[.ca] Malt Whisky Companion (ISBN 1405302348)

focussed on the rare...:
I have the 1999 edition of this authors' book & it remains possibly the best edition.This new 2004 edition is more devoted to rare malts the likes of which many of us won't ever see/taste/afford. He unfortunatly focuses more on these rare bottlings at the expense of reviewing more commonly available (& affordable!) malts.For example,he doesn't discuss the 12,15 & 17 yr Bowmores,all fine,reasonable-priced & readily found.He fails to mention Laphroig's "UIGEDAIL" malt, offers poor reviews of "Fettercairn" & appears to have mis-stated alcohol content a few times.This edition is also more focussed on special-finishes; port,rum,claret etc.It also shows no shortage of his almost bizarre tasting notes "fiddlehead ferns with butter" and "starched linen".Yikes! Generally a good reference book with some decent photos & notes-of-interest... but not without it's disappointments.

One of the best book.:
This is a great read, the passion Jackson shares is tangible on the page. A top notch reference guide and a personal odyssey through Whisky. Some of the rarer and independent bottled scotches can be best referenced through Murray's Whisky Bible on an annual basis, but Jackson is the authority. The Prose of this Thesis is as lyrical as the streams of Scotland. Oh and Ardbeg produces Uigedail and I do believe that it is covered on page 100, with a score of 92 points.

what a joke:
Ordered the book April...it's now late july & I'm still waiting for delivery!

Best tasting guide on Whisky!:
Since the beginning of the 90s, the number of single malt whiskys has tremendously increased. The pocket book is an excellent companion to the whisky amateur and will help you to select the whisky you want. Distillery details are limited to the essential, but contain enough details and are well written. It is probably the most comprehensive, extensive and recent tasting book that you can get. Please note that this book is a tasting guide and not on whisky's history!