Classic Expressions at it again

Received my copies of Smuggling in the Highlands and Reminiscences of a Gauger from Classic Expressions today (June 19th).

Ian and Neil did a bang-up job - cloth-bound hard covers in maroon and blue respectively. Each edition is boxed and includes a CD which apparently contains an electronic version of the book. I say apparently because as much as I want to pop it in the old Mac, I plan to leave the CD in pristine condition. The cds will only be included with the first limited edition run of 300.

Since I signed up early as a founding member, I have number 8 of 300 of each book, with my name inscribed for eternity - at least I'll leave my mark on something of value.

The next 3 republished works will be:

• Truths About Whisky  (1878)
• Notes on Alcohol in Brandy, Whisky and Rum (1904).  Sir Walter Gilbey
•  The Alfred Barnard "Distillery Pamphlet" series (c1890) starting with Dalmore Distillery

Ian Buxton elucidates:

We plan to issue the following rare, out-of-print whisky classics in the near future.  These books are all but unobtainable in the antiquarian book market and cast invaluable light onto the history and heritage of whisky.

Once again, we will open an advance subscription list for Founding Subscribers who will benefit from a discounted price and whose name will appear in the volumes as a permanent record of their contribution to whisky publishing history.

Each volume will be accompanied by a CD containing the complete contents of the title and, naturally, the edition will be limited and thus very collectable in its own right.

Truths About Whisky (1878)

Our first new title is the exceedingly rare 1st edition of Truths About Whisky, issued by the four principal Dublin distillers in 1878.  As they say in the first chapter:

“The four firms of whisky distillers by whom this book is published..…have for the last two years been engaged in an endeavour to place some check upon the practices of the fraudulent traders by whom silent spirit, variously disguised and flavoured, is sold under the name of Whisky.”

Note the spelling of “whisky”, even in Ireland!  “Silent spirit” is, of course, a reference to grain whisky and the book is an impassioned defence of malt whisky.  It includes details on “The Qualities and Popularity of genuine Dublin Whisky”, “The Growth of Silent Spirit into Sham Whisky”, “Grogging” and “Whisky Frauds”. 

The book is an important contribution to the great “what is whisky” debate, which was even then gathering pace and culminated in the 1909 Royal Commission, the recommendations of which shaped the future direction of the distilling industry.

As well as being an utterly fascinating insight into late Victorian attitudes, the book contains four wonderful fold-out coloured plates (approx 14” x 8.5”) giving a bird’s-eye view of the distilleries of the following distilleries as they appeared in 1878: John Jameson & Sons; William Jameson & Co (of Marrowbone Lane); John Power & Sons and George Roe & Co.  All gone now, of course.

An original copy of this book recently sold for £750!  It is eagerly sought after by whisky collectors and those interested in the history of Dublin.  Rare.

5.5” x 8.5” approx.  114 pages, including trade advertisements.  4 fold-out plates. 
Presented in a slip case, with searchable CD.  Limited to 300 numbered copies, of which 75 are reserved for Founding Subscribers.  Price £50 + p&p, Founding Subscribers receive a £5 discount and will have their names printed in the front of the book.

Notes on Alcohol in Brandy, Whisky and Rum by Sir Walter Gilbey (1904)

This little pamphlet is also exceedingly rare.  The English Short Title Catalogue lists only 6 known copies, yet it provides a contemporary view of the importance of

“THE POT STILL as used to produce the finest Malt Whiskies of the Highlands of Scotland and the finest Whiskies of Ireland.”

Sir Walter Gilbey (1831 – 1914) was a distiller of note.  His family firm of wine and spirit merchants owned Gilbey’s Gin and, at that time of this publication, Glen Spey, Strathmill and Knockando distilleries.

For a long time, Gilbey’s refused to admit that anything but pure malt could be called ‘Scotch Whisky’ and Sir Walter argues in the text that direct firing of the still is critically important to the final flavour

“It is a curious fact that the heat of the fire also imparts a Flavour to the vaporised matter.  The fire heat gives the Spirit a character which distinguishes it from Spirits distilled by the Patent Still.  It imparts to the Spirit the character known as empyreumatic, which is easily recognised in the product of the Pot Still and which is quite absent in Spirit produced by the Patent Still.”

The text also includes a brief description of the distillation of brandy, rum, Irish whiskey and a careful description of grain distilling with an excellent diagram of Coffey’s Distilling Apparatus.  Gilbey is, however, quite clear that the spirit produced in this way is “nearly free from taste and smell”, and concludes that

“..this being the case, it is obvious there is no possible justification of the statement that Pot Still Whisky is improved by the addition of Patent Spirit, even when this is disguised under the fanciful title ‘Fine Old Grain Whisky.’“

We have reproduced the 2nd edition of this work, as it was revised and enlarged immediately after the first publication.

5.25” x 8.5” approx.  40 pages.  4 plates.  Searchable CD included.
Limited to 300 numbered copies, of which 75 are reserved for Founding Subscribers.  Price £30 + p&p, Founding Subscribers receive a £5 discount and will have their names printed in the front of the book.

It is intended to include a colour portrait of Sir Walter Gilbey (courtesy of the Diageo archive) and a brief Introduction by Ian Buxton.

Distillery Pamphlet series by Alfred Barnard

Following the success of his 1887 volume “The Distilleries of the United Kingdom” Alfred Barnard was commissioned by various distillers to produce shorter promotional pamphlets for them.

We believe there are five in total, all now obscure and exceptionally rare.

We plan to issue a series of all five titles, beginning with the volume on Dalmore.

This is described as “A celebrated Highland distillery with a description of its surroundings” and represents Barnard in full voice at his finest.

7.75” x 6.25” approx.  36 pages.  22 b/w plates.  Searchable CD included.
Limited to 300 numbered copies, of which 75 are reserved for Founding Subscribers.  Price £30 + p&p, Founding Subscribers receive a £5 discount and will have their names printed in the front of the book.

It is intended to include a short biography of Barnard and a brief Introduction to Dalmore.

This title will be followed by four further Barnard distillery pamphlets.  Founding Subscribers to the Dalmore volume will receive priority ordering facilities for subsequent titles.

Comments

[James Campbell Andrew]

As another of the founder subscribers for the first two (I got number 42 of each), I'd just like to add my praise for the quality of the books - they're superb. Well worth the money.