Distilleries of Campbeltown - David Stirk

[Mickeman]

Anyone who knows if this book has come out yet (or when it will get published) and where to buy it online?

Also have anyone read it or seen a review?

[SpiritofShetland]

According to Amazon it came out 30th April this year.

David Stirk - The Distilleries of Campeltown

[Mickeman]

"usually dispatched within 4 to 6 weeks. " at amazon.co.uk isn't this kind of long time?

Anyone knows if Amazon always has the books they claim the have?

[Deactivated Member]

That lag time suggests that they don't actually have it in stock, but have arrangements to get it. Occasionally it will turn out the book is not available after all, but that shouldn't be the case with a fairly new book.

("Lag time"? I thought this book was about Campbeltown!)

[Lawrence]

I've come across that lag time on amazon before, sometimes they are just hopeless and other times they are bang on.

[dstirk]

The book is being dispatched to retailers this week so should be available in the next few days. Fastest way to get it:

http://www.nwp.co.uk

Hope you enjoy it!

Regards,

David

[Mr Fjeld]

I'll buy it! I greatly enjoyed "Peat,Smoke & Spirit" by A. Jefford and learned that whisky history is indeed interesting.
I'd love to read "The Distilleries of Campeltown" !
Can we hope for chapters on the history of the area of Campbelltown and not only a "necrology" of the various distilleries?

Skål!
Christian

[Mickeman]

The book is being dispatched to retailers this week so should be available in the next few days. Fastest way to get it:

http://www.nwp.co.uk

Hope you enjoy it!

Regards,

David

Hi David!

Good to see that you keep your ear to the ground (screen in this case )

So it's not true what Amazon states that it was published in April this year?

The online bookstore in Sweden that I usually use states that the publisher is:
Neil Wilson Publishing and not The Angels' Share.

Are they wrong?

We actually met at Stockholm Beer & Whisky 2003 when you where working for Douglas Lang. Will you maby attend this year to promote your book?

Best regards

/

[dstirk]

Well, it has finally arrived. Must admit, I never thought I would write a history book.

To order copies visit http://www.nwp.co.uk and click on the 'Angel's Share' link.

Hope you enjoy it!

Regards,

David

[Frodo]

I'm looking forward to some reviews on this thread. Looks like an interesting subject. But I think posters know about me and my insistance on getting value for $$ ( ).

Frodo

[Lawrence]

It's listed on the NWP site as not being available until September 2nd.

[Mickeman]

Just ordered this one but wont recieve it until the end of this month.

Anyone read it?

[Lawrence]

I ordered mine from NWP and it arrived September 7th, it only took 7 days from Scotland to Canada and the shipping was only GBP4.90 and no VAT!

I've started reading it and it's interesting so far.

[Frodo]

So Lawrence. What do you think of it? I tried to get it from a bookstore, may have to go to another one. I would like a reveiw from someone who read the thing before I fork out...

[Lawrence]

Hi Frodo, it's been a good read so far and I read it on the airplane going to Paris but have not had a chance since my return. It's on my bed side along with Paul Pacults book and a couple of others

I just have not had the time, but will post when I've finished it.

[WestVanDave]

Hi Lawrence - I have an old copy of Paul Pacult's "Kindred Spirits"... is this the book you're referring to - or does Pacult have another Whisky-related book?

Cheers, Dave.

[Iain]

WVD, he recently published a history of Chivas and The Glenlivet, called A Double Scotch.

[Lawrence]

Hi Dave, as Iain correctly said it's a new book but I've not had a chance to read it yet except for a little in the beginning.

I have been reading David Stirk's book on Campbelton and it's very good, a great just before read but tragically for another few weeks without a dram.

I bought my copy from Neil Wilson Publishing in Scotland.

[Lawrence]

I've finished the book and found it to be quite good and interestingly I surprised to read about how much imported barley was used to make Campbeltown whisky, Australia, Poland and others, hardly new to use imported barley for whisky making.

[Deactivated Member]

If you'd told me to guess what distilleries used the most imported barley, I'd have said either Campbeltown or Orkney ones--it's probably cheaper to get it there from Europe by sea than from elsewhere in the UK by truck. You have to wonder what kind of substandard stuff the Aussies would be dumping on them, though! Probably traded for bulk whisky to make "double malt".

[Lawrence]

Tattieheaid, you make me laugh out loud when I read some of your posts.

Lawrence

[Deactivated Member]

I hope it's the part I wanted you to laugh at....

[Lawrence]

Yes, most likely. He's going to get you back for that one and me too because I laughed!

