Scotland’s leading whisky writer, Gavin D. Smith, spent two years talking to the true experts whose working lives have been devoted to whisky and whose cumulative knowledge and experience far exceeds that of even the greatest whisky writers. Warehousemen, mashmen, stillmen, coopers, coppersmiths, excisemen, managers, owners and even the occasional illicit distiller give us a unique insight into the changes in the whisky industry over the past half century or so. Illustrated with a wide range of photographs, some historical, some contemporary and many personal, their stories make fascinating reading which will appeal to all whisky aficionados.
Gavin D. Smith is a freelance journalist and author, specialising in writing about horse-racing, beer and whisky. He is editor of the consumer drinks magazine Fine Expressions and the author of more than a dozen books, including seven previous whisky-related titles.