This book is a great read and contains a huge amount of useful information. I have really enjoyed reading all the history of Scotch whisky, the details of how it's been made and matured, and the nuances of they many aspects of Scotch.

I find that some of my very favorite single malts are not among those that Jackson rates most highly, but that doesn't make the book less useful to me for anything except for using the ratings as a guide when browsing the Scotch sections of my local stores. I can garner enough from his descriptions of the characteristics of the many rated Scotch whiskies to make good decisions in terms of trying bottlings that are new to me.

Great book--I can see that I will need to keep up with new editions going forward, so I can read about Jackson's take on the latest bottlings along my Scotch journey.

Each of Jackson's Guides to Single Malt have been extremely informative and useful as well as a good read.

Jackson approaches his subject with equal measures of knowledgeability and love--and both are abundantly reflected in this latest edition of a now standard guide. After perusing the work, I relinquished it for the purpose of my purchase: as a birthday gift for a good friend. He reports that he was in no way disappointed. I doubt that many readers would be.

He loves this book and refers to it often when he has purchased another different single malt scotch. Highly recommend.

One of the greatest books to read on the can. My only complaint is that Michael Jackson hasn't been drinking enough. There are still many single malts out there that aren't in the book. i.e. Glenlivet Nadurra 16, which is an absolute stunner. However, if you're just entering the world of single malts, this book is like having Sam Wise Gamji by your side to stop you from imbibing grocery store labeled alcohol.

I gave my husband this book for Christmas and he loves it. We are traveling to Scotland in August and he plans to be ready to search out the best whisky from the descriptions in the book.

I just started drinking Scotch about 3 years ago. This book is very useful I believe for anyone. You do need your own reference point because like me, you may not have the same taste in whisky as Mr. Jackson.(May he rest in peace). He seems to favor some of the more strongly peated whiskies. I do not, but his guide is still very useful to me. Also very eduational in general about Scotch whisky.

Saw a copy of this book at a friends house and knew instantly I had to buy one for my husband. He loves single malt, and has been totally engrossed in the book since it arrived. Will now buy several more copies for friends. A great gift for single malt drinkers

This is a good guide for anyone that's interested. It gives details about the flavors of each scotch and provides an overall score. Most useful are the tasting details. My husband, father, brother-in-law, are all scoth drinkers & this book has helped me pick out a great bottle of scotch more than once.

Great reference on Single Malt Scotch.Very readable,great notes on almost every Single Malt on the market.Saves you a lot of money in the long run and a interesting read.
If you agree with Michaels choices on things you have both had you can spend the money on that new bottle with confidence.

Michael Jackson's "Complete Guide To Single Malt Scotch" is an encyclopedic collection of scotch knowledge and reviews of the most common offerings from every one of the nearly hundred malt distilleries in Scotland.



The book starts off by offering a concise education about the origins of scotch, interpretation of scotch labels, flavors, regional variations and factors that influence the taste of scotch all distilled down to less than eighty pages with numerous color pictures.



After you read the first section you will have a some idea about the decisions that affect the taste of your scotch, for example you might be able to tell whether the dram in your glass was matured in bourbon cask or a sherry cask and make some educated guesses about the shape of the copper stills that the scotch was distilled in.



However the first section was just the warm up. The real meat of the book is the second section which is an exhaustive listing of the most common offerings from every one of Scotland's roughly hundred or so malt distilleries with reviews written in Michael Jackson's signature concise style and a ranking on a 100 point scale. If you're like me you'll find yourself reading the first section and then coming back to both sections periodically for quick reference on a particular distillery or region. The second section is more of a reference and not meant to be read linearly.



And now I come to what makes this book unique. Michael Jackson is almost pathologically consistent in his review ratings, more so than the other popular whisky reviewers e.g. Paul Pacult. Taste is highly personal and subjective so it is unlikely you will agree with any one reviewer's ratings 100% of the times however Michael Jackson is very consistent about the factors that he rates well. I found that he especially appreciates robust full bodied whiskies with complex taste with no big surprises i.e. the nose should be a fairly good indicator of what the whisky will deliver in the mouth. Predictability is a fine quality in a reviewer.



So while you may not always agree with him, reading his reviews and the ratings gives you a fairly good idea of what to expect from the whisky. This is what makes Michael Jackson such a great author. That and the encyclopedic listing of reviews makes this book a must buy for a scotch enthusiast like me.



