Colin Scott, master blender at Chivas Brothers, noses a sample. A Samaroli independent bottling of whisky from Chivas Brothers' Strathisla Distillery, made in 1967, is among the "impossible" whiskies in the new book by Clay Risen. (Photo by Brian Harris/Alamy)
Take a Deep Dive Into the World's Rarest Whiskies With This Pricey New Book
October 14, 2020 –––––– Zak Kostro
If you're a bookish type with $1,000 to burn—and for some reason don't want to spend it on whisky—consider using it for an insightful, passionate exploration of some of the world's rarest bottles. Spirits writer Clay Risen's “The Impossible Collection of Whiskey: The 100 Most Exceptional and Collectible Bottles,” just released by New York-based luxury lifestyle publisher Assouline as part of its Fall 2020 “Ultimate” series, offers a tour of some of the world's most famed distilleries—and their most coveted whiskies. “Do you remember the first time you tasted whiskey?” Risen asks. “The first time you tasted good whiskey? And what about the first time you tasted whiskey so good, so utterly transporting, that you could have sworn you weren't drinking whiskey at all, but some sort of heavenly nectar? …Perhaps you've been lucky enough to taste great whiskey, and luckier still to know it was great—to appreciate its complexity and sublimity. If you have—or hope to someday—then this book is for you.”
From scotch to bourbon and beyond, Risen—deputy op-ed editor at The New York Times, and the author of “Single Malt: A Guide to the Whiskies of Scotland” and “American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye”—cherry-picks 100 whiskies from both major producers and trailblazing craft distillers across the globe, based not only on flavor but also rarity, age, and innovation. The most prized bottles from the leading distilleries of Scotland, Ireland, Japan, Canada, and the U.S. are showcased alongside those of lesser-known whisky-producing countries such as the Czech Republic and India. Think Black Bowmore First Edition, Midleton Very Rare 45 year old, Yamazaki 1984, J.P. Wiser's 35 year old, and the original Black Maple Hill bourbon, along with Hammerhead 30 year old and Amrut Greedy Angels 12 year old.Risen also unpacks the history of whisky, while documenting his own infatuation with the spirit, from a seminal moment sipping Blanton's single barrel with his grandfather, to tasting 50 year old Glenfiddich and very old Old Overholt, distilled in the early 1900s, when the distillery was owned by banking tycoon Andrew Mellon. “The whiskey itself is good—very good, even better than I'd expected,” Risen recalls. “But the real joy is in the opportunity to literally consume history.” Arresting photographs of some of the most famous bottles—such as Macallan Fine & Rare 60 year old, distilled in 1926, which set a new world record when it sold for $1.9 million in a 2019 auction held by Sotheby's—as well as historical advertisements and old bottle labels bring Risen's ode to whisky to life, and make this a great book for your coffee—er, whisky—table.
Photos of rare whisky and aspirational collections, like the cupboards at London's Black Rock Bar, add dimension to Risen's writing.
From scotch to bourbon and beyond, Risen—deputy op-ed editor at The New York Times, and the author of “Single Malt: A Guide to the Whiskies of Scotland” and “American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye”—cherry-picks 100 whiskies from both major producers and trailblazing craft distillers across the globe, based not only on flavor but also rarity, age, and innovation. The most prized bottles from the leading distilleries of Scotland, Ireland, Japan, Canada, and the U.S. are showcased alongside those of lesser-known whisky-producing countries such as the Czech Republic and India. Think Black Bowmore First Edition, Midleton Very Rare 45 year old, Yamazaki 1984, J.P. Wiser's 35 year old, and the original Black Maple Hill bourbon, along with Hammerhead 30 year old and Amrut Greedy Angels 12 year old.Risen also unpacks the history of whisky, while documenting his own infatuation with the spirit, from a seminal moment sipping Blanton's single barrel with his grandfather, to tasting 50 year old Glenfiddich and very old Old Overholt, distilled in the early 1900s, when the distillery was owned by banking tycoon Andrew Mellon. “The whiskey itself is good—very good, even better than I'd expected,” Risen recalls. “But the real joy is in the opportunity to literally consume history.” Arresting photographs of some of the most famous bottles—such as Macallan Fine & Rare 60 year old, distilled in 1926, which set a new world record when it sold for $1.9 million in a 2019 auction held by Sotheby's—as well as historical advertisements and old bottle labels bring Risen's ode to whisky to life, and make this a great book for your coffee—er, whisky—table. Photos of rare whisky and aspirational collections, like the cupboards at London's Black Rock Bar, add dimension to Risen's writing.
