Why do you care?

[cowdery]

Why do you care what a bunch of other people think about how a whiskey tastes when all you have to do is taste it yourself? If a tasting panel likes something and you don't, are you wrong? Should you stop drinking it?

[b1gcountry]

I care about the bottles I don't have because I would like an idea if seeking it out would be a waste of my time/not up my alley. Old, woody, dry,or heavy char descriptions tend to steer me away. 

For bottles I own it is interesting to read other people's notes and try to spot the flavors they taste. Sometimes it helps me identify what I'm tasting when I can't quite nail it down.

 

Edited February 17, 2016 by b1gcountry

[flahute]

Mike Veach said it best in his review of Michter's 10 yr rye today. "...your taste buds are your own. Sip, form your own opinion, and enjoy!"

[Fort Knox]

Enjoyment of good liquor is, by nature, a social thing, at least it is for me.  These days, the term "social" has taken on some new meanings that may seem counter to the traditional definitions, one of which is exhibited here in the shared experiences, thoughts, and opinions of other bourbon aficianados.  I don't read what others say here because I expect it to change my mind about whether or not I like or don't like a particular bourbon.  My taste buds will tell me that.  Of course....some days they can't be completely trusted either, seeing as how there are days when my favorites don't taste very "favorite", and there are other days when they just knock it out of the park.

Some of it is certainly also what b1gcountry said....checking out what others say about bottles I haven't tried before to see their tasting notes to see if they sound like something worth giving a shot. 

[mosugoji64]

I'm interested in hearing what others with whom I share tastes in whiskey have to say about something I've not tried. Otherwise I couldn't care less.

[Golzee]

Screw it all, and drink what you like...This forum has taught me a lot of things.   Don't chase stupid shit...OGD 114 and rare birds are amazing.  Prost!

 

[starhopper]

I think it's probably human nature to want to partake in what others are enjoying - and feeling like you're part of a "special" group.  Like religion. (and I don't want to get into a religious discussion, just saying).

[Spade]

I think others have clearly pointed out why people are interested in how others perceive whiskey (or movies, or music, or wine, or BBQ, or anything that gets reviewed and discussed!). I'll reemphasize that if someone is considering buying a bottle for the first time, it makes sense to see what other trusted people think. Not everyone has the chance to taste every whiskey before buying!

[Charlutz]

Short answer is because sometimes it helps. There have been times I disagree completely with the Internet/forum/reviewers consensus. That has taught me to trust myself.

There are other times when someone else identifies a flavor I've tasted but can't pinpoint. When I can't identify a flavor it makes it harder to enjoy. If I know what I'm trying to taste, it can (but not always) make it more enjoyable.  It doesn't seem like that should be true, but it is.

Essentially, other people's opinions serve as general guidance and help narrow down the targets in the wide world of bourbons that are available at a wide range of prices. 

Edited February 17, 2016 by Charlutz

[The Black Tot]

Some people's tastes align well with my own. Others don't at all. I've found those people who have similar priorities to myself, and when they report that they have found something special, I am moved to seek it out, and vice versa.

It's not about "caring." It's about time and budgetary efficiency. "Try everything" is not practical when there are new brands coming out every week, far more than anyone can test on their own. And every time you give some flash in the pan upstart a try and it sucks, you're stuck with a bottle of it. Most of my 2016 is going to be spent drinking boring whiskeys because I want to cull the herd of my whimsical impulse buy disasters.

I've also got friends who are movie experts, and who know my taste in movies well enough that when they tell me "You'll like this movie", I'm very confident I will. The same is true of music, audio equipment (just as highly subjective as taste) and restaurants.

You don't have to always agree with a reviewer to find their comments interesting. Often it is also about seeing how someone else verbalizes what one is tasting. Just because you taste something doesn't mean you know how to put it into a successfully communicative wording. You know you like something, and you can't put your finger exactly on what it is, and then someone says "banana" or "cereal" and you realize that that's the descriptor you were looking for. Or else you don't taste that in the slightest.

Apart from all of this, and saving the most important for last - Reading and talking about whiskey is fun, and it's something to do.

[ken_mays]

I read tasting notes to find out the negatives. Thin, acrid, young, watery, harsh, are the keywords I look for to avoid a purchase. 

 

We don't all agree on the flavors and subtleties, but we can almost always agree on the negatives.  

[O'DubhGhaill]

54 minutes ago, The Black Tot said:

Some people's tastes align well with my own. Others don't at all. I've found those people who have similar priorities to myself, and when they report that they have found something special, I am moved to seek it out, and vice versa.

It's not about "caring." It's about time and budgetary efficiency. "Try everything" is not practical when there are new brands coming out every week, far more than anyone can test on their own. And every time you give some flash in the pan upstart a try and it sucks, you're stuck with a bottle of it. Most of my 2016 is going to be spent drinking boring whiskeys because I want to cull the herd of my whimsical impulse buy disasters.

I've also got friends who are movie experts, and who know my taste in movies well enough that when they tell me "You'll like this movie", I'm very confident I will. The same is true of music, audio equipment (just as highly subjective as taste) and restaurants.

You don't have to always agree with a reviewer to find their comments interesting. Often it is also about seeing how someone else verbalizes what one is tasting. Just because you taste something doesn't mean you know how to put it into a successfully communicative wording. You know you like something, and you can't put your finger exactly on what it is, and then someone says "banana" or "cereal" and you realize that that's the descriptor you were looking for. Or else you don't taste that in the slightest.

Apart from all of this, and saving the most important for last - Reading and talking about whiskey is fun, and it's something to do.

All this.