Cons? Just a few. Like other Amazon reviewers have noted, he devotes an excessive amount of print to rare and expensive offerings that the average scotch drinker will never come across in his lifetime. Also his reviews are too concise. I would recommend getting this book for its unique merits but also looking into the writings of other scotch reviewers like F Paul Pacult, Jim Murray and Dave Broom who have a more engaging and conversational style of writing, and will help round out your scotch education.

Michael Jackson's "Complete Guide To Single Malt Scotch" is an encyclopedic collection of scotch knowledge and reviews of the most common offerings from every one of the nearly hundred malt distilleries in Scotland.

The book starts off by offering a concise education about the origins of scotch, interpretation of scotch labels, flavors, regional variations and factors that influence the taste of scotch all distilled down to less than eighty pages with numerous color pictures.

After you read the first section you will have a some idea about the decisions that affect the taste of your scotch, for example you might be able to tell whether the dram in your glass was matured in bourbon cask or a sherry cask and make some educated guesses about the shape of the copper stills that the scotch was distilled in.

However the first section was just the warm up. The real meat of the book is the second section which is an exhaustive listing of the most common offerings from every one of Scotland's roughly hundred or so malt distilleries with reviews written in Michael Jackson's signature concise style and a ranking on a 100 point scale. If you're like me you'll find yourself reading the first section and then coming back to both sections periodically for quick reference on a particular distillery or region. The second section is more of a reference and not meant to be read linearly.

And now I come to what makes this book unique. Michael Jackson is almost pathologically consistent in his review ratings, more so than the other popular whisky reviewers e.g. Paul Pacult. Taste is highly personal and subjective so it is unlikely you will agree with any one reviewer's ratings 100% of the times however Michael Jackson is very consistent about the factors that he rates well. I found that he especially appreciates robust full bodied whiskies with complex taste with no big surprises i.e. the nose should be a fairly good indicator of what the whisky will deliver in the mouth. Predictability is a fine quality in a reviewer.

So while you may not always agree with him, reading his reviews and the ratings gives you a fairly good idea of what to expect from the whisky. This is what makes Michael Jackson such a great author. That and the encyclopedic listing of reviews makes this book a must buy for a scotch enthusiast like me.

Cons? Just a few. Like other Amazon reviewers have noted, he devotes an excessive amount of print to rare and expensive offerings that the average scotch drinker will never come across in his lifetime. Also his reviews are too concise. I would recommend getting this book for its unique merits but also looking into the writings of other scotch reviewers like F Paul Pacult, Jim Murray and Dave Broom who have a more engaging and conversational style of writing, and will help round out your scotch education.

I bought this a few years ago coinciding with my introduction to whiskey (Balvenie Double Wood purchased at the Duty Free @ Gatwick). It was because of this book that I visited Scotland to delve into the mystery of Scotch Whiskey. I went to Glenfiddich, McCallum, and Abelour solely on Michael Jacksons' recommendations. I don't have the greatest pallet in the world but Jackson has been dead on for even a novice such as myself. I would have never picked up a Highland Park, Ardbeg, or Craigenmore if had not been for him.
Great book!

This was a gift for my husband and he has enjoyed the reviews immensely. He feels they are right on target and most informative.

This was a gift for my husband and he has enjoyed the reviews immensely. He feels they are right on target and most informative.

Excellent, comprehensive reference for anyone who enjoys single malt scotch whiskey.

The book is easy to read and was a great pairing idea with a bottle of scotch for a lucky recipient

The book is easy to read and was a great pairing idea with a bottle of scotch for a lucky recipient

We had an earlier edition of this great guide. Fun for tasting parties esp. when everyone brings a different bottle to try.

We had an earlier edition of this great guide. Fun for tasting parties esp. when everyone brings a different bottle to try.

The book was very informative and interesting. Descriptions of the whiskies I have tried seem spot on. I would definitely recommend this book.

"Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch" is a truly great reference for the connoisseur and novice alike. This 5th edition includes descriptions and scores for over 1,000 single malt Scotches, about 250 more than the previous edition. It is a handsome volume, well-organized and printed on slick high-quality paper. The book has an attractive, durable cover instead of a dust jacket.

The "Complete Guide"'s first 80 pages are dedicated to educating the reader about whiskies in general and single malt Scotches in particular. Ten chapters discuss a useful variety of topics: trends, origins, definitions of terms used in labeling, the influence of the terrain on flavor, the characteristics of various regions, the significance of age, the woods used in casks, and a list of the companies that own Scotch distilleries, with some explanation of their history. The chapter on Flavours is particularly interesting. Michael Jackson is a good writer. His explanations are clear without being dull, and they will leave few questions in the minds of readers who are new to Scotch whisky.

