Editor’s Note: This book was provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review.
I’d heard of Ian Buxton’s “101 Whiskies to Try Before you Die” several times before I had a chance to read it. Commentators spoke well of it, as I expect from a book successful enough to spawn five editions. What stood out in those mentions, though, was how many people were suggesting the book for people with no background in whiskey.
It made sense that a list of recommendations would be a good place to start experiencing whiskey. Once I was into the first few write-ups, I saw an even more compelling reason to introduce neophytes to the book. Buxton’s writing is accessible, in the best sense of the word. He avoids the dense, arcane language that too often makes whiskey writing insular and off-putting. In his choice of recommendations and his approach to writing about them, Buxton makes getting into whiskey an appealing and lively endeavor.
The book opens with a declaration of purpose. Buxton lets us know that this is not a list of the “best” whiskies, nor is it a list of obscure and noteworthy finds. These are repeating releases, the vast majority are available for under 200 USD, and several would qualify as “bottom shelf” expressions for most readers. I found high class spirits like Old Pulteney 18 Year and Glenglassaugh 12 Year, but they’re only a few pages away from Cutty Sark, Suntory Toki, and Aldi supermarket exclusive Glen Marnoch.
Regardless of price or prestige, Buxton makes a case for each whisky’s place in this book. Avoiding specifics of taste, he tells a story for each expression that justifies why a whisky enthusiast would benefit from tasting it. Some are iconic bottles which even a casual drinker would recognize, some are obscure expressions that are great for their price, and others are doing innovative enough things that he recommends tasting them just to keep stay on top of trends.
In spinning these stories, he builds a broader narrative of distillation as a whole. Going through each bottle, I picked up on recurring themes of whisky’s decline and recent resurgence. He frequently describes distilleries closing, only to be purchased and revitalized by new investors. He seeds in commentary on how the industry approaches branding, the experts whose contributions have shaped so many of these expressions, and his own history with many of these bottles.
In addition to having interesting information, Buxton infuses his write-ups with a readable, playful style. He often leans into Scottish slang and dialect, but was never hard for me to follow. He is never above humor when discussing the quality of a cheaper dram, particularly overdone marketing campaigns, or the unrealistic prices some bottles command. It’s a tone that helps maintain humility, even as it broadens perspectives.
After finishing the list of recommendations, I found that I’d already tried about a dozen of them. Even then, the concept of finishing this list is a daunting task. Befitting of whisky, though, it’s not something to rush. Reading this book gave me more than a list of whiskies to try, it made a case for how much variety and depth the medium can offer. It does what only top shelf whisky writing can: it renewed my excitement to seek out new expressions.
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This book manages to cover a wide cross-section of what whisky can offer. It also subtly educates readers in the modern history of the industry. Moreover, it gets across its information through a playful, immensely readable style. It’s an excellent starting point for new readers, and will give inspiration to veterans. I would recommend this to anyone interested in whisky, and feel it would make an excellent gift for even the most casual fan.
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