Raw Spirit

It does what every good book should manage to do, and what a hundred other books on whisky (and a thousand other books on Scotland) have signally failed to do: makes you want to go for a drink with the author.

Observer

Studded with bracing shots of pure insight and eloquence. And he's sound on the scotch as well.

Independent

A very readable and hugely informative book, and Bank’s gentle humour permeates the pages.

Time Out

It’s an engaging piece of work, part love letter, part memoir.

Esquire

A very beguiling fusion of memoir, history and current affairs.

Glasgow Herald

A voyage that a malt connoisseur of any level will find as enticing and as warming as that first sip of the nectar that has a history as rugged and unpredictable as Scotland’s enticing and formidable terrain.

The AND Guide

A beautifully realised fusion of travelogue, social commentary and drinking guide. Scotland's most famous export is decanted into full-bodied, humorous prose.

Independent on Sunday

Fiery, variegated, and full of delicious moments.

Literary Review

Banks' finely-honed sense of place makes you want to get on a train, head to the Highlands and never come back.

Arena

Raw Spirit charts its own course through the social landscapes of everywhere from Skye to Lothian, where obscure distilleries compete against the world-famous, with a wide cast of characters bringing them - and the liquor - to life.

Wanderlust

The book I return to most often . . . It's like slipping into a warm bath.

James Graham, THE TIMES

Thiswritten account of aroad-trip around the country’s distilleries in search of the ‘perfect dram’ is thebest substitute for the real deal[…] Filled withinsightful and witty observationsabout the whisky-makingprocess andthe peopleand places encounteredalong the way, this isa rip-roaringand informative delve into the unique history and enduring appeal of this iconic spirit.

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