As we enter 2017, we’ve decided it’s the perfect time to revamp our whiskey review process. We published over 360 reviews last year, which gave us plenty of opportunity to analyze our procedures, and we also received lots of valuable feedback from editors, reviewers, advisors, and readers.
Simply put, starting with the first review we publish later today, we will be switching from a 100 point scale to a five star system. The reasons for this are several.
Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, it simplifies the scoring process. The 100 point system made synthesizing the various factors that go into a review, from the flavor and aroma of the spirit, to the design of the bottle, just too complicated. With this shift, we will make the process simpler for reviewers, while at the same time holding to the same editorial standards we’ve had for reviews since the very beginning.
Secondly, we (along with the rest of the whiskey reviewing community) just aren’t using the lower side of the scale. Even the lowest whiskey we scored last year came in at 59. It just doesn’t make sense to us to have a 100 point scale when reviewers only use the top 40-point range.
So, without further ado, here is our new rating scale:
5 stars: A fantastic whiskey, among the best in its category
4 stars: Really good, a solid sipper and top-tier mixer
3 stars: Totally fine, a solid mixer and an acceptable sipper
Trending Stories
2 stars: Hard to love, with obvious flaws
1 star: Deeply flawed, not enjoyable
Reviews are obviously subjective – we often field comments from folks who disagree with our scores or who find they don’t get the same flavor notes our reviewers did. That makes sense – everybody’s palate is difference. Our mission with reviews is to offer our educated opinion on why we think a given whiskey is good or bad, and let you, the reader, ultimately decide whether or not it is worth spending your dollars on.
We welcome, as always, your comments and feedback. Feel free to leave a note for us at the bottom of this article or drop us a line. In the meanwhile, we look forward to bringing you many more reviews under our new system going into 2017 and beyond.
Latest News