Spirits Ratings

[Ed Hamilton]

One of the hardest things an author can do is rate spirits. I've tried to avoid discrediting anything but have instead tried to encourage drinkers to try as many different spirits as possible and decide for themselves what they would like to drink. I view my job as an author as an obligation to write the most truthful descriptions of the rums I consume.

I'm always impressed with the quality of information in this discussion board so while I work on my next edition I'd like to hear your comments on ratings. What ratings do you trust? What ratings do you distrust? Do you look to sales people in stores?

[Gifted Gourmet]

What ratings do you trust? What ratings do you distrust? Do you look to sales people in stores?

Actually don't trust group consensus because it is rarely reliable... composite reviews by a panel usually end up reflecting the viewpoint of the person with the most chutzpah, and the most vocal.... Of course, criticism, no matter how deeply steeped in expertise, is still at the end of the day, merely personal opinion. Whatever your level of acumen, when it comes to taste, you should never trust any palate more than the one you own.

If beauty be in the eye of the beholder, as the saying goes, taste lives in your nose and mouth. Ultimately, it's what you think about spirits and fortified wines that counts... and then mostly only to you.

[Ed Hamilton]

When I say descriptions of spirits I mean descriptions of how the drink is made, what kind of still, special treatments, raw materials, etc. Like gifted gourmet, I think the most reliable review is your own.

[Mickeman]

In my experience there is no such thing as unbiased rating.

The best thing is to find a couple of reviewers/critics that have the same basic taste that yourself. The next best thing is to read a lot of reviews of one or two critics so that you get a picture of their private taste and then read their reviews in view of that. Therefore the most important characteristic for a reviewer is consistency.

Personally I need reviews since I don't have the economy to purchase every type and bottling. It is sad when you have spent between 50 - 100 $ for a bottle and it doesn’t correspond to your personal taste. Sure somtimes you can take a chance especially when the stakes are not that high. But in the long run I prefere to play it safe.

Thang god for reviews.

[John von Pey]

I agree that your personal taste is the best for you. Besides that, it is hard to find reviews here in The Netherlands. So I went for experience from the sellers (with what is it comparable) and made my own basic criteria. Yes, that gave me some bottles I didn't like, but those are always usable in the kitchen (or for visitors )