Book excerpt: For centuries, whisky has tickled the palettes of the famous and the infamous alike, the good as well as the downright sinful. In this study, Charles MacLean pours a lifetime's passion and knowledge of Scotch whisky into an extraordinary array of anecdotes about this popular drink and those who have loved it. From ghost stories, tales of illicit smuggling operations, and feuding between the Scottish whisky families to poems and celebrations of the world's finest spirit, this is an engaging collection of literary works all dedicated to Scotland's most generous gift to the world.