This page is designed to explain what each facet of my rating system for restaurant/bar whiskey selections communicates in a simple and concise manner. This post is subject to change if and when I make adjustments to the template itself or if I decide to add or edit templates for other future ratings I conduct on this blog. The goal is to have this act as a master key for newcomers and those unfamiliar with my rating systems.

Last Edit: 1/8/25

Rating Template for Whiskey Selections

Variety: What types of whiskey are provided? This can be an indicator as to what extent that a venue considers the whiskey consumer in curating their whiskey selection.

Range: There are six possible range grades that can be given: Poor, Limited, Average, Above Average, Good, or Excellent. Several things go into this rating. How many bottles are there? What types of whiskey have the most bottles? The least? This contextualizes what their variety is. You can have a wide variety and still not have a top-grade whiskey selection if you only have one bottle of each type of whiskey. Also shows which types of whiskey they care about and/or consider worth investing in for their profit margin.

Price Point: What is the general price range for their whiskey selection? How expensive is their basic shot? How expensive is their best shot? How does this compare to the Iowa City market? Do they have a whiskey menu that shows the selection and/or tells you the price?

Wells: What brand or brands do they use for their well whiskies (and wells in general if possible)? What price are the wells?

Best Bottle: What is this location’s best bottle or bottles of whiskey? Do they have any exceptional whiskies? This immediately gives the reader a short list of the best bottles in case that’s what they’re looking for. Additionally, it helps contextualize the range.

Key Notes: A showcase of one of the establishment’s whiskeys. I order a whiskey neat and will provide notes on what it’s served in, how it smells, and how it tastes.

Overall Thoughts: What is my opinion of the whiskey selection in its totality? What is my opinion of the establishment itself? If I can tell or are told, what are they aiming for with their whiskey selection? What other closing thoughts do I have? This will always come at the end of the post.

Grade: F-A+. This is not an independent qualitative grade, but a relative one. Each grade is given considering all the factors listed above and how the selection stacks up against the field of all places I have rated. Grades may change over time as the selections evolve or as other bars and restaurants change my perspective of the grading scale. If a selection I initially thought was a B (or A, or C, etc.)  turns out to be impressive in comparison to the majority of selections I rate, and vice versa, I reserve the right to adjust my grade accordingly. Any changes made after the initial posting of a rating will be noted in the postscript of the post which led to the change.

Postscript: This will not always be included, but will be added at the end of a review whenever a particular rating causes other aspects of the blog to change. These changes will almost always be related to either another rating (because the latest rating forced me to reevaluate a separate one) or the rating template itself if I find it necessary to do so. I will keep the door open to include other unforeseen changes in the postscript section as they may come up.

If you think I’m missing something from my rating, let me know in the comments what category you would add. I cannot guarantee that any metric suggested will be added, but I can promise that they will be read and considered. I will not be eliminating any already existing categories; more data is always better.