The Highland Herald is the most popular whiskey magazine in the German language. I was very thrilled that they would review The Spirit of Rye and my other books. A huge compliment and I am humbled.
The Highland Herald
Carlo DeVito On Bourbon and Rye
Anyone who wanted to buy rye whiskey in this country 25 years ago was lucky to snag a bottle of Jim beam or Wild Turkey. Meanwhile that has changed, and how! Like bourbon before it, rye has made a glorious comeback. Now the first book on the subject has appeared. A truly voluminous tome, and were the subject not so worldly, one could speak of the Bible of rye whiskeys. The author is Carlo de Vito, no stranger in the whisk(e)y world. He has been publishing on the subject for more than 20 years.
And with his new work, de Vido has set the bar high. At 653 large-format pages, the author gives us a treasure-chest of knowledge. All 50 US States are covered, as well as Canada--over 400 whiskeys all told, and that is just the author's selection. The visual presentation of the book is likewise outstanding: full-page color photos on the right at the start of each chapter, inset photos of bottles, as well as portraits of people on colored backgrounds.
The beginnings of Rye Whiskey
Rye wheat originally came to Rome via Turkey, then to the British Isles and finally to the New Yorld. There it was processed into flour, beer and spirits. Rye whiskey existed in the USA long before bourbon. The first recording of it was made by William Kleft, director of the Dutch colony New Amsterdam, today known as New York. In 1640 he (caused? allowed?) rye whiskey to be produced. Grain from Holland and Germany was the first choice. Not only Scots and Irish, but also German and german-speaking Swiss brought Whiskey culture to America. Beam, Overhold (originally Oberholzer), Shenk (today Michter's) were just a few representatives. Rye was produced by farmers to keep extra grain from spoiling at the end of the season. Also, it took up less space and was lighter to transport. All would have continued in tranquility, if President Washington had not introduced the first Whisky tax in 1791. Ironically, he himself produced 11,000 gallons per year on his farm. He also knew very well that he would get into trouble on account of the tax. He misjudged only the scale of the trouble. In the end, he had to deploy 13,000 soldiers to quell the whiskey rebellion. And ever afterwards, collecting the tax was difficult.
Carlo DeVito's further whiskey books
De Vito can show us two more interesting and beautifully presented works on our subject. Let's begin with "The New Single Malt Whisky". He edited this book and also contributed several articles. He is joined by more than 40 authors. The selection of countries is impressive, in addition to the most talked-about classics: for example Belgium, Iceland, Norway, Poland, and the Czech republic.
So what is the new single malt? "First of all, it is single malt whiskey that could be produced anywhere in the world, not just in Scotland." Secondly, it is whiskey that prefers to stand on its own two feet rather than copy the big examples. But don't worry, scotland is not forgotten. De Vito even considers Balvenies Double Wood to be the first New Single Malt, and also today there are still many extremely innovative Scottish producers.
In the first chapter of Big Whiskey we read about bourbon and rye, among other things. The classic whiskey states Kentucky and Tennessee each get a chapter. All three volumes contain numerous boxes(?) with precise and entertaining information. Even those who know the material can still learn something or refresh their knowledge on subjects such as people. The "Secrets of Sipping" is a good example of this. Freddie Johnson (Buffalo Trace) tells us how he enjoys whisky at cask strength: First turn the bottle gently to stir up some sediment. Take a very very small bit of whisky, hold it on the tongue, then swish it back and forth...the rest can be found on page 60.
DeVito's productivity is admirable. Another recent book is called Drink The Northeast and covers wine, beer, spirits and cider in New England. All of these are drinks that the author has been dealing with since the late 1990s. He is also working on a book about the distillery scene in Tennessee.