THE WHISKY DISTILLERIES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

ALFRED BARNARD

With an introduction by Richard Joynson 704pp. Birlinn. 40 [pounds sterling].

Wherever you happen to stand on the terroir vs technique debate, making malt whisky is a relatively straightforward business, given that most of the serious work is done in the barrel. But there must be some magic in wind and water, in rock and soil, some spirit of genius loci that makes a fine Speyside malt not just very different from an Islay or a Campbeltown, but also different from all other Speysides. First published in 1887, Alfred Barnard's The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom was intended "to...