Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24230 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 360 pages

Customer Reviews

As useful as ever!
I love this little book! Jim Murray has a great depth of knowledge and more importantly a great passion for his subject. Of course it can be argued that his reviews are subjective (all reviews are?) so the test has to be do you agree with his views? So buy a bottle (or just a glass!) he recommends and if it works for you as it did for him - bingo! In general I have followed his recommendations and always enjoyed the dram - though I would never claim to possess a palette as sophisticated his. With so many different whiskies available its good to have a guide that you can trust and that can be carried with you to the supermarket, pub or distillery to help make your selections. Highly recommended and worth buying each year for the updates.

The Good Book of Whisky
It's good to see Jim Murray back on top form with this year's 2009 Whisky Bible. Like Hugh Johnson is to wine, this book is never seems to remain in the bookcase for long as it is always being pulled out for reference, to settle a discussion or look up some information about a new whisky.

Yes of course it's one man's opinion (in the same way Hugh Johnson and Robert Parker are with their wine scores) but it is still a succinct and readable collection of reviews all in one spot.

For anyone who is has a fledgling interest in whisk(e)y, wants to know more or would like some guidance then Jim is the man to turn to!

Whisky Bible 2009
Not only is whisky scoring subjective but so are book reviews. Having read Mr. Panin's baffling and unbalanced revue of the 2009 Whisky Bible I think it has to be recorded that this gentleman has done both Mr Murray and the those thinking of buying this essential book a mighty dis-service. He is entitled to his views but the book he described does not sound anything like the same one I have been buying and using for the last three years.

Some of Mr Murray's comments regarding quite a number of whiskies are entirely withering and written with a force and conviction and, almost certainly depth of knowledge, unequalled in whisky. His slaughter in the 2009 Bible, for instance, of a new distillery bottling of Glen Moray (one of my favourite distillery's) had my hairs standing on end! Before he altered his review, I was invited by Mr P to open up the book at random to see that "most" of the scores rank above 85. Keeping to Scotch, which I feel more at home with, at first I opened on page 74-75, which is Bunnahabhain. Page 74, is a 4-4 tie, page 75 is also a tie at 7-7. So I moved (again at random) to page 212-213 and had a look at Tamdhu, which was 8-7 to the over 85's - pretty close so I randomly split the pages and went to 134-135 (Glen Rothes) which is 16-13 in favour of the under 85's with scores ranging from 66 to 95.

Last year I bought a Dufftown in "Duty Free" right against Jim Murray's advice (I've just checked, he gave it 71) but it was on at a very tempting price and the bottle looked great. I really wish I had listened because I didn't like it at all and cheap or not it was a waste of money. So I really don't know what Mr P is on about, especially as Jim Murray has clearly, through successive editions of the Bible brought to my and other reader's attention the threat of so many bottles of whisky spoiled by the usage of sulphur. Mr Murray's campaigning on this issue is very much at odds with Mr Panin's claims, the last unpleasant one what sounds like a clumsy insinuation that Mr Murray must have a drink problem to give the scores he does (shame on you). Probably the best clue is Mr Panin's dislike of White Horse.

Obviously not a blend fan, while Mr Murray obviously is and now thanks to the Bible am I. I think Mr Panin has missed the point that the scores are given to what the whisky is like today, not as it tasted when Mr Panin was "making his way in the whisky world" (does this mean he is a rival writer, which may explain a lot).

The Bible, it seems to me, rates the whiskies on quality alone, not on whether it a blend or not, or even Scotch at all. Mr Murray obviously has little time for whisky snobs and maybe this is what has irked our previous reviewer. I also enjoy Michael Jackson's book as well, but on a day to day basis The Bible is far more relevant and up to date and covers a much wider range and contrary to Mr P's claims, is much more ruthless in putting down bad whisky.

Another thing I don't quite get with being told to be skeptical of the Bible notes is that Mr P appears to put himself down as an expert, a little bit arrogant if you ask me as this suggests that he has tasted all the whiskies Mr Murray has (nearly 4,000 in this edition) which I doubt. Well done Jim Murray for another fantastically entertaining, knowledgable and enlightening read and a very funny and fearless one too as well. I can't say I always agree with every single one of his scores especially as I'm not the biggest fan of peaty/bourbon whisky despite my best efforts, but over the years he has guided me to some gems I might never have found otherwise, steered me away from some "duds" and am pretty sure that this edition will do the same, something I appreciate all the more now money is a bit tighter.