Best Whiskey Books and Literature

World is full of literature regarding water of life. To ease up things for you, I’ve gathered a comprehensive list of best whisky related books.

Highly rated books about whiskey

“The World Atlas of Whiskey” by Dave Broom: This book is a comprehensive guide to the history, production, and styles of whiskey from around the world. It includes maps, illustrations, and tasting notes for hundreds of whiskeys.

“Whiskey: A Global History” by Kevin R. Kosar: This book traces the history of whiskey from its origins in ancient civilizations to its modern day popularity around the world. It covers the cultural, economic and social factors that have shaped the whiskey industry.

“The Bourbon Bible” by Gary Regan: This book is a comprehensive guide to bourbon, covering its history, production, and tasting notes for hundreds of different brands. It also includes cocktail recipes and tips on how to taste and appreciate bourbon.

“Whiskey Distilled: A Populist Guide to the Water of Life” by Heather Greene: This book is a beginner’s guide to whiskey, covering the basics of production, tasting, and pairing whiskey with food. It includes profiles of different whiskey-producing regions and recommendations for starting a whiskey collection.

“Whiskey: The Definitive World Guide” by Michael Jackson: This book is a comprehensive guide to the world of whiskey, covering the history, production, and tasting notes for hundreds of different brands. It includes information on the different whiskey producing regions and the unique characteristics of their products.

Malt Whisky Companion by Michael Jackson and Dominic Roskrow: Classic, definitive guide to malt whiskies, written by the late Michael Jackson and updated by whisky experts Dominic Roskrow and Gavin D. Smith (Jarkko Nikkanen in Finnish version which I have). “Malt Whisky Companion will teach you everything you want to know about your favourite tipple. How should you taste a single malt scotch whisky? Which whiskies are light and flowery, or rich and treacly? How different is a single malt scotch from a distillery in the Highlands to one from the islands?”

Bonus – a book featuring WhiskyRant!

“The New Single Malt Whiskey” by Clay Risen (Introduction), Chip Tate (Foreword), Carlo DeVito: Includes more than 325 bottles from 197 distilleries, from over 25 countries. Contributed by whisky writers across the globe. Yours truly included. I’m disqualified to make a judgement on this book, but needless to say, it’s an exciting overview of various opinions around whiskies.

Controversial book

Whisky Bible by Jim Murray: For beginners it can feel like a comprehensive guide or like the name states, a bible for whiskies. It reflects on latest releases and revisits old expressions as well. It definitely sets trends and starts conversation. Since it’s a one man’s opinion masked as like it was the word of truth. Even though Mr. Murray is an expert in his field.

Most popular whiskey magazines

Magazine’s are a fun way to stay on top of interesting industry news and reviews. I’ve gathered the most famous magazines along with subscription prices. :

“Whisky Advocate” – starting at $24.95/year: This magazine covers the latest news and trends in the world of whiskey, including reviews of new releases, interviews with industry insiders, and cocktail recipes.

“Whisky Magazine” – starting at $44.95/year: This magazine covers the world of whiskey from a global perspective, with articles on the latest releases, distillery profiles, and tasting notes.

“American Whiskey Magazine” – starting at $24.99/year: This magazine covers the world of whiskey, including features on distilleries, reviews of new releases, and cocktail recipes.

“Whiskey Reviewer” – starting at $24.95/year: This magazine features reviews of new whiskey releases, as well as articles on the history and production of different types of whiskey.

“Whiskey Enthusiast” – starting at $29.95/year: This magazine covers the latest news and trends in the world of whiskey, including reviews of new releases, profiles of distilleries and industry insiders, and cocktail recipes.

Please note that these prices may vary depending on the subscription length and location, and they are subject to change. It’s always a good idea to check the current prices and terms of any magazine subscription before purchasing.

I used to order Whisky Advocate and Whisky Magazine, and both were worth a subscription. I’ve since canceled both, but only because of my reading habits. I realized, print subscriptions, or even digital ones are challenging for me. I never remember to go through any of my subscriptions thoroughly.

Especially Whisky Advocate had some very memorable pieces in it. I can highly recommend!