FAQ

Why should I give a rat’s ass what the”Whisky Jerk” has to say?
There are a GAZILLION whisky blogs out there. Although some are informative and worth a read, I find MOST to be LONG-WINDED, a TAD pretentious, and EXTREMELY DULL.

I wanted to put together some (hopefully) entertaining reviews YOU can SCAN, ENJOY, and easily DIGEST in five minutes.

STUFF you can reference at the liquor store, RELAXING at home, or when you’re trying to choose the next dram to order at the bar.

How many whiskies have you tasted?
Just a guesstimate, but as of late 2014 I’d say about 1,100 whiskies (and counting).

What’s your favorite region or type of whisky?
 I like em’ all, but I tend to lean toward the Irish and Bourbon these days. That could change though.

Where do you live?
Taipei, Taiwan.

So, you’re Taiwanese?
Nope, I’m a lǎo wài (老外). With a big nose. From New York.

How’s the whisky selection in Taiwan?
AMAZING! Taiwan is ranked third (per capita) in in whisky sales worldwide. Import taxes are really low, so prices are REALLY cheap. It’s a paradise for Whisky Lovers!

How much time do you spend with each whisky when you write your reviews?
I’m not a fan of the ole’ swirl and spit into a bucket style of whisky tasting. Whenever possible I’ll sip 2-3 drams before I put paper to pen and write a review. Some whiskies need a little more time to tell their  tales.

Why are your ratings are SO LOW? 
I grade whiskies the same way your old high school teachers grade tests. I use the whole grading scale from 0 – 100 and the only important factor is QUALITY.

Not every student gets an ‘A’, and sometimes a REALLY STUPID kid will turn in some garbage and DESERVEDLY get a 15 %.

A lot of critics choose to ignore bad whiskies for fear of offending the distilleries that produce them. I think this is a major disservice to whisky lovers.

If a critic thinks a whisky is GARBAGE, I would want to hear it straight up so I don’t waste my hard-earned cash on a bottle.


WTF?? First, you scored my favorite whisky a 92. I re-read the review next week and it dropped to an 87. What gives?
I’m always revisiting previously-reviewed whiskies and updating their ratings and my impressions of them.  I like to think that our palates are continually evolving.
I’m an independent bottler / distributor and I’d like to send you some samples for you to review. Is that OK?
No diggity, no doubt. I love trying out new samples. I can’t promise that I’ll LOVE it, but I will surely give it an honest review.

Just shoot me a message via the contact page.