Kings County Distillery Guide to Urban Moonshining

About five years ago my wife put her foot down and forbade me to cram any more books into my library, which was then besmirching its august paneled formality with about 500 books more than its 1,500 design capacity. Time for Kindle. But sometimes the subject is too basic or important to reside in cloudy obscurity, and I am driven to sneak a real one in. Such was the case here. Because my bar has a similar overcrowded dishevelment with its outrageous assortment of American whiskeys, the topic was too important to relegate ignominiously into an iPhone carried in my back pocket. Not that I actually drink very much, as a long history of severe migraines has forced a severe level of moderation, but there is something about exploring one of the complex scents of caramel with perhaps lilac or licorice and then letting it absorb through the tongue and mucosal lining of the mouth without having to swallow that produces a sensation that demands a top-shelf, flesh-and-blood copy of this book. I was not disappointed, and the book has delivered as much pleasure as the whiskey it extols. I solved the problem of the crowded library by giving my son-in-law some crystal brandy snifters and making room for the book in the bar. It does not have to be read linearly. Flip to the back and there are some great recipes - the reading of which is as enjoyable as the consumption should be. Elsewhere inside is a compendium of fascinating whiskey collections by famous distillers. There is a series of chapters describing the history of some of our great nation's foremost whiskey distillers. If you are inclined toward do-it-yourself projects, there are how-to chapters! Just open the book and read where ever you find yourself. If you are a beer drinker, forget this book. Scotch lovers will find limited pleasure, but for you Pappy fans, this is a must! And I join another reviewer who begged for canvas reproductions of some of the genealogical charts for framing.

I love this book and I'm less than 100 pages in! It contains a wealth of information about the whiskey and bourbon industry. The number of large conglomerates that make nearly all the whiskey produced in the USA is an eye opener. I am so much more knowledgeable about this subject now than I ever was before reading this book! I also recommend Dead Distillers by Kings County!

The book is well written, and goes into depth well beyond what the casual internet search would give you about distilling, moonshine, and whiskey in general. The first couple of sections on the history of whiskey in the US contain some interesting nuggets of information, but frankly they're a bit boring. The section about where and how various American whiskeys are made and why they taste the way they do is something everyone who drinks should read. The sections on distilling are very informative, but perhaps not as thorough as the title might suggest. All in all, a very good read, but especially for people who know nothing at all about distilling.

A great read even if you aren't going to make your own. Fun, informative, great for anybody interested in American whiskey in general, history, booze science, etc. Would make a great gift or coffee table book. Hard to put down, you'll probably plow through it in a day or two. That said, I used it for tips to help me make whiskey. And it was good.

While the directions for how to make moonshine are certainly interesting, it was the history of whiskey and it's many facets that really make this book shine. Definitely put a damper on my eagerness to round up a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle, while at the same time making me want to try out many more cost effective whiskeys and bourbons that I had previously not heard of. Oh, and it'll make you start investigating in much more detail what it takes to get a distillers license....

If you're considering buying this book, stop thinking and pull the trigger. I know two other distillers who have built complete distilleries using only this book as a guide. It doesn't have EVERYTHING, but it has enough information to teach how to make whiskey. Very simple. Very straightforward. Step by step.

I really enjoyed this book and burned through it in about 2 days. I learned quite a bit about the various brands of whiskey and the laws surrounding how it is named, etc. My only complaint is that the book is titled "Guide to Urban Moonshining" and only spends one chapter on the subject. There are definitely other resources that offer more information on the subject if that is your goal in learning how. That beings said, the book was a fun read and inspired me to visit my local state store to pick up a bottle of Elijah Craig. I suggest picking up a bottle to sip on while you read this book.

I've been a bourbon aficionado for many years and this might be the best run down on the history a current state of the whiskey industry. I do agree with M.Freeman's review in that I too was expecting more on the how to of making your own moonshine but based on how much I enjoyed this book I just could not mark it down. I've already began giving copies of this book to friends who I can enjoy a good glass of whiskey with.