Tasting Notes

We score based on impressions of a whisky’s nose, taste, and finish. The goal is to find something discernible in all three — in other words, a whisky that noses and tastes well, but has a flat finish will score less than a well-balanced whisky that has all three elements in tune. Our scoring scale reflects the fact that for a whisky to have been bottled in the first place, someone had to like it enough to put their reputation on the line. We use the same scale as our local high school, which is known for being academically rigorous: 93 points for an “A” and 85 points for a “B”. An “A+” is anything 97 points or higher. Our Tasting Notes are the grade of one individual whisky lover. Everyone has his or her own sense of what a great whisky should be, and these scores are nothing more than my own academic exercise in that pursuit. Each of us has our own unique sensory memories and scoring metrics.

Whisky is meant to be enjoyed, and with thoughtful savoring, you can discover the many flavors of whisky. To help you with get started on your whisky exploration, here are our recommendations on how whisky is best served:

• At ambient room temperature and after it has settled from a lot of motion;
• In a glass which has a bowl to allow the spirit to breathe but a narrow opening so you can smell and capture the aroma;
• First experience the spirit undiluted as bottled; then if desired, a small amount of room temperature pure or bottled water can be added to the spirit.

We encourage you to cup your whisky glass and allow the warmth of your hands to help open up the spirit in both scent and taste.