Ratings Breakdown
Bourbon Culture Ratings
What Our Scores Mean
Every whiskey we review gets a score from 1 to 10. The number is a verdict, not a grade. It tells you what we think of the bottle in the glass, and whether it is worth your money.
Drain pour. The worst thing we have ever tasted. There is nothing redeemable in the glass, and we would not finish it if you paid us.
Example: Jeffers Creek Kentucky Straight BourbonScored 1.0
Forced myself to drink it. Bad enough that finishing the pour is a chore. There may be a faint hint of something decent buried in there, but it is not worth digging for.
Example: Hudson Baby BourbonScored 2.0
Flawed. Something is wrong with this whiskey, whether it is an off-note, a rough edge, or a fundamental imbalance. You can drink it, but you will not enjoy it.
Example: Breckenridge BourbonScored 3.9
Many things I would rather have. Drinkable, but nothing about it stands out, and there are better bottles at the same price. You will not reach for it twice.
Example: Ancient Age BourbonScored 4.9
Good, solid, ordinary. A perfectly fine bottle. Nothing wrong with it, nothing memorable about it. This is the middle of the scale, and it is where most whiskey lives.
Example: 1792 Small Batch BourbonScored 5.9
Better than average. A bottle we would happily pour for a friend and happily buy again. It does something well, whether that is depth, balance, or value.
Example: Old Grand-Dad 7 Year Bottled in BondScored 6.6
Well above average. A bottle that stands out from the crowd. It has real character, real depth, and it is worth seeking out. This is where a whiskey starts to feel special.
Example: Old Weller Antique 107Scored 7.7
Exceptional. A bottle that impresses from the first sip to the last. It is not just good, it is memorable, and it earns its place on the top shelf.
Example: Four Roses Barrel Strength Private Selection OESKScored 8.1
Extraordinary. A bottle that makes you stop and pay attention. It is among the best whiskey you will ever taste, and it justifies a hunt.
Example: George T. Stagg Bourbon (2017)Scored 9.0
Nothing else comes close. The pinnacle. A whiskey so good that it redefines what the category can be. We have awarded a 10 only a handful of times in over 890 reviews.
Example: William Larue Weller (2015)Scored 10.0
How we score
We taste every whiskey neat in a Glencairn, and we score it on the nose, the palate, and the finish. The score reflects the whole experience, not just one element. A bottle can have a great nose and a weak finish, and the score will show it.
The score is a judgment, not a measurement. Two bottles can score the same number for different reasons. What matters is the label that goes with the number. A 7 means the bottle is great. A 5 means it is good and ordinary. A 3 means it is flawed. That is the part worth reading.
See every score
We have scored 891 whiskies. Browse them all, best to worst, and find your next bottle.
Browse all 891 reviews The Brown Book