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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
The history of bourbon as told through the lens of U.S history. That's about the first 2/3 of the book. The last 1/3 covers contemporary whiskey and bourbon industry.
There are good stories and plenty of trivia. All the company name changes can get confusing.
There are good stories and plenty of trivia. All the company name changes can get confusing.
If I think a book is worth lower than three stars I won't finish it. This gets three stars because I did finish it -- something I'm not sure the editor can say, as the last third of the book is repetitive, unfocused and riddled with cliches. (Can you compare the history of the bourbon industry to a battle between Jeffersonian and Hamiltonian ideals? Sure, but you don't need to do it over a dozen times.) The last chapters seem to exist just so Mitenbuler can bash new distillers (and new bourbon drinkers) for basically the same behavior that distillers and drinkers have engaged in for the last 200 years. (It's hard not to suspect that the distinction between innovative new techniques and gimmicks is whether the author personally likes the results or not.)
The first two-thirds of the book couldn't also have used some trimming, but at least the story there is told in a more straightforward manner. That is, if you don't get lost in the endless names of distillers, brands and holding companies, and the ever-changing relationships among the three. Mitenbuler has clearly done a ton of research for this book, but not all of that research needs to make it on the page. At about half it's actual length, I'd recommend this to anyone interested in bourbon. At it's current length, it's only for obsessives.
The first two-thirds of the book couldn't also have used some trimming, but at least the story there is told in a more straightforward manner. That is, if you don't get lost in the endless names of distillers, brands and holding companies, and the ever-changing relationships among the three. Mitenbuler has clearly done a ton of research for this book, but not all of that research needs to make it on the page. At about half it's actual length, I'd recommend this to anyone interested in bourbon. At it's current length, it's only for obsessives.