A person who is good at choosing alcohol is not someone who quickly buys a large bottle, but someone who makes a lot of small comparisons.
It takes more time to look at three bottles side by side than to look at one bottle for a long time.
If you buy a bottle of smoky whiskey and it's not your cup of tea, your liquor cabinet will be heavy for months. On the other hand, if you compare three small bottles, you will quickly find out which scents you don't like.
new perspective
In the era of premium spirits, an acceptable bottle is more important than an expensive bottle. Conviction comes more quickly from direct comparisons than from label descriptions.
Practical method
For whiskey, make a small comparison between bourbon, blended, and peated types, and for gin, divide it into citrus type and herbal type. When comparing white, gold and dark rums in small quantities, the differences are clear.
Things to watch out for
Even the smaller bottles have the same strength. For comparative tastings, it is best to use 15ml or less and have water and a simple snack along with it.
Drinking taste is not a game of guessing the best bottle, but a process of feeling small differences many times.