Jim Murray (whisky writer)

Jim Murray
Jim Murray at his tasting lab
Born	13 November 1957 Merstham, Surrey
Nationality	British
Occupation	Whisky writer
Website	Dram Good Books

Jim Murray (born 13 November 1957) is an English writer and journalist. He is best known for his observations on whisky and his annually updated book on the subject, Jim Murray's Whisky Bible.

Murray was born in Merstham, Surrey, UK. A keen journalist from a young age, he wrote for his local papers while still at school and presented his own television show in Northamptonshire, Murray on Monday, at the age of sixteen. Murray would report and comment on local sporting events. His passion for writing and sport, specifically football, culminated in his first book Millwall: Lions of the South (1988), a history of Murray's beloved and unfashionable Millwall F.C.

As a national newspaper journalist with the Sunday People and Daily Star in 1992, Murray left Fleet Street after 13 years to become the world's first-ever full-time whisky writer. Having visited his first distillery, Talisker in 1975 it is believed that he has since visited more distilleries globally than any person. He had used his secondments to Scotland in the early and mid-1980s to visit as many distilleries as possible and even work in them during his free time.

1994 saw the release of Jim Murray's Irish Whiskey Almanac, the first of many popular whisky books that he would go on to write in securing his place as possibly the world's leading authority. This book was revised and extended for a re-release three years later as Classic Irish Whiskey (1997). Other publications include Jim Murray's Complete Book of Whisky (1997), Classic Bourbon, Tennessee & Rye (1998), Classic Blended Scotch (1999) and The Art of Whisky (1998).

Murray won the Glenfiddich Whisky Writer of the Year award three times. Murray is quoted as saying that he fiercely guards his independence and honesty. He says that he believes this can be compromised by writing for advertising-dependent media. His recent magazine writings have been selective and only on the understanding that he retains full copyright. To further protect his writing, Murray has trademarked his name.