The Terroir of Whiskey, Rob Arnold
The Terroir of Whiskey, Rob Arnold
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The Terroir of Whiskey
A Distiller's Journey Into the Flavor of Place

Author: Rob Arnold

Narrator: John McLain

Unabridged: 11 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/16/2021

Categories: Nonfiction, Cooking


Synopsis

Look at the back label of a bottle of wine and you may well see a reference to its terroir, the total local environment of the vineyard that grew the grapes, from its soil to the climate. Winemakers universally accept that where a grape is grown influences its chemistry, which in turn changes the flavor of the wine. A detailed system has codified the idea that place matters to wine. So why don't we feel the same way about whiskey?

In this book, Rob Arnold reveals how innovative whiskey producers are recapturing a sense of place to create distinctive, nuanced flavors. He takes listeners on a world tour of whiskey and the science of flavor, stopping along the way at distilleries in Kentucky, New York, Texas, Ireland, and Scotland. Arnold puts the spotlight on a new generation of distillers, plant breeders, and local farmers who are bringing back long-forgotten grain flavors and creating new ones in pursuit of terroir. In the twentieth century, we inadvertently bred distinctive tastes out of grains in favor of high yields—but today's artisans have teamed up to remove themselves from the commodity grain system, resurrect heirloom cereals, bring new varieties to life, and recapture the flavors of specific local ingredients. The Terroir of Whiskey makes the scientific and cultural cases that terroir is as important in whiskey as it is in wine.

About Rob Arnold

Rob Arnold is the master distiller at the TX Whiskey distillery and a third-generation member of the whiskey industry. He is coauthor of Shots of Knowledge: The Science of Whiskey and is a PhD candidate in plant breeding and genetics at Texas A&M University.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Beth on October 22, 2020

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley. As a person who enjoys a good single malt on occasion, and who geeks out over foodie trivia and history, this book was very much my sort of thing. Rob Arnold is a master distiller for TX Whiskey who has in recent years researched ways and means t......more

Goodreads review by Danielle on January 11, 2021

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. As a WSET wine & spirits students, currently awaiting results for my Level 2 exams and working with spirits brands, namely whiskey, gin, and cognac, I was excited to read this book and his perspective having the experience o......more

Goodreads review by Tina on September 05, 2020

The Terroir of Whiskey is a fascinating read and perfect for any whiskey enthusiast or a novice looking to learn more. The book is filled with a wealth of information and discusses a side of whiskey most people attribute to merely a ”wine” thing. Rob Arnold breaks down the importance of terroir in w......more

Goodreads review by Mark on August 11, 2022

Rob Arnold take a scientific look at what exactly IS terroir, and how whiskey DOES have a terroir, in spite of decades of belief that it was a commodity product that couldn't reflect its various providences.......more

Goodreads review by Reuben on March 22, 2021

An interesting look at the effects of the place that the grain is grown has on the flavour of the whiskey. That being said I would only really recommend this to whiskey enthusiasts or people that are into distilling their own whiskey.......more