I know Christmas is coming but…

At this time of year, the books start thudding in. This week I got the third tome from whisky man, Dominic Roskrow. Boy, has Dom been a busy boy. The latest is ‘The World’s Best Whiskies – 750 Unmissable Drams from Tain to Tokyo’, published by Jacqui Small, price: £20.

This follows pretty hot of the heels of ‘Whisky Opus – The Definitive 21st Century Reference to the World’s Greatest Distilleries & Their Whiskies’, by friend Roskrow and other Drinks International contributor Gavin D Smith, published by DK, price: £30. And it wasn’t that long ago my desk resounded to the delivery of ‘1001 Whiskies You Must Try Before You Die’, by Quintessence Books, £20.

These are all excellent books, as you would expect from Roskrow who is an experienced journalist who has turned his hand and pen to specialising in whisky.

As to which I would recommend, it would be between the latest, The World’s Best and Whisky Opus.  The former is smaller with soft covers and has a more modern feel about it. Whereas Whisky Opus is hard cover, larger and by it’s very nature probably more comprehensive. If occasion reading is a decider: World’s Best, you can comfortably flick through in bed while Opus is definitely more for the coffee table.

Next book? Britain’s Lost Breweries and Beers by Chris Arnot, published by Aurum, price: £25. For anyone interested in the history of British brewing and what happened to it, it looks a good read.