# How to become a single malt connoisseur **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** liquor-alcohol\ **Created:** [January 31, 2023, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-a-single-malt-connoisseur/979115 "2023-01-31T18:30:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 70
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-a-single-malt-connoisseur/979115/70 "2023-03-17T13:23:38Z")
I see your point. I too enjoy both stouts and pilsners. And I can discuss which I prefer paired with what or on what occasion / circumstance. But I have a hard time with the idea of comparing their respective features. They’re IMO too different to intercompare. Yes, they both share their beer-ness, but IMO that’s a comment mostly about production technique, not about the consumption experience. Of booze, my favorite genres in general are scotch, bourbon, and gin in that order. The first two are clearly more similar to each other than either is to gin. But I still have a hard time intercomparing any of the three genres. I suppose this is a matter of lumpers vs splitters: > **[Lumpers and splitters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumpers_and_splitters)** > > Lumpers and splitters are opposing factions in any discipline that has to place individual examples into rigorously defined categories. The lumper–splitter problem occurs when there is the desire to create classifications and assign examples to them, for example schools of literature, biological taxa and so on. A "lumper" is a person who assigns examples broadly, assuming that differences are not as important as signature similarities. A "splitter" is one who makes precise definitions, and create... And I’m evidently more of a splitter than you are. As long as we’re all having fun with it, it’s all good. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-become-a-single-malt-connoisseur/979115)._