Reddit reviews Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch

Okay, you've caught me; there's beer and wine books, too. Here's what you're looking at:

I run a cocktail bar, and I've been meaning to share my library for some time, but I have a knack for lending my books out to friends and colleagues so I keep waiting for it to be complete. Then I realized my collection keeps growing and will never be complete, so I may as well just share a snapshot of it.

Top row:

Sippin' Safari: In Search of the Great "Lost" Tropical Drink Recipes... and the People Behind Them by Jeff "Beachbum" Berry

Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: From the Alamagoozlum to the Zombie 100 Rediscovered Recipes and the Stories Behind Them by Ted "Dr. Cocktail" Haigh

The Joy of Mixology: The Consummate Guide to the Bartender's Craft by Gary "Gaz" Regan

The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg

The World Encyclopedia of Beer by Brian Glover

How to Brew: Everything You Need to Know to Brew Beer Right the First Time by John J. Palmer

Jigger, Beaker and Glass: Drinking Around the World by Charles H. Baker, Jr. (aka The Gentleman's Companion Volume II)

Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink by Randy Mosher

Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch by Michael Jackson

The Ultimate Guide to Spirits & Cocktails by Andre Domine

New Classic Cocktails by Mardee Haidin Regan and Gary "Gaz" Regan

The Book of Garnishes by June Budgen

World's Best Cocktails: 500 Signature Drinks from the World's Best Bars and Bartenders by Tom Sandham

The Complete Book of Spirits: A Guide to Their History, Production, and Enjoyment by Anthony Dias Blue

Cocktails & Amuse-Bouches for Her & For Him by Daniel Boulud and Xavier Herit

Imbibe!: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar by David Wondrich

Middle Row:

Hemingway & Bailey's Bartending Guide to Great American Writers

The New and Improved Illustrated Bartenders' Manual; or: How to Mix Drinks of the Present Style by Harry Johnson (Espresso Book Machine Reprint)

Michael Jackson's Bar & Cocktail Companion: The Connoisseur's Handbook by Michael Jackson

The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance by Greg Koch, Steve Wagner & Randy Clemens

The PDT Cocktail Book: The Complete Bartender's Guide from the Celebrated Speakeasy by Jim Meehan

Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas by Brad Thomas Parsons

A Taste for Absinthe: 65 Recipes for Classic and Contemporary Cocktails by R. Winston Guthrie & James F. Thompson

The Bartender's Guide to IBA Official Cocktails by Jenny Reese (Espresso Book Machine Printing)

Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl by David Wondrich

The Home Distiller's Handbook: Make Your Own Whiskey & Bourbon Blends, Infused Spirits and Cordials by Matt Teacher

A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage

The Decorative Art of Japanese Food Carving: Elegant Garnishes for All Occasions by Hiroshi Nagashima

What to Drink with What You Eat: The Difinitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea - Even Water - Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers by Andrew Dornenburg & Karen Page

The American Cocktail: 50 Recipes that Celebrate the Craft of Mixing Drinks from Coast to Coast by The Editors of Imbibe Magazine

The ABC of Cocktails by Peter Pauper Press

How to Make Your Own Drinks: Create Your Own Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Drinks from Fruit Cordials to After-Dinner Liqueurs by Susy Atkins

How to Make a World of Liqueurs by Heather Kibbey & Cheryl Long

There's a lot of good advice here already, so I'll try not to reiterate too much.

I find that the key is taking your time with whisky. Don't just nose it once or twice; go in several times and sniff softly. Careful, as a big deep breath can overwhelm you with alcohol. Take your time drinking it, too. Moderate sips and all that.

While everyone has a completely subjective experience with food & drink, it doesn't take a superhuman sense of smell to appreciate subtleties in Scotch. You already enjoy it a great deal; experience will likely help you articulate why and how, including details of aroma and taste.

My sense of smell/taste hasn't changed since I started drinking whisky, but I have found more accurate ways of describing what I've been tasting all along. Expanding my whisky selections and playing around with food/spice flavors in the kitchen really helped me start to articulate nosing and tasting notes.

Reading lots of reviews also helped, especially those by Michael Jackson. I went back to some of my favorite drinks (Highland Park 12 and Laphroaig 10) and compared what I was tasting with other people's notes. Sometimes I could detect what someone was talking about, and sometimes not. This helped me continue building a vocabulary for my own tastings.

I suggest taking a look at some of Michael Jackson's reviews, since they are the most concise and objective I've seen. I agree completely that poetry can take over in any kind of tasting (food, wine, whisky) and get a bit ridiculous. I'm probably guilty of this on occasion, since taste is so often linked to memory and emotion for me. Still, I try to keep the flowery language in check whenever I notice it getting out of hand.

I found Ralfy's masterclass video series helpful with regard to taking tasting notes. I recommend viewing Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.

Edit: I didn't see this mentioned elsewhere, but smoking can also really blunt a sense of smell. Likewise for drinking whisky in smoky surroundings.

First one is better, but I also picked up the classic Michael Jackson tome.

This book is what I would reccomend, as it remains one of the best on the subject

Ask for a bottle or two from each region/distillery,for research purposes.