 The Rating System
Before venturing further you should note that I am not a professional taster and I am still learning the art of reviewing. This page explains briefly my rating system and what I take into consideration when reviewing a spirit. Rating system
Many websites use a numerical rating system which is what I was going to use in the beginning but after long consideration and a few suggestions from a few friends I’ve decided to use a simple three award rating system because it forces me to think harder which award the spirit really deserves. Small differences in numbers in the numerical system would not tell me or anyone else anything about the spirit. Awards are explained at the bottom of the page.
Presentation and Appearance
My rum and whiskey reviews begin with the bottle and the colour of the spirit. While it is not significant it is always appreciated if the maker of the spirit has seen enough effort to create a bottle that is unique and aesthetically pleasing. Appearance in the glass is a little more significant but will not turn me away if it is not pleasing to me. In the glass I consider clarity and the general consistency of the spirit.
In smoothness and in flavour
Everyone likes smooth spirits and so do I but a decent drink should have a decent kick. Enough to make itself known but not so much it is attacking.
Balance is everything, in smoothness and in flavour. Aroma, flavour and aftertaste are the most important aspects when reviewing a spirit. Naturally these are what I criticize the most. Personally I like more complexity in my spirits rather than a clean taste and everyone has their favourite flavours but I don’t like a single flavour overpowering all the other flavours one might encounter in a spirit. A balance of all the flavours is what makes it pleasing.
When reviewing I will do my best to put aside my personal preferences. Word about the awards Spirits are always given an award in their own category, so if you see a white rum that has a gold award and a dark aged rum that has a silver award, you may find yourself asking: "How come this white rum gets a gold award when the dark aged rum is obviously superior?!". White rums, gold rums and dark rums, as well as Bourbon and Scotch are quite different so they need to be judged in their own category. Please keep this in mind when reading my reviews. Gold: This spirit is of exceptional quality and is one of the best I have ever had.
Silver: This spirit has what it takes to stand out and is highly recommended.
Bronze: While this is the lowest ranking award do not think it means you should avoid the spirit. When I give this award to a spirit it means the spirit is good and very potable but I think it lacks something to make it stand out.
No award: Spirits that have not been awarded are generally not recommended but read the review, don’t trust the award alone. Some spirits with no award can be great for something else. Alternatively a spirit that does not get an award can mean it ranks higher than gold. When this is the case I will mention it in the review. If you have any questions regarding anything mentioned on this page, head to the forums and write me. Or use the contact page.
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