Whiskey Reviews

Reviews of whiskey.

March 13, 2018

Pearse Distiller’s Choice Irish Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas Rating: B- The next step, after The Original reviewed yesterday, in the new Pearse line of Irish…
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March 12, 2018

Pearse The Original Irish Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas Rating: B- One perk of living in Lexington, Kentucky is that it’s the hometown for Alltech, parent…
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March 9, 2018

Exclusive Malts Dailuaine 10 Year Old Scotch Review

By Richard Thomas Rating: B Exclusive Malts is a line of sourced single malts selected and bottled by David Stirk’s…
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March 7, 2018

Old Overholt Bonded Rye Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas Rating: B- Although the Rye Craze, with its attendant shortages of even that bargain shelf classic Old…
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March 6, 2018

Stark Peated Amerian Malt Whiskey Review

By Debbie Shocair Rating: A- In the heart of Pasadena, California, there is a micro-distillery that, in my mind, epitomizes…
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The Whiskey Reviewer uses a letter-based rating system, instead of the numerical 100-grade rating system. Click here to learn why.

The following indicators should be taken as only a guide and not a set of hard and fast rules. Some "premium" whiskeys really are quite terrible, while some mass market products are good enough to pour into a decanter and serve to the Duke of Edinburgh.

A+: A masterpiece and one of the ten best whiskeys of its type. Above five stars.
A: An outstanding bottle of whiskey, but lacking that special something which makes for a true masterpiece. Five stars.
A-: A fine bottle of whiskey, representing the top end of the conventional, premium range.
B+: Very good stuff. Four stars.
B and B-: Good and above average. The best of the mass market whiskeys fit in this category, as do the bulk of the premium brands. A B- is three stars.
C+ to C-: Average whiskey. A C- is two stars.
D+ to D-: Below average whiskey. A D is one star and a D- one-half of a star.
F: Zero stars. Rotgut.