Vodka's a bit different because what makes it good is being as close to nothing but alcohol and water as possible. That gives you as objective of a thing to lo

Vodka's a bit different because what makes it good is being as close to nothing but alcohol and water as possible. That gives you as objective of a thing to look for as you're ever going to get in this sort of thing. With whiskey, on the other hand, the picture's a bit muddier. There's a lot of different stuff that contributes to the flavor, which means there's a whole lot of room for stylistic variation and personal preference.