About the Accounts

The “Whisky Accounts” section of this book is organized by maker and/or brand in alphabetical order. Included for each is background and historical information about the company that offers the whisky to consumers. Each “expression” (that is, individual offering) has its own tasting notes, separated into text regarding nose and palate (including body and finish), as well as general notes about the whisky. In the upper right corner of the entry is the alcohol by volume percentage (proof) and, when known, its age.

At the bottom center is the price with dollar signs corresponding to the following range of costs to the consumer in U.S. dollars per bottle:

$ =	$50 or less
$$ =	$51–90
$$$ =	$91–200
$$$$ =	$201 or more

I have based the dollar amounts on average prices found in my local shops and advertised on the internet for the bottles pictured. The whiskies covered in this book are sold in a standard 750 ml measure and the prices indicated are for this size of bottle. You may find bottles that cost much more or less than the range of prices I have indicated. These are strictly estimates. And like so many things in life, price is not always commensurate with value.

Rating whisky is a vastly subjective undertaking. I have included ratings as an indication of my own personal taste. My low marks for a whisky do not make it “bad.” I just don’t recommend it. So why include it at all? The ratings (and price ranges) are for the neophyte, curious, and adventurous drinkers out there, to give them some type of benchmark for making informed choices. When you order at the bar or buy a bottle for yourself, for a special occasion, or as a gift, I can say from personal experience that it helps to have an opinion from someone else. I would never urge drinkers not to try what many may consider subpar whisky, or a drink that receives a particularly low mark in a book, on a website, or in a magazine for that matter. Drinking unusual or daring or even unappealing whisky is a learning moment, too.

My ratings are also driven by my own desire to figure out which whiskies I value more than others, which to avoid, and why. There are so many whiskies to try and, hopefully, so much time to figure it all out. With this in mind, the ratings in this book follow this scale:

=	Phenomenal
=	Excellent
=	Good
=	Decent; some flaws, but drinkable.
NR =	Not recommended

While not every whisky in this book will be available in every store, I have attempted to build as near-comprehensive a list of the regular-production, “core range” expressions available from distilleries on the market. That excludes most super-premium and limited-edition expressions. Several expressions have been discontinued, but I’ve kept them in the book because bottles are still plentiful, and I believe they’re worth seeking out.

I have largely excluded whiskies that are sold by independent bottlers, often termed “IBs.” These are companies that buy stocks of whisky from distilleries, then bottle and sell them under their own label. These are often sold at ages, alcohol levels, and finishes not found in the distilleries’ official ranges. Many of them, though, are also bought and bottled on an as-available basis, and it’s hard to review something that came out in just a few hundred bottles and will never be seen again. What I advise is that you use this book to identify brands and expressions you like, then dabble in independent bottlings. They can be a great way to deepen a whisky collection and hunting them can be a rewarding adventure. (You’ll see a few IBs in the book, but they are only from bottlers who refuse to identify the source of the whisky, an arguably arbitrary but nevertheless necessary cut-off).

I’ve also included a number of “private label” whiskies—like Kroger-brand breakfast cereal or Walmart-brand dog food, these are whiskies that are distilled by one company, typically acquired by a middleman, and then sold to retailers who want to put their brand on them. (If you thought Costco or Trader Joe’s made their own single malt whisky, well, we should talk.) Several of these are worth considering—they offer a lot of quality for a low price.

Here’s hoping that Single Malt will enhance your own exploration of what makes whisky such a fascinating and enjoyable part of life.