Even the pros do not always agree on the tasting notes. Therefore, we have combined the tasting notes from several sources into a cross-section of the most likely Nose, Palate, and Finish to find the commonalities between two whiskies. We use the Aroma Wheel with its concentric circles of increasingly specific tastes and smells (general in the center; more specific the further out you go) to find Exact, Secondary, and General matches between two whiskies. We also take into account other factors such as ABV, region, and price (used as a rough proxy for quality). We then weight each factor based on what we believe to be the approximate importance it has in determining whether two whiskies are similar.

Again, we cannot stress enough that what you smell and taste in a whisky is likely going to be different than the person you're drinking it with. Whisky Mates is meant to be a guide to help you find what you like drinking, using the best methodologies available. In the end, rely on your own palate to tell you what you like and don't like.