Jim Murray vs Top Shelf Chick: The Trifecta Challenge

[Bmac]

I have to agree, after reading his reviews I think his decisions are based on who's paying more money.

As for scoring, I like Ralfy's system. his marks change based on the type of score whether its Malt, Blend, Bourbon, Irish, etc. So some scores can 'appear' equal in number, but not in mark. Since there are so few Irish whiskeys, rating the best at 90 wouldn't be the same as rating a 90 for Macallan 25yr.

[weller_tex]

I could have sworn that for a few years JM was being paid by Ardbeg..I just ignore what he thinks. Just all over the place..makes no sense.

You have to take all the reviewers with a grain of salt. Read all their reviews and find someone who seems to have a similar palate to you, and also seems to be unbiased. Serge Valentin is the guy I look to for Single Malt reviews. I seem to be pretty close to John Hansell and Jason Delby for Bourbon and Rye.

[smokinjoe]

I really enjoy Murray's reviews. Some of his reviews in the Whiskey Bible are brilliant and fall-out-of-your-chair hilarious. But, to tell the truth I don't care what rating he, or anyone, gives a whiskey. I do that. And, I is all I care about on this subject.

But, I like him even more, because he is the only "world whiskey" writer that over the years has not given short shrift to American Whiskey. Many of the other "world whisky" writers have only very recently begun to give more than a passing glance to bourbon and rye, seemingly because they can no longer deny it's growing popularity and market growth in relation to their own financial objectives and industry relevance.

[ebo]

I don't really care what ANYONE rates a whisk(e)y at. If I like it, I'll buy it... and drink it.:grin:

As for whisk(e)y reviewers, I kinda like Dave Broom's style, but I honestly don't care what he thinks.

[SMOWK]

My assumptions and mental images were way off...

[Bmac]

But, to tell the truth I don't care what rating he, or anyone, gives a whiskey.

I find that hard to believe.

Besides, one might care when his righteous opinion inflates the price of the whiskey you want to buy. Or even better, the flippers start buying out all the stock of whiskeys he proclaims are the "Whatever Best, Superduper, Ultra, X-23, Whiskey of the world" and we're left with nothing. (well SOME of us are left with nothing.)

[smokinjoe]

I find that hard to believe.

Besides, one might care when his righteous opinion inflates the price of the whiskey you want to buy. Or even better, the flippers start buying out all the stock of whiskeys he proclaims are the "Whatever Best, Superduper, Ultra, X-23, Whiskey of the world" and we're left with nothing. (well SOME of us are left with nothing.)

Believe it.

...........

[callmeox]

Jim Murray influences my whiskey buying habits as as much as Billl Murray influences my golf game.

[callmeox]

My assumptions and mental images were way off...

"Hey mom, can you sit behind these bottles and hold this glass?"

[Brisko]

Jim Murray influences my whiskey buying habits as as much as Billl Murray influences my golf game.

For me it's less than that. I spend the entire game quoting Caddyshack.

[macdeffe]

à do find whiskyrecommendations valuable, whether from friends, acquaintances or people writing blogs, magazine reviews or books

You need to know a little bit about the reviewers personality whiskywise for it to be beneficial for you. You need to calibrate your own taste toward your friends taste.

People who prefer different kind of whiskies, or have a constant different taste toward catagories of whiskies can be useful as guidance for you as well. You just have to know your own relative position toward that persons taste.

A reviewer only becomes a waste of time if there is no system toward your own taste. When his ratings becomes a lottery ticket. For me only Jim Murray is a lottery reviewer. Anyone else I think have something I can benefit from. No matter how much or little we share are favourite tastes and flavours

I am sure everybody here know persons, either friends or reviewers, whose recommendations we can follow unquestioned. It takes some experience

So I would never say I don't care about others opinions about whisky, I just reserve my rights to be more or less critical.

Steffen

[mosugoji64]

"Hey mom, can you sit behind these bottles and hold this glass?"

[mosugoji64]

à do find whiskyrecommendations valuable, whether from friends, acquaintances or people writing blogs, magazine reviews or books

You need to know a little bit about the reviewers personality whiskywise for it to be beneficial for you. You need to calibrate your own taste toward your friends taste.

People who prefer different kind of whiskies, or have a constant different taste toward catagories of whiskies can be useful as guidance for you as well. You just have to know your own relative position toward that persons taste.

A reviewer only becomes a waste of time if there is no system toward your own taste. When his ratings becomes a lottery ticket. For me only Jim Murray is a lottery reviewer. Anyone else I think have something I can benefit from. No matter how much or little we share are favourite tastes and flavours

I am sure everybody here know persons, either friends or reviewers, whose recommendations we can follow unquestioned. It takes some experience

So I would never say I don't care about others opinions about whisky, I just reserve my rights to be more or less critical.

