As a whiskey reviewer, I am
often asked by both friends and strangers alike for opinions about whiskey. My
reaction is I’m flattered that someone is actually interested in my thoughts.
There’s a little bit of chest puffery that happens.
It used to be that I quickly
gave my opinion. While most people were gracious, I would sometimes be taken
aback by the responses that followed. I soon learned to realize these weren’t
simple questions. When asked, “What do you think of…” you have to figure
out what the inquirer is after. It may take probing, but in the end, it usually
boils down to one of three questions.
QUESTION 1: I NEED A
RECOMMENDATION FOR A WHISKEY. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
This is always a fun one to
answer. I have a weekend job as a Whiskey Consultant at a boutique store. I
answer this question all day long. I’ve honed my skills by asking them the
right questions, and based on their answers and what the store carries, I can
offer a recommendation. As luck would have it, I can provide samples to
customers of everything we stock, so they’re sure at the end of the
conversation that they’ve made the right choice (and prove to them I know what
I’m talking about).
I also have no qualms about sending
customers to a whiskey not carried in the store. The goal is to make people
happy in their pursuit of great whiskey. If you’re good to people and are
honest with them, they’ll come back. Moreover, I’m very particular about my
reputation.
QUESTION 2: I HAVE HEARD
ABOUT A NEW (OR NEW TO ME) WHISKEY. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
This one is trickier. I may
haven’t tried the whiskey yet and can’t render an opinion. I sometimes run into
this at the store. A customer will tell me they like such-and-such, and I’ve
not tried it. I’m always upfront with people if I’m unfamiliar with it. With
some whiskeys, such as Scotch, I can at least narrow down the region and
provide valuable recommendations based on that. With Bourbon or Rye, so much
variety out there can become challenging to guess.
When I tell someone I’m
unfamiliar with a whiskey, some are surprised I’ve not tried every whiskey out
there, even stuff that hasn’t been released yet. A whiskey reviewer is
occasionally lucky enough to be provided with a free sample from the distiller.
Most of the time, we’re just drinking stuff from our own collection, a friend’s,
or something we have tried at a bar.
I always try to qualify my
answer if I have attempted to the whiskey. I won’t just say, “Wow, it is
delicious,” or “I hate it.” Instead, I’ll offer some flavor notes,
tell them about the nose, etc. I may not take as much time explaining why
something was awful or mediocre. But, if it is great, I’ll give details.
QUESTION 3: I HAVE A
FAVORITE WHISKEY. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
This question makes me
cringe. Here’s the thing about whiskey reviewers. We’re curious about whiskey, passionate
about whiskey, and we enjoy writing about whiskey. Some of us are brave enough
to get in front of a camera and film a review. We aren’t gods, but we do enjoy
spreading the Whiskey Gospel.
If I love your favorite
whiskey, I will talk about it all day. If you live nearby, swing on over, and
we can chat about it over a pour together.
If I don’t love your
favorite whiskey, I don’t enjoy telling you that. I’ll try to explain that it
just isn’t something I enjoy drinking. If you love it, that’s awesome.
There are whiskeys with
cultish followings, such as Elmer T. Lee that do nothing for me. There’s
nothing wrong with Elmer T. Lee, but I also don’t understand the hoopla over
it. Yet, when I don’t agree with someone that Elmer T. Lee is the best Bourbon
on the planet short of Pappy Van Winkle (don’t even get me started on that),
the anger that seethes from some folks is nothing short of amazing. They’ll
argue with me like this is some debate. I’ve even been accused of not knowing
anything about whiskey because I don’t like what they like. People are
passionate. I get that.
There’s another common
question that doesn’t fit into the realm of the above, but I’d like to touch on
it since we’re on the subject:
QUESTION 4: I HAVE A CHOICE
BETWEEN WHISKEY X AND WHISKEY Y. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Usually, this question comes
from someone who has tasted neither X nor Y. They see the bottles on the store
shelf; they cost about the same, and they want me to tell them which one to
buy. The first thing I will tell people is price means nothing regarding
whether or not something will taste good – remember, I’m always on a
#RespectTheBottomShelf campaign. If I’m unsure of one, I suggest they visit a
good whiskey bar (or a friend’s house), try them both, and then pick the one
they like best. This isn’t the answer they’re looking for, but it is the best
advice.
It doesn’t matter if the
reviewer is Jim Murray or Jeff Schwartz. Everyone’s palate is a
little different. If you find a reviewer whose palate closely mirrors yours,
follow them and their recommendations. We’ll steer you right more times than
not, but we’ll never be perfect. On the other hand, if you find a reviewer you
rarely agree with, find another and follow their recommendations instead. Ultimately,
our desire as reviewers is for you to find the right whiskey for you.
Cheers!
#DrinkCurious
My Simple, Easy-to-Understand
Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages
you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.
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As we should drink in moderation, all comments are subject to it. Cheers!