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How to organise and keep track of your whisky collection

We've given lists on Distilld a fresh look, and they're the simplest way to keep track of what you own, what you've tried, and what you want next.

Collections have a habit of creeping up on you. One thoughtful gift, a holiday duty-free splurge, a distillery visit, and suddenly the few bottles you started with have quietly become a shelf, then a cupboard. A list is the easiest way to bring a little order to that, and to get more out of every bottle you own.

Make a list that’s yours

We’ve just made lists on Distilld more personal. When you create one, you can now choose a background and an icon to go with the name, so your wishlist, your shelf and your next tasting are each instantly recognisable at a glance.

Make it yours. 1. Name it 2. Pick a background 3. Add an icon

Creating a list takes seconds. Head to your account page and tap to make a new one, or tap the + button on any whisky and start a list right there. Adding your first bottle in the same breath. That + button sits next to every whisky on Distilld, wherever you are in the app, so building up a list is always one tap away.

Add a whisky in one tap

And every whisky you add can carry a note. Tasting impressions fade fast, so a few words at the time: what you loved, when you opened it, where you found it. Turn a plain list into something you’ll actually come back to.

Organise by status

There’s many ways to sort a growing collection: By whisky type (bourbon, single malt), region, country, price category (everyday pours, special occasions) or age. Our recommendation? Sort it by status:

  • Open: what’s already cracked, so you finish bottles while they’re at their best.
  • Unopened: your reserves, waiting for the right moment.
  • To buy: a running list for your next shop visit.
  • Investment: Incase you’re having bottles you’d like to track the value of.

It’s a small distinction that quietly answers the question you actually face most evenings: what should I pour tonight?

Keep a wishlist

A wishlist is where discovery pays off. As you explore whiskies on Distilld, filtering by flavour, reading tasting notes and community reviews. You can drop anything that catches your eye straight onto a list with the + button. Note why it’s there (“recommended by Tom,” “the fruity one from the festival”), and because Distilld compares prices across shops, you can keep track of the price and keep an eye on when to buy. No more screenshots you’ll never look at again.

Plan a tasting

Lists make hosting easy. Gather four to six drams in one place, pick a theme: a single region, a distillery’s different ages, bourbon-matured versus sherry-finished. And use the notes to set the running order. Pour light and delicate first and save anything smoky or peated for last, since peat lingers and tends to overpower what follows. Then share the list with your guests so everyone can follow along.

Lists worth sharing

Because any list can be shared for others to see, they’re a small gift in their own right: a “start here” list for a friend getting into whisky, a club’s tasting line-up, or simply the cabinet you’ve spent years building.

Try it

Give the new lists a try in the Distilld app (App Store and Google Play) or on Distilld.io. And if there’s something you wish lists could do, tell us at info@distilld.io. We’re always improving.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What's the best way to keep track of a whisky collection?

    The simplest approach is to keep everything in one place you can check from your phone. Organised in a way that matches how you think about your bottles, by flavour, region, or by what's open versus unopened. On Distilld you can create a list for your collection, add any bottle with a single tap, and note details like purchase date or whether a bottle's been opened. That beats a forgotten spreadsheet or a notebook you have to be at home to read.

  • How should I organise my whisky collection?

    There's no single right way. The most common methods are by style or flavour profile (peaty, fruity, fresh, woody, spicy, malty), by region or country, or by status (open vs unopened, everyday vs special occasion). Pick whichever you'll actually keep up with, and use a separate list for each grouping so your collection stays easy to navigate.

  • How many whiskies should I pour at a tasting, and in what order?

    Four to six drams is the sweet spot. Varied but not overwhelming. