I am not convinced it is the truth that "Gin is better than whiskey." I truly cannot stand the stuff.
Whiskey, however, is often excellent.
But in the USA, the only truth is that gin and whiskey are horrible until your 21st birthday, after which they are no big deal.
I cannot stand gin. I love whiskey (or used to before I went pretty much teeCoke-totaller a few years ago).
For myself, I prefer whisky to either (whisky is Scotch, whiskey is Irish or American whiskeys such as Bourbon). I didn't develop a taste for it until my mid-20s however.