Raw Spirit

My first post on the subject of drinks on this blog was always going to be about whisky. It has always been a passion. However, as a tribute to the late Ian Banks, my first whisky post is going to be about his book Raw Spirit rather than the meander through whisky I had planned.

Raw Spirit is the only non-fiction book written by Banks (and according to him in the foreword, the only book he did any research for) and is one of my all-time favourite books on whisky. It centres around Banks' search for the perfect dram... a tough job I'm sure. The search was carried out by visiting as many distilleries as possible and, of course, sampling their wares. Throughout the book we are taken on various road trips in his enviable car collection, introduced to his old friends, party to the making of the new ones and witness to some fine examples of hearty Scottish cooking and hospitality. In short, this book encapsulates all that whisky means to me; beauty, adventure, friendship and an absolutely magnificent drink.

A bit pretentious? Perhaps but in the same way that a plate of food can be enhanced by skilful seasoning and delicate presentation so the drinking of whisky can be more about the experience than simply the taste of whisky.

Back to the book: it's not for no reason that Banks has won so many literary awards. He writes beautifully. His descriptions of the roads, cars and scenery he encounters makes the reader feel like they are in the car with him. The descriptions of the whisky trounce established stodgy tasting notes and leave the taste buds tingling to try some. Admittedly, if you are developing your pallet and want some established tasting notes to help you puzzle out what's in your glass, there are much better books out there. However as a guide to the spirit of whisky drinking I can think of few better.

Despite the beauty of the writing and the superb subject matter, the best bit about the book has to be Banks himself. In the many recently published articles about him, a recurring theme is his enormous warmth, sense of humour and gentle nature. This is reflected in the writing of the book. By the time I had finished reading it, I felt like he was one of my friends, someone who is tremendous fun to pass the time with and can be relied upon to be entertaining company. Interestingly, this feeling was echoed amongst friends who have also read the book.

Time for another pretentious bit: the above sentiment I think is partly due to Banks but also due to whisky. You may think I'm being overly nostalgic but I can honestly say that the pursuit and/or effects of whisky has lead to the formation of long, lasting friendships and experiences with old friends that have formed life-long memories. This may be an automatic bond created by shared passion but I like to think that there's more romance to it than that.

So for the time being I urge you to pour yourself a dram of your favourite tipple if you're a whisky fan or go out on a limb and try one if you're not. When you've got that, raise your glass and savour the moment of enjoying a wonderful drink.

Sliante

TFB