If there’s one thing to remember about whiskey tasting its that in the end it’s all subjective. What may seem like a great wheated bourbon to one may not be enjoyable to a fan of the rye heavy bourbons or vice versa. This blog is not intended to be anything more than what it is, reviews from one enthusiast’s point of view. More than likely people will disagree with some of my reviews but mainly I will try to bring a non biased palate (though we all have certain preferences) when it comes to grading each individual whiskey. Over time I would like this blog to provide a solid reference in helping you decide what whiskeys are right for you. Let’s face it we all hate spending hard earned money on an unknown bottle only to crack it open and be disappointed with the contents inside.
Now on to the grading format. I will take into consideration all aspects of the whiskey from the nose, the taste, the finish, the overall complexity but most importantly the balance. Im big on balance. A minimum of three tasting sessions will be done before I publish anything to ensure a highly detailed and thorough review. All whiskey reviewed on this blog are ones I have purchased.
The American Whiskey Reviews’ grading system uses a standard 100 point system with a five star visual indicator. Also included in the grading star is the letter ‘S’ which stands for superior. This is intended to give a more precise grade to whiskeys being evaluated.
100 / * * * * *S
96 – 99 / * * * * *
91 – 95 / * * * *S
86 – 90 / * * * *
81 – 85 / * * *S
76 – 80 / * * *
71 – 75 / * *S
61 – 70 / * *
51 – 59 / *S
>50 / *
And remember the best way to decide what whiskeys are right for you is to go out and taste for yourself.
American Whiskey Reviews 