Scoring System

How I decided on my scoring system

Without a doubt the hardest part of doing tasting notes and sharing my thoughts for me is figuring out the right method of scoring.

I have found over the past few years that some will score low as a neat sipper but perform outstandingly as a mixer or cocktail; and some taste exceptional but are eye wateringly expensive!! And that’s before we get to the subjectivity of palate, preferences for certain flavours, styles and ABV.

The final challenge for me was the challenge of assigning a relatively arbitrary value as a score. What is the difference between a 6 and a 7 really? What do you do in the future if a rum/whisky isn’t as good as a previous 7 but is better than the previously assigned 6/10?

I did consider for a while whether I should simplify it down to a simple “Would I buy a bottle?” but I found this too simplistic and that it took away from what I wanted the score to represent, I also contemplated as to whether my previous scoring of a positively skewed system was inherently too confusing.

The final decision.

When I score a rum or whisky this is always done under the lens of a neat sipper.

Value for money, packing & presentation, transparency & detail will all be considered and will influence my score but only as a weighting after the fact – where possible I will treat as a blind tasting at first.

BUT… the most important factor is the aroma and flavour profile of the liquid itself.

• 10: Exceptional. This is best in class and a firm favourite of mine.
• 9: Outstanding. Near perfection, a bottle I would be sad to finish (and very happy to restock!)
• 8: Excellent. An evening spent sipping this would be a very good one.
• 7: Great. Add to cart, no questions asked.
• 6: Very good. At the right price I would definitely buy a bottle.
• 5: Good. If someone poured me a glass you wouldn’t hear me complain.
• 4: Above average. Not quite good but better than some.
• 3: Average. Average at best, this isn’t offensive but equally not exciting either.
• 2: Not for me. This simply means it’s not a profile I find enjoyable; rather than a reflection of quality.
• 1: Not the spirit. This is a poor representation of the spirit.