Hello and welcome to my Arbor Whiskey Snowboard review.
In this review, I will take a look at the Whiskey as an all-mountain-freestyle snowboard.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Whiskey a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how it compares with other all-mountain-freestyle snowboards.
NOTE: The 2019 model was the last model of the Arbor Whiskey.
Overall Rating
Board: Arbor Whiskey
Price: $449 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain-Freestyle
Flex Rating: Medium (5/10)
Flex Feel on Snow: Medium (5/10)
Rating Score: 79.8/100
Compared to other Men’s All-Mountain-Freestyle Boards
Out of the 27 men’s all-mountain-freestyle snowboards that I rated:
- The average price was $486 (USD)
- The average score was 80.9/100
- The highest score was 94.4/100
- The lowest score was 69.7/100
- The Whiskey ranked 14th out of 27*
Overview of the Whiskey’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Whiskey’s specs and available sizes.
Specs
| Style | All-Mountain-Freestyle | Flex | Medium (5/10) |
| Ability Level | Beginner to Advanced | Feel | Semi-Loose to Loose |
| Weight | On the lighter side of normal | Turn Initiation | Medium-Fast |
| Camber Profile | Continuous Rocker (Arbor’s System Rocker) | Shape | Directional Twin |
| Stance Setback | Centered | Edge-hold | Good on Hard snow. O.K. on icy snow |
| Price | $449 (USD) | Base | Sintered |
Sizing
| Size (Length) | 148 | 152 | 155 | 158 | 159MW | 161 | 162MW |
| Waist Width (mm) | 247.5 | 249 | 250.5 | 252 | 261 | 253.5 | 262.5 |
| Weight Range (lbs) | 106-186 | 112-192 | 118-198 | 124-204 | 126-206 | 130 – 210+ | 132 – 212+ |
| Weight Range (kgs) | 48-84 | 51-87 | 54-90 | 56-93 | 57-94 | 59-95+ | 60-96+ |
Who is the Whiskey Most Suited to?
The Whiskey is best for anyone who wants a playful, easy going, forgiving all-mtn-freestyle ride that is better in powder than most all-mtn-freestyle options.
If you like to ride a mixture of park and groomers, with some off-groomer exploration and like to get freestyle outside the park, and you want something that’s playful and forgiving to do it with, and don’t want to spend an arm and a leg to get it, then the Whiskey is a great option.
Beginner suitable, but not ideal for absolute beginners (only because of its flex) – but anyone high-end beginner and up, looking for this type of board would get on with it, IMO.
The Whiskey in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Whiskey is capable of.
Demo Info
Board: Arbor Whiskey 2019, 155 (250.5mm waist width)
Date: March 5, 2018
Conditions: Cloudy with flurries but visibility was mostly good – a couple of times it went fuzzy but mostly good. Nice medium-firmness to the snow. Not soft but not hard. Off groomer doable and groomers nice.
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Stance width: 540mm (21 1/4“)
Stance Setback: Centered
Width at Inserts: 263mm (10.35“) – both back and front the same width
Weight: 2720 grams (6lb 0oz)
Weight per cm: 17.55grams/cm (on the lighter side of normal)
Average Weight per cm: 18.21grams/cm*
*based on a small sample size of 24 boards that I weighed
Flex
To me it felt a little softer than medium. I’d say a 4.5/10 maybe even slightly less. But I was riding the 155, which is probably a little too small for my weight. So I’d say that it’s a 5/10 in the right size.
Powder
No fresh powder on the day, but there was some leftovers, and it felt like the Whiskey would float pretty well. There’s certainly enough rocker in there and it’s got a slightly longer nose than tail. It’s centered so it’s never going to be extremely effortless, but otherwise felt like it would work pretty well in powder.
Carving & Turning
Not really one for really railing a carve and really getting that edge locked in and drawing out a nice wide flowing carve.
It’s more of a quick turner. It’s really easy to initiate turns on and has a nice easy turning feeling to it.
It’s pretty quick edge to edge and really agile – was fun in the trees.
Speed
It’s not super fast and, perhaps more importantly, it’s not the most stable when really getting fast. It gets a bit wobbly. Can handle a bit of speed but not too much.
Uneven Terrain
Handled chopped up groomers and undulations really well. Felt like it took it all in its stride and wasn’t fatiguing trying to get through that kind of snow/terrain.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Jumps
OK pop but not amazing. More solid on landings than I was expecting from the continuous rocker profile and nice and agile on the approach. Better for small to medium jumps and side-hits than bigger kickers – not stable enough to be great on larger jumps, IMO.
Switch
Really easy to ride switch and feels pretty much the same going either way. It’s got a slightly longer nose than tail – but it’s centered along the effective edge, so, unless you’re in powder, it’s the same in both directions. And since its an easy going board in general, it’s nice and easy going riding switch, which is especially good if you’re just starting out riding switch.
Jibbing
I felt pretty good on jibs on this board. It’s not a jib master, but it’s easy going and soft flexing enough to be ok. If it were softer it would be even better.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
| FACTOR | RATING (OUT OF 5) | CONTRIBUTION TO FINAL SCORE |
| Switch: | 4.0 | 16/20 |
| Jumps: | 3.5 | 14/20 |
| Jibbing: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Carving/Turning: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Powder: | 3.5 | 7/10 |
| Speed: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| Uneven Terrain: | 4.5 | 9/10 |
| Pipe: | 3.0 | 6/10 |
| TOTAL after normalizing | 79.8/100 |
The Whiskey is a really easy going board – it turns nice and easy, is playful and forgiving. But it’s also not super soft, so that adds a bit more stability for speed and carves. It’s not amazing in any area but it’s good in every area. A fun board if you’re looking for a casual, easy going ride at a decent price.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you want to learn more about the Whiskey, are ready to buy or want to research prices and availability, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the Whiskey compares to other men’s all-mountain-freestyle snowboards or want to check out some other options in that category, check out the next link.
>>My Top 5 Men’s All-Mountain-Freestyle Snowboards
Hey mate. Just wondering how much you weigh? Looking at the 155 whiskey and you said it was maybe a little small for you so thought I would see what you were. I am 75kg. Do you think that would be about right for me?
Hi Matt
I’m 185lbs (84kg) – or at least I was when I rode this board. Always put on some weight in the summer – time to start dropping it for the winter!
For you, the 155 is likely to be the best size. But if you could let me know your height, boot size and ability level, that would be great. I like to look at sizing based on a number of factors. Whilst weight is the most important factor, other things can also influence what the best length is, IMO.