Who Knew?

Big Whiskey – Carlo DeVito (Cider Mill Press)

While some of the distilleries that pour forth the subject matter behind  the new book, Big Whiskey have long and rich histories, I could only conclude, who knew that the tales behind these storied practitioners of the distilled arts ran so deep.

A few years back I became intrigued by images of bourbon/whiskey drinkers in film and and references made in novels. Thriller master Brad Thor went so far as to compile a blog post detailing a list of his suggestions for serving a flight of bourbon or hosting a home tasting. A beer drinker by choice, I was intrigued enough to try my hand and my taste buds out and branch out into sampling a range of small batch vodkas, and now have moved on to sampling a range of bourbons.

It seemed like a natural step to pair this tasting journey with some new knowledge, hence delving into Big Whiskey. This heavy, dense tome is beautifully illustrated and would make a nice addition to any spirited connoisseur’s bookshelf, looking to expand and engage with their spirit of choice.

DeVito along with WhiskeyReviewer.com managing editor, Richard Thomas and Emily West, a writer for the Tennessean, who covers spirits, business and local news, deliver a very approachable writing style. While it does serve up some insight into the taste palate of the variety of brands and types of whiskey, it doesn’t slide off into the land of the fru-fru, with spice notes and hint of chalk board. Even if you aren’t a participating drinker, the rich and often times colorful history behind these familiar and not so familiar brands make for great stories and a raise a glass to their skillful telling.