Whisky scoring can be difficult. There are many aspects to consider and many differences that aren't accounted for. For example, bourbon cask and sherry cask matured whiskies are scored using the same scale as are 10 year old and 30 year old whiskies. It is very subjective and will depend mainly on one's personal preferences but also on other factors such as when last you ate, if you're sick or even the time of day. This subjectivity means that it's merely my opinion and just because I disliked a whisky, you won't necessarily dislike it too. My personal preference leans towards peated and sherry/port cask matured whiskies which may also affect my score although I do try and stay impartial, no matter what I'm reviewing. The most important thing to remember is that at the end of the day, the words in the review mean more than the score.

​

There are many different ways to score whisky from a 5-point star rating to a 10-point scale, a fine 100-point scale to a system that ranks whisky as fair/good/excellent. I find 5-point scales a little restrictive as there is a 20% difference between a 3/5 and a 4/5 and that's too large a gap. 10-point scales are still too restrictive as some whiskies may be perilously close to one another with no way to differentiate between them. On the other side of the spectrum, the 100-point scale is far too broad. How can one score a whisky 84 points and another 85? Exactly how is the one whisky just 1 point better?

​

I prefer to go with a 20-point scale, i.e 1-10 with halves between each score. I start by giving the whisky a score of 1 to 10 and then refine the score based on my experience of other whiskies with the same score. If I score a whisky a 7/10 but believe that it's slightly better than a whisky I've previously scored 7/10 and not as good as an 8/10, I will score it 7.5/10. A score of 7/10 is not the same as a score of 70/100. Here's a guide as to what the scores mean:

​

1/10 - Abominable. Is this even whisky?

​

2/10 - Horrid. It probably won't kill you but it will give you nightmares.

​

3/10 - Unpleasant. Pretty undrinkable and something I would actively avoid.

​

4/10 - Deficient. It may have a redeeming quality but it's just inadequate.

​

5/10 - Poor. It's getting there but still has flaws. May be drinkable with a mixer.

​

6/10 - Fair. Well made and very drinkable but not terribly exciting. Good for cocktails.

​

7/10 - Good. Really good whisky. This is where you want to be. 

​

8/10 - Superb. Amazing whisky. You'll want this. Definitely buy a bottle.

​

9/10 - Magnificent. You need to grab it with both hands.

​

10/10 - Ethereal. God-level liquid. The perfect dram. Does this even exist?