COLLECTOR GUIDES
How to keep a bottle tasting journal
A bottle tasting journal helps you remember an experience in your own words. Linking the entry to a particular bottle gives those notes context, from its first opening to the final pour.
Write notes you will recognise later
You do not need a scoring system or a specialist vocabulary. Start with what you noticed: aroma, flavour, texture and finish. Add the date and anything useful about the occasion. A short note such as “citrus on the nose, softer after a little water” can be more useful to you than a long list of unfamiliar tasting terms.
In My Bottle Collection, select the physical bottle you tasted and choose Record pour. Add optional tasting notes and participants using the wording you prefer. Each entry stays with that bottle's private history.
Choose whether to update remaining stock
Record pours after consumption, not for a tasting you are planning. Enter the total amount poured for the event. If two people shared 30 mL altogether, record 30 mL; that is different from 30 mL each.
Leave Deduct from remaining stock selected when you want that completed pour to reduce the bottle's recorded volume. A deduction needs a known remaining amount and confirmation that the bottle is open. Use a log-only entry when the consumption has already been accounted for, so it is not deducted twice. Tracking every pour is optional.
Use the timeline for the bigger picture
Received, opened and finished dates help explain the tasting history. Add dates you know and label approximate dates; leave unknown dates blank. Finishing a bottle preserves its story rather than deleting it. Date corrections do not change remaining stock.
A collection inventory and a journal serve different purposes: the inventory records what you own, while the journal records the moments you want to remember. Start your bottle inventory if you have not catalogued your shelf yet.
Keep sharing deliberate
Your pour history and private timeline are not included in public share links. Owners choose which bottle details a link can show and when it expires. Cabinet Owners can export the collection and pour history to Excel for a readable offline copy; keep that file safe because it contains private information.
See the pour and tasting-note instructions for the exact controls, or learn how to record a completed pour through ChatGPT.