RATING SYSTEM
Nose - 25
The aroma of the whisky. One of the most important aspect when enjoying your whisky, simply because your nose can sense a lot more taste than your tongue.
Palate - 25
How the whisky taste like? Is it a sweet sherry bomb? Or a heavily smoke peat monster? Is the whisky oily? or soft? It's all about the taste and the texture of the whisky.
Finish - 20
How long does the aroma and taste lingering in your mouth often differentiate a good whisky from an average whisky.
Balance - 25
The overall smell and taste experience. Sometimes there are whisky with a great nose but average palate, or vice versa. There are also whisky that are too sweet or too peaty. Good whisky shall not be too extreme.
Price - 5
A price of the whisky. I will use retail price from several prominent online retailers as a guideline. Why price is an important factor? When two whiskies have the same rating from the above mentioned criteria, then the cheaper one shall get a higher rating than the more expensive one.
VERDICT
No two whiskies are exactly the same. Even if they got the same rating does not mean they will give you the same satisfaction. Some might be suitable for daily dram, while some might not. Therefore each recommendation is unique, hence I do not set a general recommendation for certain scoring bracket.