Whisky History Books

Notes on Alcohol (Sir Walter Gilbey 1904)

A low-key stiff-board cover reproduction from Classic Expressions, seems pricy but an excellent reproduction limited to 200 copies only - not 300 as suggested on this informative link...

£25.00

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Dalmore (Barnard 1898)

A low-key stiff-board cover reproduction from Classic Expressions, seems pricy but an excellent reproduction limited to 200 copies only - not 300 as suggested on this informative link...

The same source material as in the 2007 ‘complete’ Barnard.

£25.00

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The Enduring Legacy of Dewar's [Buxton]

Lavishly illustrated Dewar’s company history with not too much of how clever the present marketing department is. A serious tome and worthwhile for all whisky historians and selective collectors of books.

182 pages softback

£19.99

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The Manufacture of Whisky and Plain Spirit (Nettleton 1913)

Classic Expressions best facsimile reproduction yet. Published in 1913 this is the definitive text on distillation technology that belongs next you your copy of Barnard in the library of essential whisky books (not many others in there actually).

Hardback with slip case 606 pages limited to just 300 copies. My own copy of Nettleton!! A joy to possess.

£99.00

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Bottled History [Macilwain]

Standard Edition

Ian Macilwain has created an ace book. He’s crawled about all the forgotten nooks and crannies of otherwise modern distilleries and found rusting generators, fetid steep tanks and abandoned stables. He mixed these with tales from the folk who used to manage the artefacts with a wonderful irony and an eye for superb lighting. Allow lots of time to study this top quality offering.

We also have a couple of connoisseurs editions for those who like their books, a hard slip case and a signed, numbered print from the book, we have chosen a beautifully lit barley loft from Glentauchers.

£30.00

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Bottled History - Connoisseurs Edt [Macilwain]

Connoisseurs Edition

This is the connoisseurs edition for those who like their books, a hard slip case and a signed, numbered print from the book, we have chosen a beautifully lit barley loft from Glentauchers.

£75.00

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Beer Hunter, Whisky Chaser

New writing on beer and whisky in honour of Michael Jackson.

To honour his memory and to mark the creation of International Whisky Day on March 27th, the anniversary of Michael's birth, a baker's dozen of his friends and contemporaries have created this collection of new writing on beer and whisky...

All profits from the publication of this book will be donated to the Parkinson's Disease Society (UK)

Hardback 170 pages.

£12.99

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Truths About Whisky (1878)

Limited release of 300 numbered copies of the 1873 publication by an entertaining roving excise man, check the chapter on Brackla Distillery.

Hardback with slip case and CD-ROM with a pdf version. 103 pages plus original advertisements.

'The exceedingly rare 1st edition of Truths About Whisky, issued by the four principal Dublin distillers in 1878. As they say in the first chapter:

“The four firms of whisky distillers by whom this book is published ... have for the last two years been engaged in an endeavour to place some check upon the practices of the fraudulent traders by whom silent spirit, variously disguised and flavoured, is sold under the name of Whisky.”

Note the spelling of “whisky”, even in Ireland! “Silent spirit” is, of course, a reference to grain whisky and the book is an impassioned defence of malt whisky. It includes details on “The Qualities and Popularity of genuine Dublin Whisky”, “The Growth of Silent Spirit into Sham Whisky”, “Grogging” and “Whisky Frauds”.

The book is an important contribution to the great “what is whisky” debate, which was even then gathering pace and culminated in the 1909 Royal Commission, the recommendations of which shaped the future direction of the distilling industry.

As well as being an utterly fascinating insight into late Victorian attitudes, the book contains four wonderful fold-out coloured plates (approx 14” x 8.5”) giving a bird’s-eye view of the distilleries of the following distilleries as they appeared in 1878: John Jameson & Sons; William Jameson & Co (of Marrowbone Lane); John Power & Sons and George Roe & Co. All gone now, of course.'

