COLLECTOR GUIDES
How to catalogue your whisky collection
A useful whisky inventory tells you which bottles you actually own, what is open and where each bottle's story began. Start with the bottles on your shelf; the finer details can come later.
Give every physical bottle its own record
Two bottles with the same label may have different purchase prices, opening dates or remaining amounts. Create one record for each physical bottle, rather than one record for the product name with a quantity beside it. This works for wine and other spirits too.
In My Bottle Collection, create a cabinet and choose Add bottle. Enter the name as it appears on the label. Add the producer, bottle size, ABV and age statement when known. A photo helps distinguish similar labels; each bottle can have up to three photos.
Record what you know, and label estimates
Leave an unknown size, price or opening state blank. Unknown remaining volume is different from an empty bottle. If you estimate what is left, mark the volume as approximate and explain the estimate in the notes.
For example, an opened 700 mL bottle that looks about half full could be recorded as approximately 350 mL remaining, with a note saying it was visually estimated. That is an example, not a measurement or a change to your collection.
Keep purchase details and future wishes separate
The cost paid belongs to that individual bottle. Record the actual seller separately from the distillery. A reference price is not the amount paid, and an unknown cost should stay blank.
Add future finds to your wishlist. A wish or an order is not a bottle on the shelf. Once you have received or collected it, use Purchased / add to collection to confirm possession and enter the details per bottle. The original wish remains in private purchase history.
Keep the history when a bottle is finished
Record an opening when it happens. Mark a bottle finished only when it is empty, so it leaves current stock while retaining its photos, timeline and tasting history. Cabinet Owners can export an Excel copy for offline reference; editing the workbook does not update the website.
Follow the bottle setup instructions, or continue with keeping a tasting journal.