Last Wednesday evening marked the Irish launch of "101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die" by whisky writer and author Ian Buxton. Appropriately, the event was at the store of wine merchant -- and Green Spot Irish whiskey purveyor --Mitchell & Sons in a mall at the International Financial Service Centre (IFSC) on the north side of the Liffey. The well-attended event included representatives from Irish Distillers (Jameson), Cooley, namely Cooley's affable Chairman John Teeling, the Irish Whiskey Society (both the Irish founders and the American chapter come to think of it) and the Mitchells themselves.



Ian has been in or around the whisk(e)y business for more than 20 years and lives in a former distillery in Pitlochry, Scotland. He's a delightful,down-to-earth guy whose approachable expertise is captured in his 224-page book. In fact, the simple enjoyment of whisk(e)y -- without the growing and burdensome whisky-geek seriousness that stands as a barrier to many people -- is the point. As he states in his introduction:

"It is not an awards list. It is not a list of the 101 'best' whiskies in the world. It is simply, as it says in the title, a guide to 101 whiskies that enthusiasts really should seek out and try -- love them or hate them -- to complete their whisky education. What's more, it's practical and realistic."

"Above all," he writes, "this book is about whiskies to drink, not collect."

The list is alphabetical with each entry showing a color picture of the bottle, naming the producer and distillery, whether the distillery has a visitor's center, its availability and a 1-5 color-coded price ranking. Each whiskey is described with history and sensible tasting notes. Notably, the end of each entry has an open line labeled, "Verdict" for you to record your own notes. And it is practical that, with a few exceptions, the whisk(e)ys are not so rare and dear as to be unobtainable.

The five Irish whiskeys on the list are, quite agreeably, Bushmill's 16-year-old, Green Spot, Jameson 18-year-old, Red Breast 12-year-old and The Tyrconnell Single Malt. I might include a few more such as Midleton VR but that's an appropriate quibble; a conversation about the selections is one of the goals of the book.

Ian's book also is an invitation -- an invitation to explore and enjoy the complexity and variety inherent in whisk(e)y. It's a must for the whisk(e)y enthusiast. But I'd also steer the whisk(e)y-curious or newbie to it. First, it is a terrific guide to the range of whisk(e)ys available. But even more, Ian's friendly and knowledgeable approach itself is part of the education, that whisk(e)y need not and should not be some hifalutin, exclusive activity. It's for the fun, the enjoyment, the company, the conversation and the sharing of good drink and good times. To use my mantra, it's all about the craic.

Highly recommended.