This great, potent, and princely drink

A couple of months ago, I told you that Canongate Books had sent me an advance copy of the soon to be released Whisky by Aeneas MacDonald.

Of the history, geography, literature, philosophy, morals, use and abuse, praise and scorn of whisky, volumes might be written. They will not be written by me.

So begins this awesome little book.

It turns out that Aeneas MacDonald was a pseudonym - and Ian Buxton's introduction tells the tale of how he discovered who MacDonald was. I'll let Ian, via his introduction, reveal the secret to you and shall not dwell on that here. While an interesting bit of research it was not, for me, the focal point of the story - I found Whisky to be a fantastic read - and would have, even had I been ignorant of the true identity of the author.

The book is oddly relevant to the whisky industry of today - while also granting us a rare peek at the whisky world of 1930. Despite a slightly verbose, post-Victorian writing style, you will be pulled into the book quite easily.

MacDonald is quite an entertaining and opinionated chap...

He rails against the English:

The English, who, by definition, will believe anything that the Scots tell them, took whisky from their northern neighbours. It is doubtful, all the same, if they have ever taken to it. The ale-sodden Saxon has a tempermental inability to comprehend the true inner nature of whisky...

And against the Scots:

How could the Scots, a disagreeable people, cringing under the tyranny of the pulpits, ever have come to think of this liberating and audacious drink?
They have never taken themselves seriously as a nation; their patriotism is of an impatient and sporadic character.

And even takes shots against a Scottish icon:

No word of (Robby) Burns' gives the slightest impression that he had any interest in the mere bouquet or taste of what he drank; on the contrary, his eloquent praise is lavished on the heating, befuddling effects of whisky...Burns' attitude to whisky has, through the extraordinary popularity of his verse, become almost universal.

And yes, he talks about whisky with the same irreverent style.

MacDonald is staunchly anti-grain whisky:

The tasteless distillate of grain, made at one process in a patent still, is equally entitled to call itself whisky as the exquisite, pot-still, malt whisky...It is only right to say that the definition was made in defiance of the best opinion of the distilling industry.

It was nothing short of a sin against the light to lump malt whisky with neutral industrial spirit...

And anti-blend:

The children of the light will continue to demand of their Scotch whisky that it should be distilled in Scotland by means of pot-stills, from mashing materials consisting of malted barley and nothing else.

Much more than simply a curmudgeon, his romantic side shines through as he waxes poetic about the effects of whisky:

It stimulates speculation and nourishes lucidity. One may sing on it but one is at least as likely to argue. Split hairs and schisms flourish in its depths...It is the mother's milk of destructive criticism and the begetter of great abstractions.

And there is plenty of practical knowledge to be culled  - the book describes the process for making whisky which is identical in many ways to the practices used today, 76 years later.

He shows that artificial color was then, as it is now, used by some distillers:

And it may be observed in passing, fluid caramel or paxarette is frequently added to give whisky the complexion which it is supposed to derive from residence in sherry-casks.

But more importantly, we get to see what has changed. How, for example, in pre-Spanish Civil War days, that sherry - and not bourbon - was the cask of choice:

The finished whisky flows into a spirit vat in the spirit store and is poured into wine-saturated casks where it will mature. The functions of these casks - they are generally sherry casks - is often misunderstood...

He recalls a time when Campbeltown was worthy of being called a region:

A few years ago it would have been necessary to mention 17 Campbeltown distilleries, but in the interval, the stills of seven of them have grown cold.

He speaks of the ten Islay whiskies: Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Bruichladdich, Lochindaal, Bowmore, Ardbeg, Malt Mill, Laphroaig, Port Ellen and Lagavulin.

And he makes observations that are just as timely today as they were in his time:

There seems, in fact, to be something rather like a conspiracy of silence among the proprietors of the different brands of whisky, a conspiracy to prevent the consumer from knowing what he is drinking. There are even cases where the wording of the label appears to be definitely misleading.

Was this Nostradamus of the ancient whisky world predicting the Cardhu fiasco???

Kudos to Ian Buxton for making sure that this book was not lost to time. While the book has not yet been officially released, advance copies are available from Royal Mile Whiskies.

Whisky by Aeneas MacDonald
Canongate Books
The book is set to be released on October 12, 2006 with a list price of  £9.99.

Comments

[Peter Currie]

Surely Campbeltown is still worthy of being called a region?
The town has 3 distilleries (Springbank, Glen Scotia and Glengyle)producing 5 different single malts.
The are only 3 distilleries working in the lowland region (Auchentoshan, Glenkinchie and Bladnoch) yet nobody would think of removing its status a region.

cheers

[GreyArea]

I bought this book a couple of months ago (Royal Mile had some pre-stock) and it's a greatlittle book. Highly recommended.

[Kevin Erskine]

Hi Peter!
In my opinion (one man's opinion), with Glengyle just newly opened and Glen Scotia's checkered past, it's hard to call Campbeltown a solid region.

Also, not having tasted the final product from Glengyle, and the components of the distillery having been cobbled together from other distilleriues across Scotland (e.g., Stills from the Highland's Ben Wyvis), can you say that the product of Glengyle will have any attributes of traditional Campeltown whisky?

On that note can someone describe the attributes of a traditional Campbeltown whisky?

If it only takes 3 distilleries to make a region then how about Rothes, Dufftown or any of the other Speyside sub regions become standalone regions? Heck, the plot of land that Kininvie, Balvenie and Glenfiddich sit on under Balvenie castle could be named a region!

Re: Lowlands - At least the lowland whiskies have distinct similarities - traditionally unpeated and quite light - but I'm in support of getting rid of ALL regional designations as they mean very little.

