High Spirits: A Celebration of Scotch, Bourbon, Cognac, and More

Rating:
Summary: Whiskey... and some other spirits too
Review: A lovely cover, interesting (albeit cliche) anecdotes, and a blatant bias toward whiskys and industry leaders (sponsors?)combine to make this one of the least interesting options to the person looking for a comprehensive guide to spirits. One rather obvious example: when ranking a list of over 70 rums from almost 20 different regional sources somehow every single rum from Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands was listed as "superior". Considering that Bacardi was included in the list as one of these exceptional nectars one must raise a skeptical eye. 88 of the just over 200 pages are devoted to whisky making all of the other "high spirits" seem little more than an afterthought.

Rating:
Summary: Terrific book!
Review: After reading the Cigar book.....Kevin Gordon is the finest illustrator in the biz.

Rating:
Summary: Whiskey... and some other spirits too
Review: This book is a great book to learn the lore of the different classes of spirits. Mr. Jeffers covers all of the spirits in the title and also has chapters on Rum, Gin, Tequila, Vodka and Liqueurs. This book really helped me understand the differences between the spirits and gave me an appreciation for spirits other than Whisk(e)y and Rum. Mr. Jeffers recommends what a well stocked bar should have. He also offers ratings of many brands of spirits in each classes. His ratings are limited to three levels, though. In the section on liqueurs, he discusses the great varieties of them and explains many of the differences. He explains that Cognac and Armagnac are Brandies distilled in specific regions of France. This book also has some color pictures of the different spirits and their advertising. An excellent book for someone who wants to appreciate fine spirits.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book to Appreciate Fine Spirits
Review: This book is a great book to learn the lore of the different classes of spirits. Mr. Jeffers covers all of the spirits in the title and also has chapters on Rum, Gin, Tequila, Vodka and Liqueurs. This book really helped me understand the differences between the spirits and gave me an appreciation for spirits other than Whisk(e)y and Rum. Mr. Jeffers recommends what a well stocked bar should have. He also offers ratings of many brands of spirits in each classes. His ratings are limited to three levels, though. In the section on liqueurs, he discusses the great varieties of them and explains many of the differences. He explains that Cognac and Armagnac are Brandies distilled in specific regions of France. This book also has some color pictures of the different spirits and their advertising. An excellent book for someone who wants to appreciate fine spirits.