A Passion for Whisky: How the tiny Scottish island of Islay creates malts that captivate the world

An addition to Mitchell Beazley's successful whisky-themed publishing, this is a must-have guide to the world-famous whiskies of Islay, explaining what makes them so special and profiling the growing number of talented distilleries.



"Ian Wisniewski is one of our foremost drinks writers. At once affectionate, knowledgeable and entertaining, this engaging book is essential reading for any fans of Islay whisky." - Charles Maclean



The Scottish island of Islay produces some of the world's most revered malt whiskies, and is described by the New York Times as the equivalent of Bordeaux for wine lovers. In A Passion for Whisky Ian Wisniewski explores the unique combination of tradition, innovation, climate and location, which create such superlative examples of Scotch whisky.

 

Individual profiles of Islay's 13 distilleries include tasting notes for selected malts that illustrate the incredible range of peated styles produced, together with a section on tasting techniques, making this an indispensable guide for Scotch whisky lovers.

Whisky sales overtook vodka in the US in 2022 for the first time in two decades, with no small influence from Scotch whisky - the US imported £789.2 million in Scotch in 2021.