Steffen

[jcg9779]

"Hey mom, can you sit behind these bottles and hold this glass?"

This made me laugh out loud in my office, Scott. The person in the next cubicle asked me what was so funny.

[weller_tex]

"Hey mom, can you sit behind these bottles and hold this glass?"

:lol::lol:

[Bmac]

Believe it.

...........

I might need some coaxing.

[gburger]

I don't really care what ANYONE rates a whisk(e)y at. If I like it, I'll buy it... and drink it.:grin:

As for whisk(e)y reviewers, I kinda like Dave Broom's style, but I honestly don't care what he thinks.

Yes, but you are a Raider fan in OH. You are a lost soul.

[smgrey24]

My assumptions and mental images wereway off...

"Hey mom, can you sit behindthese bottles and hold this glass?"

There is no requirement to disclose one’s gender on this forum, so what pray tell would be my motivation to pass myself off as a woman if I were a man? Why are there not posts asking other members if that really was their wife’s/little woman’s bunker? Since bourbon drinking is often thought of as a man’s sport, I wanted to put my gender out there front and center to avoid any rumblings of unmanly like content of my posts. Other than posting my pics (there are more on the Top Shelf Thread in the New to Straightbourbon section), there is no way I can prove my gender. Oh wait, SMOWK you list Delmarva as your location … I have relatives in Rehoboth Beach, DE that could easily vouch for me – let me know should you ever be in that area because I’m sure the kin folk would love to meet you. :cool: How about we put on our big girl panties and get on with drinking / loving /reviewing some bourbon? Oh, and for the record, I do not have any children. I am so over this gender thing :soapbox: … and am moving on as I look forward to soaking up the knowledge and wisdom of the members on this elite bourbon forum. Will you join me? :toast:

[Neat]

How about we put on our big girl panties and get on with drinking / loving /reviewing some bourbon? :toast:

well, i still ain't convinced :skep: but thank you for putting the image of sb'ers sitting in front of their computers with thongs on.:smiley_acbt:

btw, if you really want us to focus on the bourbon, YOU should do the same. i think that is one of the reasons why many on this board thought someone was yanking our chains.

[CorvallisCracker]

I look forward to soaking up the knowledge and wisdom of the members on this elite bourbon forum.

Oh no. She used the e word.

[sku]

There is no requirement to disclose one’s gender on this forum, so what pray tell would be my motivation to pass myself off as a woman if I were a man? Why are there not posts asking other members if that really was their wife’s/little woman’s bunker? Since bourbon drinking is often thought of as a man’s sport, I wanted to put my gender out there front and center to avoid any rumblings of unmanly like content of my posts. Other than posting my pics (there are more on the Top Shelf Thread in the New to Straightbourbon section), there is no way I can prove my gender. Oh wait, SMOWK you list Delmarva as your location … I have relatives in Rehoboth Beach, DE that could easily vouch for me – let me know should you ever be in that area because I’m sure the kin folk would love to meet you. :cool: How about we put on our big girl panties and get on with drinking / loving /reviewing some bourbon? Oh, and for the record, I do not have any children. I am so over this gender thing :soapbox: … and am moving on as I look forward to soaking up the knowledge and wisdom of the members on this elite bourbon forum. Will you join me? :toast:

Welcome to the forum smgrey. This is a good place full of feisty folks (in a good way - usually) with a lot of knowledge. Most people here value quality over anything else (price, status, hype, ratings, etc.), which probably explains some of the reaction you got to posts that seemed to put a priority on price ("top shelf") and ratings (Jim Murray is actually an object in ridicule in most whiskey circles - but there's no way most people would know that).

That being said, I agree with you on the gender issues. I can't imagine why (1) people wouldn't believe you were who you said you are or (2) they would care. The responses here are very old-boys-club in a disheartening way, and are prying in a way that I've never seen anyone treat a newbie (post a picture of yourself? Really? I don't think I've ever seen that asked of anyone on the board)

Come on, SB folks, I can see taking issue with things people write about bourbon, but let's not let things get personal (Hmm, I feel like I wrote that really recently on another thread). As long as I've been on the board (and I'm little more than a newbie compared to a lot of others), people have always been welcoming, let's keep that up.

[Bmac]

(Hmm, I feel like I wrote that really recently on another thread).

Oh you did sir....you did....:grin:

[Wormkisser]

I appreciate reviews by forum members without agendas. If you like or love a whiskey and take the time to share your tasting notes, then I thank you.

Please don't waste my time by being anything other than honest and objective when posting because BS and ego are not why I visit here.

Happy St. Patricks Day to all!

[ebo]

Yes, but you are a Raider fan in OH. You are a lost soul.

[SMOWK]

Hey, that's Nancy Pelosi's sister.