Press Release

Press Release

The Scottish Whisky Distilleries (2007 Edition)

By Misako Udo

Publication date: October 2006, Price £25, Hardback

This is the ultimate guide to Scottish whisky distilleries, painstakingly researched by Misako Udo – a vital accessory for any dedicated whisky lover. With nearly a hundred working whisky distilleries in Scotland – and hundreds more that have shut down and been lost over the long centuries of Scotland’s infatuation with uisge beatha – there’s a great deal of information to cover and The Scottish Whisky Distilleries is the most thorough and meticulous cataloguing of the whisky industry in Scotland that there has ever been. Each entry includes information on the distillery’s history, the type of whisky produced, the blends contributed to and the full range of single malts, information on washes, casks and full details of visiting hours and facilities. The Scottish love of whisky is well documented but it’s never been as well served.

This exhaustive directory of information is sure to quench the curiosity of the most insatiable whisky fan. The ideal companion to a round trip of Scotland as a whisky tourist or a night in as an armchair dram fan – The Scottish Whisky Distilleries is simply the most comprehensive book of its kind available and a must for any whisky connoisseur.

Misako Udo is an internationally recognised authority on Scottish whisky, giving lectures throughout the world. She was so smitten by the aura of Scotch whisky as a teenager in Japan that she travelled halfway round the world just to be close to its origin. She began to work as a tour guide and has now been a member of the Scottish Tourist Guides Association for fifteen years, guiding tourists as well as professionals.

Praise for The Scottish Whisky Distilleries

‘This is the first serious book on Scotch whisky written by a Japanese and the author is a lady! The book is an immaculate compilation of the "facts" about the Scotch malt distillery past and present. This is one of the whisky bibles all the whisky researchers, technologists, historians, writers and enthusiasts should consult for the distillery information in the first place. Ms. Udo, with her ever growing passion for Scotch whisky shall continue to update the log for years on and the book will eventually become an unequalled industrial record.’

Dr. Koichi Inatomi, Ex-Director and chief blender, Suntory Limited.

‘Who would have thought that the true successor of the legendary and very Victorian Alfred Barnhard, who toured and wrote about all Scottish distilleries more than one hundred years ago, would be an energetic and charming young Japanese woman? Indeed, when the first edition of Misako Udo’s jam-packed opus got published, the news spread like wildfire among all whisky aficionados around the world: it is definitely a must-have, much more than the usual coffee table book (sorry, whisky table book). Since I got my own copy, I open it at least once a week – every week – and always find what I am looking for, often much more.’

Serge Valentin, France, A member of Malt Maniacs

‘The most comprehensive book about the Scottish whisky distilleries’ technical datas and facts. These data will help hardheads like me to understand the characters of the individual houses. There is very useful information on the historical licensee change, but my personal favourites are the legends and ghost stories, which you can’t find in any other books.’

Ho-cheng Yao, Chairman of Taiwan Single Malt Association.

‘Misako Udo's The Scottish Whisky Distilleries is a fantastic achievement. Four-hundred- and-forty-seven pages of hard-core whisky research comprising an exhaustive list of active, closed, dismantled and lost distilleries. The amount of information that Misako has gathered is astounding and the mind boggling level of detail makes this a must-have book for anyone who works in the industry or for anyone who has a passion for learning about the distilleries. The Scottish Whisky Distilleries is absolutely the most referenced book in my library.

Kevin Erskine, author of The Instant Expert's Guide to Single Malt Scotch

‘Misako Udo's book is not just any whisky book. In fact, it is quite unique. If there is any detail on any Scottish malt distillery that you're looking for, it will be in there. Great research and a grand book for the maltheads of this world.

Pär Caldenby, author of Enjoying Malt Whisky