£50.00

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Jura - Taste Island Life

Volume 1

A picture book of the island with short pieces by Alexander McCall Smith and Charles MacLean amongst others.

Hardback 94 pages.

£16.95

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Goodness Nose (Paterson & Smith)

Hardback 206 pages.

£19.99

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Smuggling in the Highlands (MacDonald 1914)

Limited release of 300 numbered copies of the 1914 publication by an senior excise officer, essential for any whisky library.

Hardback with slip case and CD-ROM with a pdf version. 124 pages plus about 40 pages of original advertisements.

£50.00

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Reminiscences of a Gauger (Pacy 1873)

Limited release of 300 numbered copies of the 1873 publication by an entertaining roving excise man, check the chapter on Brackla Distillery.

Hardback with slip case and CD-ROM with a pdf version. 127 pages plus about 40 pages of original advertisements.

£50.00

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How to Blend Scotch Whisky (Alfred Barnard)

Spot-on facimile copy of a book unearthed by Walter Schobert in the muesum of Islay Life. Great reproduction, another essential.

Hardback 36 pages.

£12.00

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A Double Scotch [Pacult]

A History of Chivas and Glenlivet, presumably commissioned by current owners Pernod, light easy reading style aimed at the American reader (and so tiresomely wordy, in my opinion).

£16.99

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Best Collection Of Malt Scotch Whisky (Zagatti)
WHISKY COLLECTORS! A MUST FOR YOUR COLLECTION

An astonishing book. Or more correctly, an astonishing collection, one of the most complete collections of Scotch malt whisky bottles in the world.

A large format book, published 1999 & just short of 300 pages, and the print and paper quality is faultless.

Every serious collector of whiskies who has seen it has bought a copy on the spot. We immediately found it an essential reference work when discussing matters with our customers-particularly when identifying a bottle found in dad's cabinet.

For less than the price of a Macallan 25yo, this book gives you 2,400 bottles!

Pictured is just one of 8 spreads devoted to 256 Macallans!

£80.00

OUT OF STOCK

Best Collection Of Malt Volume II (Zagatti)

Companion volume to that below and very worthwhile.

A further 190 pages devoted to new Scotch malt additions to the collection plus a few Irish and (absolutely fascinating) American whiskies.

If you are happy with volume one then volume two is essential, no repetition or reworking. When I heard this was in production I was sceptical but have no hesitation recommending this.

£60.00

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Scotch Missed (Townsend)

An invaluable reference source for anyone wanting to know what we are missing. Now in its third edition this is superbly researched and essential in a Scotch whisky library.

£8.99

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Scotch Whisky - Its Past & Present (Daiches)
Long published (1969) but still respected study by someone who can write rather well. So he should - he's a Professor of English. (Not that that makes much difference these days).

By the way I'm dyslexic, so that explains this web-shite.

Paperback

£4.99

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By the way I'm dyslexic, so that explains this web-shite.

Hardback

£12.00

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The Scottish Smuggler [Gavin D Smith]

Exhaustively researched book on Scotland's Smuggling heritage including a chapter on whisky.

Paperback 191 pages.

£9.99

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Tales of Whisky & Smuggling (McHardy)

Somewhat fancifully written stories from the gaugers diaries, worthwhile - if a little juvenile.

£5.99

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The Whisky Barons (Andrews)

Reprint of one of my favourite books, allbeit rather nastily done by lacking many of the originals photos.

Covers the exploits of the great advocates of Scotch that made the industry the vibrant joy it is today, essential for the historian.

Paperback 145 pages.

£7.99

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A Teacher's Tale [Arthur]

Hardback 192 pages 2005

£25.00

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The Practical Diftiller - 1718 facimile

One for the library shelves, an elegant leather bound facimile reprint "In which the doctorine of fermentation is methodically explain'd in a New Method. With the Defcription of a New Engine-Still..."

The first 500 (numbered) copies came with the Bruichladdich Enlightenment bottling and the last 500 are available individually now.

£30.00

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