[GaryT]

5 hours ago, The Black Tot said:

Some people's tastes align well with my own. Others don't at all. I've found those people who have similar priorities to myself, and when they report that they have found something special, I am moved to seek it out, and vice versa.

It's not about "caring." It's about time and budgetary efficiency. "Try everything" is not practical when there are new brands coming out every week, far more than anyone can test on their own. And every time you give some flash in the pan upstart a try and it sucks, you're stuck with a bottle of it. Most of my 2016 is going to be spent drinking boring whiskeys because I want to cull the herd of my whimsical impulse buy disasters.

I've also got friends who are movie experts, and who know my taste in movies well enough that when they tell me "You'll like this movie", I'm very confident I will. The same is true of music, audio equipment (just as highly subjective as taste) and restaurants.

You don't have to always agree with a reviewer to find their comments interesting. Often it is also about seeing how someone else verbalizes what one is tasting. Just because you taste something doesn't mean you know how to put it into a successfully communicative wording. You know you like something, and you can't put your finger exactly on what it is, and then someone says "banana" or "cereal" and you realize that that's the descriptor you were looking for. Or else you don't taste that in the slightest.

Apart from all of this, and saving the most important for last - Reading and talking about whiskey is fun, and it's something to do.

Thirded!  Well put Paul!

Honestly - if they offered every new whiskey in 50 mL bottles (so I don't have to buy and get stuck with a whole flipping 750 of something I might not lick), I would probably do more "buy first, read later".  But I like reading whiskey reviews.  I like the anticipation.  When someone says "I get this and that" - sure, I look for those - and sometimes that power of suggestion actually points me to flavors I might not have realized where there.  That's fun for me.  

[O'DubhGhaill]

Another example is the good intel I get from the BOTM posts / mini reviews. Of the professional reviewers Jim Murray and my tastes tend to be completely in synch, which helps with purchasing decisions I make and haven't once regretted to date.

[BigRich]

I used to not give a rats ass what others said back when I started partaking in whiskey 15+ years ago but so much of it has gotten so damn expensive (to my budget) that I sometimes need a little reinforcement of opinion if I can't try before I buy.

[LCWoody]

 Chuck chuck chuck chuck chuck chuck chuck,  sometimes you love to stick a big branch and a hornets nest and stir it up....  And I like that.   I do care what other people think,  I have aligned myself with people that have the same taste buds as myself on this spectacular, awesome, great, website.....  And it is very helpful when you want to purchase a new bourbon or rye, or any other liquor, even beer.  What does it matter, I think to us geeks it matters a lot, to a person that is on this website to get information about the next big bourbon that he can make a few hundred dollars off of, it does not matter. 

 I do agree with your statement, there are some Bourbons that I do not mind paying money for like WTMK, (and will take one for the team and buy and try) I think it's worth every penny. Some don't.  I absolutely love old scout, and I know that a lot of people probably don't. But it's good to know what the people think that you have aligned yourself with. 

[El Vino]

Chuck:  with your bully pulpit, why not recommend that producers make airline size bottles of their labels widely available so that I and other consumers don't have to take the risk of buying a 750 ml bottle that I may not like?  I can always search out a label at a bar, but that takes time and is generally a hassle.  Until then, I'll read reviews on these boards and elsewhere and try to find those whose tastes align with my own.

[Chris m]

I don't. 

[bullitt]

No. You are the final judge of where your dollars are spent. Only you are to blame for your choices. BUT it is nice to be able to share your opinions and be able to a line your tastes with others who may help direct and steer your decision making process. That's the advantage of being a part of this "tasting panel".

[bullitt]

22 hours ago, Fort Knox said:

Enjoyment of good liquor is, by nature, a social thing, at least it is for me.  These days, the term "social" has taken on some new meanings that may seem counter to the traditional definitions, one of which is exhibited here in the shared experiences, thoughts, and opinions of other bourbon aficianados.  I don't read what others say here because I expect it to change my mind about whether or not I like or don't like a particular bourbon.  My taste buds will tell me that.  Of course....some days they can't be completely trusted either, seeing as how there are days when my favorites don't taste very "favorite", and there are other days when they just knock it out of the park.

Some of it is certainly also what b1gcountry said....checking out what others say about bottles I haven't tried before to see their tasting notes to see if they sound like something worth giving a shot. 

 

[Paddy]

Call me old school, but I don't think a 50ml bottle is going to allow me to get to know a whiskey.  Like a good woman, I want to take my time, get to know her, maybe have a second (or many more) visits with her, see her with her hair up, then maybe another day with her hair down.  I do care what you think (some much more than others), but I'll make up my own mind, in my own due time.

[b1gcountry]

Yes, but some women send you for the doors 15 minutes after you sit down with them, and you are only too happy to never have to hear them again...

In my youth I would try to ignore that feeling for _other_ reasons, but looking back I know that was more hassle than it was worth.

 

[Paddy]

1 minute ago, b1gcountry said:

Yes, but some women send you for the doors 15 minutes after you sit down with them, and you are only too happy to never have to hear them again...

In my youth I would try to ignore that feeling for _other_ reasons, but looking back I know that was more hassle than it was worth.

 

Yes, but we're now wise old men who capably cull those wretches out at first sight!  

[JoeTerp]

I enjoy reading reviews and tasting notes.  They can certainly influence what products I look to try or seek out.  Once I've purchased a bottle the only thing that matters is what I think of it.

[kjbeggs]

I care what people on this forum have to say, because I respect many of the opinions found here, and have a  similar palate to some of them.

Reading reviews/tasting notes here may save me from an expensive mistake. Or it may not, as if I'm curious enough about something, I will end up trying it for myself no matter what.

 

 

Edited February 18, 2016 by kjbeggs