The core of the Guide is the "A-Z of Single Malts". Michael Jackson explains his scoring system and the components of his tasting notes: colour, nose, body, palate, and finish. Then he launches into descriptions of more than 1,000 Scotches produced by, I believe, over 90 distilleries. A few paragraphs explain a little bit about each distillery's history and unique characteristics. The Producer (owner), Region, District, and Address are listed for each distillery, as well as telephone, e-mail and web site where it is available. I found that the palate and finish descriptions took some getting used to before I was able to reconcile Jackson's description to how the malt really tastes. He has a sensitive palate, which has become, or always was, keen to certain nuances. I'm sure everyone is different in that sense, but I picked up on his meaning after a while. His attempts to describe all aspects of the sensory experience unique to each whisky are most helpful and impressive. It is a pleasure to browse his descriptions. The book's single imperfection is the absence of pronunciation guides. The pronunciations of some distillery names are mysterious to those unaccustomed to hearing Scottish words.

In the last pages of the "Complete Guide', Jackson gives us some general information on whiskies from Ireland, the United States, Japan, Asia, and continental Europe. There are also brief descriptions of some vatted malts and Jackson's recommendations for how best to enjoy whisky.

This guide to single malts is being continually revised and is the best of its kind. Mr. Jackson is always expanding his range of whiskies, even to include those made beyond Scotland. He provides an valuable index to the best brands and give you a short history of the distilleries. I've used this guide to help me enlarge my taste for single malts, which now includes a pretty fair sampling. I find myself repeatedly drawn to the 10 year-old Laphroaig, which proves as Mr. Jackson notes, that age is not always the best indicator of a great whiskey. Location has a lot to do with it, as this Islay whiskey seems to have a flavor all its own. He also notes the various blends, and which malts they use as their base. You'll be surprised to find that the more popular brands are not necessarily the best brands, as White Horse uses another Islay malt, Lagavulin, as its base. If you are new to single malts, this book will help you get started. The only limit is the your pocket book, as these whiskeys don't come cheap.

The discovery by Americans of single-malt whisky back in the 80's and 90's was one of the most interesting stories in the food and beverage market ever. This event by itself probably prevented a number of distilleries from closing, and several, such as the great Ardbeg, which had been moth-balled, were perhaps reopened as a result.

Some great but lesser known malts, like Edradour, found new appreciation for their tiny output abroad. Edradour, for example, produces less in a year than some distilleries do in a week, like Tomatin (the Edradour distillery only has 3 employees and only makes 2 barrels a week). Others, such as the Islays like Lagavulin, Laphroaig, and Bowmore, and even the oddly dual-natured Caol Isla, with its both sweetish and phenolic character, were already known in Scotland but garnered new fans here in America. As in Scotland, the Islays are not to everybody's taste, but I know people here who will hardly touch a drop of anything else--an amazing testament to the enthusiasm that has developed in America even for the stronger and more exotic malts. And probably no book did more to make that happen than Jackson's great little books on single-malt scotch.

On a personal note, sometimes even the Scots themselves failed to appreciate how far American sensibilities had come with respect to single malts. I had the experience 20 years ago, when still a young man, of sitting in a bar at the south end of Loch Lommond, and having a well-meaning bartender refuse to serve me some Laphroaig. He insisted on giving me Royal Brackla from an old bottle, itself a great malt. But he thought this young American didn't know what he was asking for, and I think he was worried he might do in a perfectly good, paying customer with a draught of the pungent, phenolic, peaty, and iodine-tasking Laphroaig.

These books taught me a lot and I have all 3 editions. They're great for learning to appreciate the particular aspects and flavors of a malt, and as I've been tasting single-malts for 20 years, I've found Mr. Jackson's descriptions to be very accurate and informative. In many cases, after learning from his description, I was able to go on and detect things that weren't even in the book--a great testament to his skill as a teacher and writer. Without his guidance, I wouldn't have been able to educate my sense of taste nearly as expertly.

There is no better way to learn about single malts than to take samples of several malts and then taste and compare them using this book. After you're tasted a couple of dozen malts you should be able to get a good sense of what's going on and be able to go on from there.

