Tasting notes / FILM 21 / 40 SECONDS
But Is It Delicious?
A judging sheet leaves one good question to ask.
By Old Treasure · September 7, 2026
From our recorded conversations at Whiskey Thief.
BEHIND THE CONVERSATION
A judging sheet leaves one good question to ask.
Larry and Lisa remember tasting alongside another judge whose attention was on process and flaws. They could see the technical questions. They also wanted to ask what the whiskey was like to enjoy.
Was it delicious? That question had weight of its own. Their conversation makes room for the craft behind a spirit and the pleasure it gives the person tasting it. Both belong at the table.
Read the full film transcript
But it’s delicious. What’s the consumer thinking? Is this a good whiskey? Is it not? When I did that judging with you over in Indiana, because there was another distiller at the table that was more concerned, in my opinion, about whether there are flaws in the making of it, not whether or not it was a delicious whiskey. But then I would love one, and then the other master distiller hated them. And she’d be like, “Well, this happened in the fermentation. This happened in the…” And I’m like, “But it’s delicious.” Yeah, and that’s where I have to put my merchantable head on, right? Not, “Were there mistakes made in the process?” I mean, mistakes can be beautiful, right?
Story adapted from the accompanying filmed conversation. Guest makers describe their own experiences and methods; these are not production specifications for Old Treasure.
