Michael Jackson RIP

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Michael Jackson RIP

Unread postby cowdery » Fri Aug 31, 2007 1:38 am

Michael Jackson died Wednesday night in his London home. He was 65. Although no official cause of death has been announced yet, he is known to have suffered from Parkinson's Disease for the past decade. Details of his death are still sketchy, but he had been in poor health for years and was doing less and less, especially traveling.

I didn't know Michael personally although our paths crossed a few times. The world knew him as "the other Michael Jackson," if it knew him at all, but he was the Michael Jackson to those of us who care way too much about beer and whiskey.

Although he was more famous for his beer activities, he cut an equally wide swath through the whiskey world. His World Guide to Whisky, first published in 1987 and recently updated, was the starting point for me and, probably, many others. He seemed to be the first person to write about it who didn't just parrot what the producers told him, who took that in but found other sources too, synthesized it all, and gave something back to his readers that was more than the sum of the parts.

Michael Jackson was the first person who made me think it might be possible to make a living studying and writing about whiskey.

He was the father of us all.
- Chuck Cowdery

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Unread postby bourbonv » Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:53 pm

Michael Jackson's book was in the U.D. archive and was the first thing I read when I started there as archivist. He was a ground breaking writer who paved the way for many other people who write about whiskey. He will be missed.
Mike Veach
"Our people live almost exclusively on whiskey" - E H Taylor, Jr. 25 April 1873
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Unread postby Mark » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:34 pm

I am certain that many of us have read his writings when we were both getting into bourbon and while into bourbon. As mentioned, he will certainly be missed by many. :(
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Unread postby JH » Fri Aug 31, 2007 7:25 pm

His writings/ratings were what I read/checked when "getting into" single malt scotch years ago.
RIP Michael.
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Unread postby gillmang » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:51 am

Michael indeed was a pivotal figure in the history of consumer whisky and beer writing. He got into these subjects in-depth, synthesising and greatly expanding what was known before but also presenting them in his trademark urbane manner (almost like a social historian sometimes). I believe him to be partly responsible, maybe mostly responsible, for the bourbon and rye renaissance of the last 10 years or so. True, his work focused in that period on malt whisky and (as always) beer, but his 1988 World Guide To Whisky contained a penetrating, layered discussion of straight bourbon and rye that was influential in later years. His treatment of these subjects was enriched not just by a complete technical understanding of how they are made and differ from other whiskies, but by a full understanding of their business, social and cultural history. Had Michael been three persons instead of one he would I'm sure have elaborated greatly in succeeding years on his 1988 American whiskey studies, but they still retain great value today. And, he was (I believe) the first person in modern times, perhaps ever, to explain properly what straight rye was and the places it had been traditionally made and appreciated. But for his chapter on straight rye in the 1988 book, we would never have seen the flourishing of rye brands and rye discussion that occurred in later years. He was an inspiration to so many and we are all in his debt.

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