American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye: A Guide to the Nation's Favorite Spirit

by Clay Risen

Overview

The bible of American whiskey has been updated—now with more than 300 entries!

Organized in an A-to-Z directory by distillery, then brand, this second edition of American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye features more than 330 whiskeys, including more than 120 new entries. Each section includes a brief history of the maker, along with its location, followed by a full account of each bottling, including details on age, proof, nose, color, body, palate, price, as well as an overall rating. A comprehensive primer provides a short history of the spirit, how it’s made, and how to enjoy it, including tips on organizing tasting sessions. Also included are a glossary of terms, a selection of top whiskeys by value and ratings, a handy checklist, and two helpful indexes. With this book, choosing from among the many whiskeys, bourbons, and ryes made in America has never been easier.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454916888
Publisher:	Union Square & Co.
Publication date:	10/27/2015
Edition description:	Revised, Revised
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	240,401
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Clay Risen is an editor at the New York Times, where he has written extensively on whiskey, rum, and other spirits. He has also written for The Atlantic, Smithsonian, and the Washington Post. He is the author of A Nation on Fire: America in the Wake of the King Assassination (Wiley, 2009) and The Bill of the Century: The Epic Battle for the Civil Rights Act (Bloomsbury, 2014). Risen grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, and lives in Brooklyn, NY, with his wife and two young children.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye
 
“A comprehensive and opinionated guide for the intermediate tippler . . . It’s a detailed, admirably cranky directory. Risen’s tasting notes for each are erudite and fun.”
—Wall Street Journal
 
“Risen is something of a Renaissance man . . . a Leonardo da Vinci of whiskey. American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye . . . should have a proud place on the bookshelf (or by the bar) of anyone who is an enthusiast of bourbon and other American whiskeys. Very useful for shopping purposes . . . Bring this book with you.”
—Los Angeles Review of Books
 
“Risen delicately walks readers into whiskey’s past, present, and future. . . . His words are meant for whiskey lovers, as he dissects every brand’s story and scores products on an NR (not recommended) to four-star scale. An American whiskey treasure worthy of four stars.”
—Whiskey Advocate
 
“A whiskey novice’s best friend . . . It’s a book I plan on keeping around for constant reference.”
—Saveur
 

From the Publisher

10/21/2013
New York Times editor Risen (A Nation on Fire: America in the Wake of the King Assassination) turns his attention to domestic whiskey and its many incarnations in this accessible and useful reference. Opening with an overview of the spirit and its variations (all bourbons are whiskey, but not all whiskeys are bourbons, for example), Risen explains the distillingprocess, the aging and how it affects the flavor of the end result, as gives a brief history of whiskey in America. He then reviews more than 200 American brands currently on the market, ranging from staples such as Jack Daniel’s and Jim Beam to boutique bourbons such as Black Maple Hill Small Batch Bourbon, one of the few to receive all four stars from Risen. He offers takes on the excellent whiskies, and doesn’t hold back while describing the bad (“Drinking George Dickel No 8, I can’t get away from the thought of Robitussin poured over cornflakes”), lending authority to his assessment of an overwhelming number of choices. The book will help whiskey lovers single out the good-to-great, but Risen also offer suggestions for lower tier whiskeys like Evan Williams that are perfectly fine for mixed drinks. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 11/01/2013
New York Times editor Risen (A Nation on Fire: America in the Wake of the King Assassination) deftly combines history and assessment in this informative volume that covers more than 200 of the titular spirits. The introduction discusses regulations that define types of whiskey, the process and ingredients used to make each kind, and the history of production in the United States; it also instructs readers in how to enjoy whiskey, how to organize a tasting, and how to read a whiskey. Risen then tackles particular drinks, including tasting notes, age, proof, price range, and rating for each producer's brand, along with a high-resolution photograph of the bottle. Descriptors such as lavender, cinnamon, wood, and smoke, among others, will appeal to the reader's taste, smell, and visual imagination. VERDICT This book will delight those interested in learning about the history, traditions, and comparative taste of whiskey, and the gorgeous images will conjure up memories of grandfather's old favorites. A fascinating read as well as a valuable reference guide, this work is sure to be a hit, especially in regions where the beverage is gaining popularity.—Ann Weber, Bellarmine Coll. Prep., San Jose, CA

Library Journal