[GreyArea]

> on that note can someone describe the attributes of a traditional
> Campbeltown whisky?

The impression I get...and it is just an impression...is that they were described as 'hearty' and 'robust'. Sort of non-Islay Islay whiskies with, perhaps, less of an emphasis on iodine overtones.

[Ian Buxton]

Well, Aeneas MacDonald has a great and poetic description of Campbeltown whisky:
"the double basses of the whisky orchestra" (you may have seen this quoted but he got there first, 1930 remember). And "potent, full-bodied, pungent"..aah I can almost taste those lost drams.
Kevin, thanks for a great review. Hope everyone enjoys the book.
Ian

[GreyArea]

(my copy is currently on loan to my father, so I plead 'bad memory' for not remembering the proper quote :-) )

Superb work Ian, and thanks for bringing this book back into the world.

Are you aware of the work underway at http://www.classicexpressions.co.uk/ ? They are trying to bring two other lost works back into (limited) production:

Reminiscences of a Gauger
by Joseph Pacy (1873)

and

Smuggling in the Highlands
by Ian MacDonald (1914)

If they can get 100 pre-orders then the books will be printed.

I'm seriously tempted. The price is a little off-putting but I feel it would be worth it.

[Kevin Erskine]

Not only am I aware of it, I'm one of the Founding Subscribers (for both books)

[GreyArea]

Ah, good on you laddie. Suspect I'll be joining you on at least one of them.

[Peter]

Obviously this could go back a forth, and we might never agree, but I feel that I should give it a try to persuade you in the merits of having Campbeltown as a region, so here goes....

The Ben Wyvis stills were reshaped by Frank McHardy (40 years distilling) and Hedley Wright (even longer) to produce a single malt, that in their opinion, is fitting with the Campbeltown style. The still were rounded, and the lyne arm was raised to cause reflux into the still, producing a far lighter spirit that Ben Wyvis (where the lyne arm went straight down).
I also know that Glen Scotia has carried out at least one distilling season for the last 6 years. Has Bladnoch?

Every region has its variation. Ths should be encouraged. Many of the Campbeltown distilleries produced only heavily peated whiskies, so even Springbank (it could be argued) is not in the traditional Campbeltown style.
Regional Classifications help whisky journo's, retailers, pub owner and ultimately consumers. I agree that you could go on subdividing, and that would lead to confusion, however I think that Glen Scotia, Springbank, Longrow, Hazelburn and Kilkerran ( when it turns 3 next april) all have enough in common to be classed seperately.

Have I changed your mind? I hope so, the wee toon is a great place, and is brushed over too easily by the whisky fraternity.

cheers

Peter

[Ian Buxton]

Ah yes, Classic Expressions! Good of you to mention that GreyArea - because it's my little baby (well, in partnership with Neil Wilson that is). I've done the intro to the Pacy book, which is fascinating (the book; I'll let you decide about the intro...)
Yes, they are a little pricey (sorry) BUT the originals are frightening, assuming you could ever find one and you get the CD to play with as well. They are going to be very collectable I think, and they will be nicely produced. We're encouraged by sales so far, so get in quick for a nice low number and join the discerning, well-informed and highly-knowledgeable Kevin (a man of taste and distinction, a veritable scholar and a gentleman) as one of our revered Founding Subscribers. Write your place in whisky publishing history. You know it makes sense. (End of sales pitch if Kevin hasn't cut it off already!!).
Thanks guys.
Ian

[GreyArea]

Ah, good on you *again* Ian!

My only problem is that I can probably only afford _one_ of the books, and I'm not sure which. I need to decide before Saturday as I'm off to Scotland for two weeks (near to Tomintoul). Means I get to call in at Edradour on the way up (I live in Staffordshire) which is good because I love that place.

[GreyArea]

>I'm in support of getting rid of ALL regional
>designations as they mean very little.

Actually I'm kind of with you there. If you go back far enough they had meaning because distilleries didn't tend to have various styles, sticking instead to a core 'house style' (or that's how it looks to me).

Nowadays any distillery can produce almost any type of expression they want (shape of stills notwithstanding). Want a peat monster? Buy in heavily peated barley. Want a sherried finish (sorry Jim McEwan) ? Get some ex-sherry casks in.

Regions just don't seem to have the same significance as they used to.

[Ian Buxton]

Grey Area - if you are coming to Edradour you will be in Pitlochry, about 1.5 miles from where I live. Call me, drop in for a cup of tea (oh, OK, a dram). I will email some details. Ian

[Ian Buxton]

Oh, and I agree with you about regional variations. SMD flattened a lot of regional styles in the 60s and 70s when they remodelled their distilleries in the interest of blend production and the name of 'consistency'.
Pip Hills' latest book is very strong on this and David Wishart has an excellent approach to taste in "Whisky Classified".
There's an awful lot of self-serving claptrap talked about regions by marketing people who don't want to know the truth!
(End of rant..)

[Peter Currie]

Ian, hopefully I will never meet any of these evil "self serving" marketing people...nice plug for the new books.

cheers

Peter

[Ian Buxton]

Not so much "evil" as ignorant of the industry's history and lacking any deep roots in it. What else can we expect when companies bring in marketing people with backgrounds in ice cream or soft drinks or cars or whatever (and I don't have anyone specific in mind, this is a general comment) who want to do 3-4 years working in the whisky industry because it's hot right now before moving on to ice cream or soft drinks or cars or whatever?
As a result, we suffer from the phenomenon of the "Brand Damager" (oops, Brand Manager) who goes through the typical life cycle: repackage, relaunch, resign. I should know - I was one after all (many years ago). Single malts are particularly vulnerable to this kind of thing.
Or maybe I'm just a grumpy old man...it is more than possible.
Ian