This is the fully revised, much expanded, and, sadly, last edition of the late Michael Jackson’s celebrated guide to malt whisky. The publisher, Dorling Kindersley, proudly claim it to be “the world’s best-selling book on malt whisky”. The distillery inventory is complete and the tasting notes cover more than 1,000 malt whiskies, including 500 entirely new bottlings. There are also brief but sympathetic notes on malts from countries other than Scotland – nothing serious, mind you, but at least an acknowledgment that other countries are trying! Michael Jackson was widely regarded as our greatest whisky writer. That mantle passes to someone else in the fullness of time, and certain candidates immediately spring to mind. However, Jackson will occupy a very special place in the annals of whisky writing and a full set of the Companions should be in every serious whisky library. However, if you can manage only one edition, then it has to be the Fifth.