Lawrence

[Admiral]

Hmmm....torn between two emotions....do I chuckle at the admittedly funny wise-arsed remark, or do I scoff and point out that Australia's Mount Franklin barley is acknowledged as being amongst the best in the world, and you're bloody lucky we're prepared to let other countries enjoy it too?

Oops, I just did both!

Cheers,
Admiral

[Deactivated Member]

You are a gentleman, sir. And I, I am the sort who must pause and consider whether I am eligible to pass through the door so marked in public accommodations.

[Admiral]

Well, I figure you're not eligible to go through the alternative set of doors!

[Deactivated Member]

Aye, it's a regular Hobson's choice....

Anyway, what I was getting at was not that Australian barley in general is inferior, but that the Aussies were shrewdly dumping their unwanted dregs on Campbeltown. How else to explain the economics of shipping barley around the world, to a barley-producing country? Still, there are stranger things. I've been in a restaurant in Scotland whose menu proclaims "We use all local produce when possible, except for lamb, which is from New Zealand." New Zealand lamb is quite common in the UK. Meanwhile, look out the restaurant's window, and you can see vast herds of sheep wandering in the street. I realize they are being raised for wool, not meat, but still.... No doubt New Zealanders wear jumpers made of Scottish wool. Coal to Newcastle.

[Lawrence]

Perhaps it has to do with economies of scale? I understand from past school lessons (way past) that grain feilds are quite large in Australia. Come to think of it Canada has been known to grow some grain too but not so many sheep (but sheep lie).

[Admiral]

Lawrence is on the right track...

Australia has an enormous agricultural industry, be it the growing of grain such as wheat and barley, or livestock such as lamb and beef.

Back in the 1950's and 60's, when the Australian economy was booming, and our pound (pre-decimal currency) was stronger than the US $ and UK pound, the term was phrased, "Australia was riding on the sheep's back". Wool was our main export item, and continued to be so up until the 1990's.

Given that these are our main industries, and therefore amongst the biggest factors in our economy and gross domestic product, it figures that we will "sell it to the world"

New Zealand is in a similar situation....it seems their entire economy is built on sheep. I can't remember the exact ratio, but the number of sheep in New Zealand outnumber the humans 50 to 1, or something like ridiculous like that. So it follows that they have enormous quantities of lamb that would otherwise rot and go to waste if they didn't export it to other countries.

But I don't think it's a case of "shrewdly dumping dregs". Knowing the stupidity of Australian big business and politics at times, it wouldn't surprise me if Campbelltown was getting the best we have to offer, whilst we here at home are getting the dregs.

(After all, Australia logs some of the last remaining and rarest areas of rainforest we have left, sells the woodchips to Japan, and then buys the paper back from them.)

I suspect the reality is that the Scottish whisky industry is an enormous sponge on local barley supplies, and it wouldn't surprise me to learn that the distillers need more barley than the UK can afford to supply them. So naturally, the Scots look to other suppliers around the world.

Cheers,
Admiral

[Deactivated Member]

Very interesting, thanks. Of course my suggestion was just idle musing.

Lawrence, what was the time frame on the importation of Australian barley? Is it still going on? I would imagine low tariffs within the Commonwealth played a part, at least in the past.

"Riding on the sheep's back" is fine, if that's what it takes, but I'm not sure it's anything you want to brag about....

[Admiral]

Hee hee....I once saw a stand-up comedian do a bit of a routine on that subject matter. Apparently, most countries in the world with large sheep populations accuse the next one of indulging in...er.....animal behaviour.

The English say it of the Welsh, the Welsh say it of the South Africans, the South Africans say it of the Australians, and we say it of New Zealanders. Of course, the New Zealanders admit it to be true, so they don't pass the buck!

(I've heard the US say something similar of Canadians, but with the substitution of moose!)

Hmmm....it appears we've been guilty of hijacking a serious discussion thread. Apologies to all.

Cheers,
Admiral

[Lawrence]

This was from the later 1890's to the 1930's, I'll have to go have another look to be sure.

I did some research online and looked for barley comsumption for last year in the UK and over 90% was from domestic sources. I would have to track it down again and it seems like work but I do remember being surprised at how little was imported. I also seem to remember that the beer industry used the lions share.

Sheep lie

[jmrl]

At first sight this seemed to have more copying than author contribution but having read it, after misplacing it for years, I was pleased to have a detailed look at distilling in previous centuries and how things faired in Campbeltown. Perhaps a conclusion would have tied up the varying theories on what went wrong for the lazy/stupid amogst us. Certainly some insightful comments from the author alongside a number of entries that seemed superfluous