A good way to do this is to pick a couple of classic malts from each category, say a couple of lowlands, a couple of highlands or Speysides, and a couple of Islays, and taste them alongside each other with this book. Some of the malts are just so unique or special that they deserve tasting by themselves--as in the case of Clynelish and Highland Park, or Caol Isla and Talisker, or the often overlooked but wonderful lowland malt, Littlemill, with its sweet cocoanut, English toffee, and creme de caramel flavors.

Well, I could go on for a while about interesting things to do for tastings, but I will leave the rest of that to you, hopefully by way of this book, except for one last recommendation. The great Victorian connoisseur and single-malt scotch authority Professor Shaftsbury considered mixing together some Clynelish and Longmorn to be possibly the greatest drink in the world. So you might give it a try sometime and see what you think. Good luck and happy tasting!

This guide is to Scotch what Wine Spectator is to wine and Cigar Aficionado is to cigars. Complete with introductory chapters on the making of Scotch whisky, detailed entries with ratings and tasting notes, and advice on proper Scotch appreciation, this book is a necessary addition to the library of any person serious about Scotch whisky. Though the reader may not personally agree with Jackson's preference for peatier malts (I personally like them myself), s/he will still find enough fairness in the narrative reviews to make a proper decision on whether a bottle is worth buying. Don't taste a dram without consulting this book!

I consider myself an above-average (although by no means an expert) fan of Scottish single malts, and I own several books on the subject. I find "Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch" to be the most comprehensive, intelligible and above-all useful book in my whisky library.

While no book can take the place of sitting down and doing some tastings, buying whisky by the glass for tasting can be prohibitively expensive. If you are buying by the bottle, it becomes an even greater investment, and figuring out your individual tastes will be a considerable investment. Michael Jackson's guide goes a long way in the selection process, leading you to the whiskys most likely to meet your pallet. Each whisky is outlined, explained and graded. It will at least give you an idea of what to expect when approaching an unfamiliar label.

This book definitely falls into the "If you only own one book about single malt..." category.

As a novice Scotch drinker, I often found myself in the local liquor store standing in front of the whisky displays feeling a little like Sir Edmund Hillary before Everest- wondering just where to start. Scotch, like wine or music, is an incredibly personal thing, and there are numerous brands to appeal to a wide array of palates. By my ignorance hasn't cost me, because I tend to buy what I already know I like rather than risk forty of fifty dollars on a malt that I won't like. So, rather than risk money on a malt that will just sit on the shelf, I tend to only buy various Glenmorragie, Glenfiddich, etc. In restaurants I always seem to be stuck with the 12 year old Glenlivet, since liquor barons Seagrams seems to have control of every restaurant's alcohol supply. And while on a day trip to Stillwater, Minnesota we ate a restaurant that had an impressive list of Scotches, (I consider any more than 3 or 4 types impressive), and I tried a 15 year old Glenkeith that amazed me.

It finally dawned on me that after nearly a year of conservative tasting, i.e. not going beyond what I have listed above, that perhaps I need an expert opinion. Michael Jackson's "Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotches" seems to fit the bill nicely. Inside are personal reviews of over 800 Scotches from Scotland and Ireland, plus a brief history of Scotch is discussed. To my chagrin, Jackson seems to have taste for peatier Islay malts like Laphroaig and Talisker, malts that I have yet to mature enough to enjoy. He does give high marks to what I already drink, with the Glenmorangies scoring in the 80's on a scale of 100. The Scotches he seems to most enjoy are those bottled by the MaCallan in the Speyside region. And again the MaCallan's seem to have an abundance of peat.

Overall, though, the book is marvelous. Well illustrated with clear photographs of lables to give a reader some idea of what they can look for in a store when making a purchase. His descriptions of Nose, Body, Palate and Finish are clear and concise enough that even a novice drinker like me can understand the meanings, especially when it came to what I already drink. Scotch seems to have become trendy again, and I'd like to think that I am not following that trend, because as so many people have told me, drink what I like rather than what everyone else tells you to. So I plan to start experimenting, with the "Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotches", I have a better direction. And maybe in time I will come to like Islay malts. Time will tell.

This is one of two "must own" books for serious Malt Whisky drinkers. It contains the most comprehensive list of Single Malt Scotch Whisky available. For each, Mr Jackson provides a history of the distillery, his ranking (1-100 points) and (most valuable) detailed tasting notes on each. Michael Jackson is perhaps the most highly respected figure in Scotch Malt Whisky tasting. Photographs of the labels are provided for many selections. If you love the variety and expirience of sampling Single Malt Scotch Whisky, buy this book.

This is the "Bible" of single malt scotch. You are not a scotch drinker if you don't own this book. A Masterpiece!