a more engaging and conversational style of writing, and will help round out your scotch education.Edit: Just a quick revisit. Sadly, Michael Jackson is no more. He passed away in August 2007. May his soul RIP and I hope he is in whisky heaven enjoying a bottle of Talisker 18. There will be no newer editions of this book. Eventually, as distilleries come and go and their offered bottlings change, this book will get of date. But until then this will remain one of the best Scotch references on the planet.

When I became of legal drinking age my palate was unrefined and I drank indiscriminately. Oh, those years of wasted youth! I've since purchased a bevy of books on Single Malt Scotch, but found Michael Jackson's guide to be the most informative and readable. Because of this book, I was able to navigate through unfamiliar waters and find the drink that was right for me.For anyone wondering, my drink of choice is sixteen year-old Lagavulin Single Malt.

I love new books. The feel, the pride of owning a new book. That’s not what I received. Pages were dog-eared and the binding was already well worn. I paid for a NEW book - received a used one. Disappointed at best.That being said, the information in the book is fun and useful for someone to casually learn Single Malts. I wouldn’t have paid $34 for a used book, but here we are. 5 stars for the book, 1 for the bait & switch - 3 overall.

Having recently been turned on to single malt scotch, I was looking for some guidance. I browsed a third edition of Michael Jackson's book that was owned by my friend and just had to have a copy of my own. I was very pleased to find the 5th edition (the last written by Michael alone) at a very reasonable price and rushed to buy it. The descriptions of the various scotches could not be more entertaining or accurate. I could not be more happy with this book and I highly recommend it!

Book was shipped promptly and received in good order, as advertised. No complaints what so ever!