The Whiskies of Scotland
by R.J.S. McDowall
Published in 1975 by John Murray, London.
title author publisher year (first) isbn language pp book size edition R.J.S. McDowall, M.D., D.Sc. John Murray, London, UK 1967 0719532116 english 166 paperback, ill(bw) 135x216 3rd; 1975
The introduction on page i reads as follows:
This is a new enlarged edition of Dr. McDowall's most succesful account on whisky, both blended and malts, with the historical background of the distilleries of Scotland.
Since the uisguebeatha drank by the hardy Gaels meant 'water of life', it is not altogether surprising that, in an attempt to control the production of whisky, supervision of it's manufacture was put in the hands of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh in 1505.
In England, under king Charles the First, the Worshipful Company of Distillers was formed by doctors for the same purpose.
Grain unfit for human consumption was commonly used and it became essential to ensure that the 'water of life' was non-toxic. Nowadays most connoisseurs dispense with water.
The contents of this book consist of 6 chapters, 2 appendices, a supplement, bibliography and index.
chapter 1: The Malt whiskies chapter 2: Grain Whisky and blending chapter 3: The blending houses chapter 4: The making of whiksy chapter 5: Good Whisky chapter 6: Whiksy Control Postscript: The future of whisky Appendice 1: The economics of whisky Appendice 2: The larger distillery groups Supplement Bibliography Index Illustrations: There are 2 maps showing the locations of distilleries, a diagram showing the production process of a malt whisky distillery and one showing the coffey-still, and a drawing of the interior of a distillery with pot-stills. A 4th Revised edition (October 1987) of The Whiskies of Scotland by R. J. S. McDowall, (edited by William Waugh) is still available as a 184 pages paperback.
Publisher: New Amsterdam Books; ISBN: 0941533069
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