So I've been thinking about how to score whiskeys and I've used my recent trip to Hawaii to try a few different drams and write up a few easy reviews and have a think about the different aspects of whiskey and how to rate them. The following is how I'll be scoring my whiskeys in the future. Special thanks to my old school mate and drinking buddy Pat Doran and my Wife for prompting me to do this!
Most points are awarded for sensual enjoyment of the whiskey while consuming. Other points are awarded for other less important things which I've oddly mentioned before everything else, maybe that reflects the whole process of choosing a whiskey before you try it and the different things that might sway your decision one way or another.
Most points are awarded for sensual enjoyment of the whiskey while consuming. Other points are awarded for other less important things which I've oddly mentioned before everything else, maybe that reflects the whole process of choosing a whiskey before you try it and the different things that might sway your decision one way or another.
Price, appearance, presentation and other stuff like availability and marketing - scored out of 30 points or out of 6 for each aspect.These I think are the things that you look at when buying a whiskey or that may influence you aside obviously from other peoples opinions.
Price is always a big thing -is the whiskey good value for money. You can spend a lot of money on a bottle of whiskey but are you getting bang for your buck!
Appearance of the whiskey: how does the whiskey look does it look suspiciously orange like an umpa lumpa's wee wee - has it had colorant added? or does it look golden to yellow?
Is this whiskey available? Did I have to travel half the world to find this or was I able to pick it up in my local bottle shop/ off licence/ liquor store? I'm not big on exclusivity but i don't mind going to a good whiskey bar to find an unusual dram.
Marketing and other info made available by the producers. Does this whiskey have a lovely fairy tale associated with it featuring highland rogues or pioneering frontiersmen or Priest??? Is this whiskey being sold on its intrinsic qualities or has some BS been made up to appeal to some sense of sentimentality.
Packaging and label, very similar to marketing is the packaging sensible? or is it wasteful and pointless. Does the label on the bottle tell us about what's in the bottle or does it tell us more fairy tails and legends?
Nose: how does the whiskey smell? This is the first real sense that is engaged when drinking the whiskey. Is it complex, is it nice and simple, is it interesting or is there not much really going on? Scored out of 20. I once had the unfortunate experience of putting my nose up to an open bottle of concentrated hydrochloric acid and taking a whiff - It drew tears to my eyes, stung my nostrils and made me recoil very quickly (sex panther anyone?) - any whiskey that produces a similar effect will be earning a low score. Anything inoffensive will be or generally pleasant will be around 10 give or take a few. If something should make me start thinking of past life experiences (pleasant ones) or take me away to a flowery field on the side of a mountain - it will be scoring high! The nose or smell of a whiskey can be greatly effected by the environment and also the glass from which the whiskey is drank. some glasses are designed for capturing the volatile chemicals that give a whiskey it's smell, others aren't. I'll make a note of these factors when reviewing.
Taste (on entry): once I've got my substantial nose out of the way, the next thing I like to do is take a sip and see how does the whiskey taste? A small sip is usually a good starting point. I'll score the taste out of twenty. Everyone's taste is unique. People like and appreciate different things, the same with smell i suppose really. Like the sense of smell, taste can be affected by the environment and also on what you've recently been eating and drinking. Just like with wine some foods compliment whiskey and others not so much. Whiskeys with good flavor profiles will score highly, If a whiskey tastes like nothing more then whiskey it'll be pleasant stuff but will merit a middling score and if it should happen to taste like the liquid in the bottom of the bin then it will be scoring near the bottom! Taste will be scored out of 20!
Mouth-feel/ body: does this whiskey feel good in my mouth or is it thin and week? Scored out of 10. this is an odd sort of one but some whiskeys just feel amazing when you drink them, Middleton very rare was one of these whiskeys for me. Some whiskeys feel oddly watery and thin and just don't seem to be the complete package.
Finish: how is the aftertaste of the whiskey, does it linger and develop or does it disappear fairly quickly? This aspect is scored out of 20 with high scoring whiskeys being those which stay with you after you have swallowed a sip with the flavors continuing and developing leaving a lasting satisfaction.
Total score out of 100
Cheers!
Cheers!
