In the beginning, we at whisky.com were reluctant to rate whiskies for a simple reason: We are just so few, and our viewers out there are so many. What do our viewers think of us if our preferences don't meet theirs? Do we lose credibility then?
Viewers who are still unexperienced in whisky sometimes ask us for the 'best whisky'. But there can be no such thing by definition, since taste is a very individual thing that is acquired during childhood. If one person likes ginger, and the other person doesn't, even the slightest note of ginger can turn the top whisky of one person into dishwater for the other person.
The solution to this problem is to show average values from the taste ratings the users have posted in our whisky bottle database using a five-star rating system. Average values satisfy 'the average viewer', i.e. most (or a major part of the) connoisseurs will agree with these ratings. Of course, there are exceptions, such as very polarising whiskies. When you calculate the average there, no one will agree. But such whiskies are very rare.
For those viewers who are not satisfied with these averaged ratings, we have created the possibility to write tasting notes. To help you as a consumer to assess this variety of aromas, we've created tasticons – small aroma logos that give a nice optical representation of the flavour properties of a whisky – in the whisky database.
Since I've started making tasting videos, I've been urged again and again to rate whiskies absolutely. Insiders have noticed that I sometimes taste whiskies once, sometimes twice and sometimes three times in front of the camera. Sometimes I even empty the glass. This resembles a basic rating system of good, very good and excellent. But for some viewers that's not enough. So, by popular request, I've decided to start rating whiskies relatively to each other. Not by points, but by ranking the top bottles of the month. Please keep in mind that my 'tasting month' may differ from the 'month of release'. We often shoot tasting videos weeks in advance and then publish them day after day, so you always get new videos in the video blog.
I started with the best whiskies of the month in July 2016. To conclude the year, I want to present to you my top 3 whiskies of this monthly top 3, i.e. my personal Best of the Best. You find all top 3 whiskies from July to November in our Vlog.
I didn't nominate the best of the best by tasting them again. I rather consulted my subconscious. Whiskies may have been good, but if they don't leave a lasting impression, they can't have been that good. And ... I didn't dare to give an absolute ranking. The three whiskies are all number 1 for me.
Aultmore 18 Years
Deanston 20 Years
Tomintoul 15 Years Port Wood Finish
What were your favourite whiskies of 2016? Have you tried the whiskies mentioned above?
Tell us in the blog! |
