Whisky Island A portrait of Islay and its whiskies

Reissue of a wonderfully evocative book that reflects a place and a taste never to be forgotten once sampled: the perfect book to curl up with in front of the fire.

Whisky Island is a reissue of the celebrated classic Peat, Smoke and Spirit, with a foreword by acclaimed author and whisky expert Dave Broom.

'This is not simply an appreciation of whisky, but a voyage into the history and geography of a tiny Scottish island' Daily Mail

'If ever there was a book to read on a cold - possibly moonlit - night with a stiff dram beside you, then this is it. Irresistible.' Scotland on Sunday

With seven of the world's most beloved malt whisky distilleries on it shores, Islay is Scotland's leading whisky island. In this exquisitely written book, award-winning writer Andrew Jefford traces the changing fortunes and ultimate achievements of each of these distilleries.

Interweaving stories of the island, its landscapes, its wildlife and its inhabitants with his accounts of each distillery, Jefford creates a beautiful, reverent and richly-textured work that captures the essence of Whisky Island.

This is a reissue edition of the previously published title Peat Smoke and Spirit (9780747245780), published in 2005.

'This is not simply an appreciation of whisky, but a voyage into the history and geography of a tiny Scottish island' Daily Mail

Those who discover malt whisky quickly learn that the malts made on the Isle of Islay are some of the wildest and most characterful in the malt-whisky spectrum.

In Whisky Island, Islay's fascinating story is uncovered: from its history and stories of the many shipwrecks which litter its shores, to the beautiful wildlife, landscape and topography of the island revealed through intimate descriptions of the austerely beautiful and remote countryside. Interleaved through these different narrative strands comes the story of the whiskies themselves, traced from a distant past of bothies and illegal stills to present-day legality and prosperity. The flavour of each spirit is analysed and the differences between them teased out, as are the stories of the notable men and women who have played such a integral part in their creation.