Hello, all! Welcome to Whiskey for the Ages, where father and daughter trio, Brian, Hannah and Elora Dawson, explore whiskey and give their unique reviews and opinions on the whiskies they have tried.
As whiskey explorers visit the many reviewing websites and phone applications, rating their bottle seems to be a common denominator among adventurers; everyone has an opinion. However we’ve noticed, the various ways sippers score and appreciate their spirit can sometimes be confusing; their rubrics or methods used to determine a score are rarely discussed. In this post we aim to highlight our individual processes.
As this blog matures, our readers and podcast listeners can find many reviews (over 350 as of this post!) One can interpret ratings and recommendations in the reviews by discerning Brian’s and Hannah’s individual thoughts then decide for themselves if a particular offering is one they might enjoy. Consider our evaluations as tools; use them much like you would read from multiple movie reviewers before deciding which theater to attend.
While this blog was started because we enjoy whiskey intricacies, what we each look for in a spirit varies. What we perceive on the nose, palate and finish is often quite different as well.
REVIEW TOOLS
Discerning some of these finer details comes from the use of a Whiskey Traits and Flavor Wheel created by the team. This aid is free and available for download through the link above or in the “Tools” sidebar. It allows both Brian and Hannah to be as specific as they’d like with flavors, – anywhere from pop rocks candies, to bitter walnuts, to lavender.
The wheel also allows the pair to be broad when pinpointing exact flavors becomes more challenging. In which case they may leave it as “spice” or “old” or may even broaden the scope further when truly stumped, saying “fruit” or “wood.”
Scoring methods can be highly personalized, even between Brian and Hannah. When using the Whiskey for the Ages website, we hope fellow sippers will have a better understanding of what the ratings mean and can make their interpretations and possible purchases more accordingly.
Read on to see how each come score the whiskeys they review.
Brian’s “Comparison Scoring Method”
I began my whiskey rating process from a purely novice perspective: I knew what I could afford, then what I liked and later which “experiments” fell short. I kept track of these findings. Soon I began to read other reviewer thoughts on the spirits I was trying; some I aligned with, some I did not.
SIMPLE REVIEWS
Early on my reviews were simple:
NOSE:
Clean, crisp bourbon aroma.
PALATE:
Along with hints of citrus fruit, there is toffee followed by oak and mellow black pepper.
FINISH:
Long and woody with a peppery finish.
TRAIN YOUR NOSE AND PALATE
But I wanted to sense and perceive more; smell and taste what the distillers suggested one might find in the dram which had been written on the bottle notes. About this time I began seeking rudimentary flavor profiles, flavor lists and other tools to transform and train my nose and palate.
Soon, my whiskey (predominantly bourbon) library increased. The more samples I tried, the more I wanted; the more I secured, the more refined my senses became.
Now at the end of each review, I give my overall rating followed by a list of similarly scored whiskeys. The flavors, profiles, proofs and styles of each dram in the scoring group are seldom similar, but the reviewed spirit is better than the group rated below and not quite as good as the whiskeys scored just above.
Cheers!
Hannah’s “Grader Method”
Because I spent two years in a teaching and grading capacity at university, whiskeys come to me as a completed assignment, essay or exam would, with 100%, or 100/100 being the highest score possible that a whiskey could earn.
GRADING RUBRICS
Much like how I would grade an essay, there are certain things I look for more than others, and thus use the whiskey rating process to score higher. First, I like to assess on a basic level, whether the whiskey “passed” or did not, meaning whether I would buy it again. This is largely based on enjoyment level, but the value/price tag that a whiskey comes with is also taken into account.
Then I break it down into smaller components of the whiskey – flavors, balance, warmth/richness, the finish, complexity, and level of barrel involvement. Each of these is based on what I personally value and appreciate the most in a whiskey.
GRADING TABLE
You can see how each of these is broken down in the table below!
| Base | Flavor | Balance | Warmth | Finish | Complexity | Barrel |
| Repurchase: 75 | Fruit: 5 | Great: 5 | Rich: 3 | Great: 4 | High: 3 | Strong: 5 |
| Maybe repurchase: 70 | Earth: 4 | Good: 3 | Fair: 2 | Good: 2 | Fair: 2 | Fair: 3 |
| Bad value: 60 | Spice: 3 | Poor: 0 | None: 0 | Poor: 0 | None: 0 | None: 0 |
| Average; no repurchase: 55 | Citrus: 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Bad; no repurchase: 50 | Caramel: 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
BE SURE TO ENJOY THE POUR
Lastly, when I get to the “No More” stage of my reviews, I like to sit back with my whiskey and just enjoy it. While casually sipping, I let my mind wander, letting the bourbon “speak to me” as it were, telling me where it would most like to be enjoyed. This could be anywhere from a picturesque landscape to a specific moment in time, to an intangible feeling. With this setting, I try to find a photo that captures that scene to share with all of you. I’d love to hear from anyone who wants to test some of my settings out!
These settings don’t have any impact on the rating of a whiskey, as even the ones I don’t care for are given a setting. However, they are a unique and fun way to get to know the whiskeys even more and show – what I like to believe – their best sides.
Whiskey for the Ages looks forward to sharing this blog with you as the team explores the wide world of whiskey, and they hope the ratings and reviews are both entertaining and informative. Get ready for an adventure!
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Whiskey Reviews
Featured image (Glencairns) Photo by Andrew Seaman on Unsplash
Cover image (pencils) Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash
Thanks so much for talking about how you can put whiskey on a flavor wheel to help assess what it is and how it rates among other whiskey lovers. I have a friend who has been wanting to try some new whiskeys but he doesn’t want to spend a ton of money without knowing what kind of flavor or other aspects of the drink to expect. We’ve been looking into finding a store that has ratings and descriptions of their drinks so my friend knows a little bit before he buys different ones.
Hi Jessie, Thanks for the kind comments.
I use our flavor wheel every time I review a new whiskey. You can find the download link to a pdf copy in the “Tools” widget to the right or below the article dialogs depending on the device you’re using.
You and your friend can read our reviews from your phone when standing in the Liquor Store for most of the bourbons you’ll find on the shelf. And here’s a tip … Check out Old Forester 100! We will be posting a Podcast review next Thursday (30Mar) and our written reviews will be uploaded soon after. It’s a SOLID bourbon and for under $30.00 it is now a regular in our daily rotation.
Cheers!
– Brian