The Bourbon Companion: A Connoisseur's Guide

The Regans are seasoned and trustworthy spirits enthusiasts, and I have learned much from their friendly, thorough, and lore-packed books. Compared to The Book of Bourbon, Companion is a smaller, more compact guide that can be conveniently carried into a liquor store to remedy the indecision that inevitably strikes when one is faced with a wall of tantalizing American whiskeys. Helpfully, the Regans list a comprehensive guide to bottlings in purely alphabetical order and give tasting notes and ratings (summarized on a page or two at the end of that section for easy reference). They include the newest bottlings on the market and give inside gossip on upcoming new entries. The Regans also make sense of confusing bourbon terms and provide a brief history of the bourbon industry. They make it easy to understand why Americans should be proud to claim this superior spirit as their own. For a more leisurely read and amazing recipes, get their Book of Bourbon, but for a run to the local spirits store, The Bourbon Companion is all you need.