The Mysterious Journey of Whisky

“It gives me great pleasure to write a short foreword for San, my good whisky friend. San

has such an unrivalled passion and interest in whisky, his enthusiasm is apparent as is his

kindness and genuine warmth. San has done a great deal to both educate, inspire and promote

whisky in his own country and indeed beyond it borders, so his publication on whisky coupled

with his own experience and journey are a must have read for both novice and experienced

whisky enthusiasts.”

Iain J McAlister. Master Distiller Of Glen Scotia Distillery, Campbeltown.

‘’Şan has almost a playful joy in his demeanor when he speaks of whiskey. It is as if he channels

centuries of whiskey makers when he dives in to his storytelling. As someone who devoted

my entire career to music I love how he weaves his passion of music into his descriptions.

He is one of a kind.’’

Richard Blackstone, CEO & Founder of Blackstone

Entertainment | Entrepreneur & Nurturer of Creative Talent.

‘’San has a fl air for conveying his deep reverence for Whisky to his audience through his

profound passion and infectious enthusiasm. I’m delighted to see his long-term love aff air is

now committed to paper in The Mysterious Journey of Whisky. Within these pages, readers

are not only educated but are also drawn into the San’s personal journey and historical and

cultural facets of whisky which will inspire them in their own whisky pilgrimage.’’

Selim Evin, Founder Of Chapter 7 Independent Bottler Company

The Turkish edition of The Mysterious Journey of Whisky was distinguished as the

“Best Whisky Book in the World” at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in 2024.

In these pages, readers will encounter not only the techniques and chemistry of whisky

production, but also the regions, styles, and cultural geographies of this most enigmatic

spirit. Whisky is examined through the prism of civilisational history, where newly unearthed

narratives and previously unseen documents reveal its profound entanglement with the

story of humankind itself.

From the earliest traces of fermented beverages to whisky’s intersections with epoch-

defi ning events—the founding of nations, the rise of modern science, and even humanity’s

ventures into space—this book follows an extraordinary journey. Along the way, it revisits

Arnaldus de Villa Nova’s Liber de Vinis, scrutinises the fi rst aqua vitae prescriptions, and

uncovers a novel sensory method whereby whisky tasting is interpreted through musical

phrasing.

Why did aqua vitae diff er from whisky? Why did whisky remain cloaked in exclusivity

for centuries? Such questions are pursued alongside a meditation on the very philosophy

of fl avour itself. Misconceptions—such as the oft-confused diff erence between “’peaty’’ and