IMO, only you can really identify if you're an alcoholic. It's different for every one. For me, I was never physically addicted to alcohol. When I quit, I didn't have withdrawals or anything. I did drink every day though. I never really drank a lot of hard liquor. I'd do shots, but I rarely bought bottles. Towards the end, I was drinking a lot of gin, but not like a handle a day or anything. The thing for me was that every time I drank, I drank to get drunk. I wasn't there to have a couple and relax. I was blacking out several nights a week. It was mostly beer, but I was drinking about a 12 pack a day, 6 nights a week. I still excelled at work, I wasn't physically addicted and I didn't try to hide it. I always felt like shit though. Getting out of bed was always a struggle. I made a ton of bad decisions. My life revolved around alcohol.
I also knew I was an alcoholic when I first started drinking at around 13. I liked it too much. Once I started drinking, I really didn't care about the consequences.