BOURBON: What the Educated Drinker Should Know

Being primarily a scotch drinker, I have several books on scotch, but until now, not one on Bourbon. Dr. Berra's book is just fantastic; better than my three scotch books put together. It is highly informative, very easy to read, clear, precise, and it has excellent illustrations. The introduction provides excellent definitions of the different kinds of spirits, and the distinctions between the different kinds of whisky (including the different spellings of the word, i.e. whisky vs whiskey). The book includes chapters on the history of bourbon, how bourbon and bourbon barrels are made, how bourbon is bottled and aged, and excellent sections on distilleries and references.Like myself, Dr. Berra is an ichthyologist by profession, and like me he spent his entire career explaining complex biological subjects to university students. Furthermore, Dr. Berra is the author of eight books and over 85 scientific papers; he is a true scholar with abundant writing experience.This book apparently evolved from a PowerPoint presentation Dr. Berra had developed on bourbon. Having used the same techniques in my lectures, I am especially enamored with how well it works in this book. Again, it makes it very easy reading and highly entertaining and informative resource.It is with great enthusiasm that I give this book my highest recommendation.

If you are caught between a Google search (not quite adequate) and scholarly research (TMI), like I often am, Tim Berra's book, Bourbon, is the perfect serving - two fingers neat. Given the subtitle, "What the EDUCATED Drinker Should Know," this is not "Bourbon for Dummies." It is a concise, step by step, presentation of the who, what, why, and how of bourbon. The 82, two-page layouts, Berra refers to as "Batches" cover the definition, history, distilling processes, major brands, the emerging micro distillery movement, and even tips on tastings. Each "Batch" is presented in precise bullet points, enhanced by beautiful photography, diagrams, and charts. The back third of the book contains additional details on each "Batch," for those wanting to go deeper. All information is well documented and referenced (Dr. Berra is a scholar), so the reader can go whole oak barrel, if desired.I was privileged to attend a tour and tasting at Dr. Berra's home, and can confirm that the knowledge, skill, and charm captured in Bourbon, What the Educated Drinker Should Know, is indeed genuine.

This is very informative and fun to read.

I don’t care how much you know about bourbon. This book is beautifully done, it’s a great foundational book for the bourbon lover, augmented by the very substantive notes at the end of the book. LOVED it. Read it twice and will read it again.

Very informative. Not a written narrative but a PowerPoint presentation translated into a book. Great photos.

Loved the way this was written. Important points were bulleted. Easy to follow with a lot of interesting information.

Great coffee table book. Full of wonderful information!

Very simple to the newby to boubon. Will take on my tour.

Ein super Buch zu Bourbon. Viele Fakten und Bilder, ohne lange Texte.