Paul was chatting to Ian Buxton for Angels Whisky Club.

A Taste of Liquid Treasures

101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die; A fun and accessible guide to completing an education in whisky from a man who knows his whisky. Avoiding the deliberately obscure, the ridiculously limited, and the absurdly expensive, whisky expert Ian Buxton has scoured the shelves of the world’s whisky warehouses to recommend an eclectic selection of old favourites, newcomers, and mystifyingly unknown drams that simply have to be drunk. This witty, focused, and practical guide is not an awards list or a list of the 101 “Best” whiskies in the world in the opinion of some self-appointed whisky guru. It’s simply a guide to 101 whiskies that enthusiasts really must seek out and try—love them or hate them—to complete their whisky education. What’s more, it’s both practical and realistic as it cuts through the clutter, decodes the marketing hype, and gets straight to the point; whether from India or America, Sweden or Ireland, Japan or the hills, glens, and islands of Scotland—here are the 101 whiskies that every whisky enthusiast needs to try. Sláinte!

Ian is a former Marketing Director of Glenmorangie and has worked in the industry for more than 20 years. He was elected a Keeper of the Quaich in 1991, the highest honour of the Scotch whisky industry, and is a member of the international tasting panel for the annual World Whisky Awards and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Distillers. He writes regular columns for Whisky Magazine and has contributed to its sister title Scotland.  In addition, he writes for The Malt Whisky Yearbook, The Tasting Panel, WhiskyEtc, Whisky Advocate, 100 Points by Robert Parker; RiddleMagazine.com and elsewhere.  He has presented on the web based channel www.singlemalt.tv and at a number of tasting events. He advised the SWA and the National Archives of Scotland on the 2009 Homecoming exhibition Whisky and the Scots for which he also wrote the accompanying monograph.

His 101 Whiskies series (there are three of them now) have proved to be best-sellers with multiple reprints and foreign editions.  The latest, 101 Legendary Whiskies is already proving very popular, with the second printing now in shops.

Q; Ian; with so many whisky books out there in the marketplace, can I ask, what drives you on to write another book, where does your inspiration come from?

A; A pressing need to put food on the table and the bank off my back!

Q; I know you also contribute to The Malt Whisky Yearbook, I met Ingvar in Helsinki early this year at a whisky festival, a really nice fella, in fact he is bringing a few friends on tour here next year, we are taking care of him. How well do you know him and when did you start to contribute?

A; I have been writing for the Yearbook since its second issue (I think). Ingvar is, as you say, a delightful chap; it’s a pleasure to write for the Yearbook, not least because the format allows for longer and more thoughtful articles.

Q; Talking of whisky authors, you MUST know our whisky club Patron, Charlie Maclean (we like to keep things in the family!).

A; Charlie and I have been friends for longer than I care to remember, dating back to when I lived in Edinburgh.   We meet up from time to time to share news and views and that’s always a pleasure.

Q; Most whisky authors will upgrade their book, revise the following year and so on, do you do the same?

A; If the publisher agrees, and the demand is there, then yes. Some of my books e.g. corporate histories for Dewar’s, Glenfarclas, Glenglassaugh and so on, don’t date so fast but the initial 101 Whiskies has been revised once already and may need further revision in 2015.

Q; Do you find the whisky industry is moving on with progress or has it stumbled recently?

A; It’s in pretty good shape overall I think, with record levels of investment and new consumers entering the market. The recent drop in Scotch exports (-11% Jan-June 2014) is a worry though and the increases in prices seems troubling.

Q; What first got you interested in whisky?

A; I was working in London in the brewing industry but wanted to return to Scotland. I got a job with a whisky company – and the rest is history!

Q; Do you have any thoughts about finishing? Port, Sherry etc.

A; I actually developed the prototype product that became Glenmorangie Port Finish (the first one) so I was in on the ground floor! Done with care it’s a great way to show new aspects of distillery and spirit character. Done wrong, it’s a gimmick. But most people do it well.

Q; Here’s one to test your mind; what would happen if, for example, a distillery used beech or larch in place of oak casks?

A; Well, legally, it couldn’t be called ‘Scotch Whisky’. But custom and practice shows oak to be the best wood for casks. I guess it might make for an interesting, off-beat experiment – just for curiosity’s sake though.

Q; Weird question time; if Aliens came and took ALL our whisky in the world, what would you then do with your time?

A; Hunt down the little critters and show them no mercy.

Q; Do you have plans for the next book already in mind?

A; Indeed. A corporate history of Morrison Bowmore should be out just before Christmas and looks stunning. Then I am working on a book about gin right now.

Q; The 101 whiskies aforementioned; did you sample every one?

A; I might have tried 102. One has to be selective and some whiskies just didn’t make the cut.

Q; Apart from being immersed in distilleries and the trade, what are your outside interests?

A; I collect books (mainly about distilling I must admit); get to the theatre and opera as often as possible and have been seen in Ronnie Scott’s enjoying gigs there.

Q; A winter night in Scotland, it’s snowing and cold enough to scare monkey’s, it’s 9pm and you are sitting in front of the fire, what dram do you have?

A; Very kind of you to offer. I’ll have a Dalmore Trinitas please.  Oh, you mean I’m buying – well, you can seldom go wrong with a nice old Glenfarclas or Highland Park. And I’m getting more and more excited about some US rye whiskies (sorry) and various new world whiskies are there to explore. And then there’s the exploding Irish scene… Life is short; not enough wild, snowy nights to drink all the great drams out there.  Slainte!

Paul is owner of http://www.angelswhiskyclub.com/   http://www.whiskytourscotland.com/  http://www.mcleanscotland.com/