What would be a perfect whisky score for you?

@Nock

Nice philosophical question to start me off on a Friday morning. Sadly, I'm not drinking coffee so I'm not as sharp as I might be.

Our impressions of the same bottle on different days is different, so there can be no perfect score because the impression of perfection for each person would be different on those occasions.

The only solid 100 I can think of was the one I gave to standard Canadian Club Premium Canadian whisky, bottled at 40% and served up in a plastic 200 cc bottle. It wasn't the smell and taste, but other factors that led to the score.

connosr.com/canadian-club-whisky-review-10…

I don't think I would ever score a whisky 100 based on smell and taste. But I suspect that a 100 pt whisky scored by someone I trust would probably be worth picking up.

@Nock all whisky tasting is done by a single solitary individual. Because people are individuals, perception of excellence is by nature individual. There are NO whiskies "that everybody can agree on". Name one. We all know that tastes of beginners change as they become intermediate and then advanced in their level of experience in tasting a number and variety of whiskies. When I have done multiple tastings with beginners, they almost always liked Old Pulteney 12 yo, Bernheim Straight Wheat Whiskey, and Jim Beam Black Label more than they liked Aberlour A'bunadh, Ardbeg Uigeadail, Redbreast 12 Cask Strength, George T. Stagg, William Larude Weller, and Pappy Van Winkle 15 yo

It is impressive that whiskies on Connosr can muster average scores over 90 points with multiple reviews.

I understand a 100 point scale to define perfection as 100 points. I've never given a 100 point score. Once I had a small taste I would have rated at 99 points, though it is an open question as to whether further tastes would confirm that rating. I use the idea of "95 class" to define excellence for me. In practice 95 class is defined for me as all whiskies which I rate from 94 to 98 points.

With 95 class whiskies I see no defects, only small areas in which more intensity of flavour, etc. might raise their already very high scores even higher.

@Nock - Nice idea for a thread - it's a topic I've thought about a few times.

For me, 100/100 would be a 'perfect score' but I believe that perfection is an ideal to aspire to rather than any objective reality so I doubt I'll ever rate a whisky higher than c96, as I would always feel something could be better ...

I give my scores primarily on how much a whisky makes me smile (inwardly or otherwise). OK, there's a bit more to it but my own enjoyment is the main factor. I may, however, rate a whisky reasonably highly if the quality is there but the profile doesn't quite do it for me - I think it's only fair to recognise and call out good quality when we come across it.

That said, the first time I tried Ardbeg 10 (well the second sip to be precise) I had something akin to a whisky orgasm and I don't think I've ever had quite the same 'hit' since. I wasn't rating or reviewing whisky back then, but that whisky at that time would have been a 96 'er for sure!

Then again, even as I type this I feel that it's silly to become too precious about our (or anyone's for that matter) scoring and, who knows, maybe one day I'll give a whisky 100 just, you know, because ...

@Victor - ' Name one. '

What about the revered and much longed after (on this site) Lambertus?!

@RianC my friend @CognacFan has always liked Lambertus 10 yo Single Grain Whisky. My sister likes it too.

I was going to answer something clinical like "Springbank 10 100 Proof with a bit more heft," but after reading @Nock's response to tasting that Octomore 8.3, my mind is running along the lines of "a malt that triggers a harmonious rush of memories of being held tight as a small child by my mother, to sleeping over at my bed friend's house as a preteen, to the perfume of the first girl I kissed, to the blast of Atlantic sea air when I first visited Ireland, to the lingering taste of my wife's kiss."

@MadSingleMalt that sounds like 110...at least.

I don’t think I can describe the flavours or aromas of a 100 point whisky because I haven’t tasted it yet. It would have to be flawless and also have a ton of Owen Wilson factor (i.e. the “Oh Wow!” factor). It would have to be complex without being muddy, and rich without being cloying. I would expect that a perfect whisky could come from any country, so long as it meets the criteria. I’m doubtful whether even 2 people could ever agree on a 100 point whisky, but I don’t think that really matters.....unless you’re on Facebook, where THE Macallan is “acknowledged by everyone” to be the best distillery and those who disagree are just “poor and jealous”. Ah Facebook, home of impeccable logic.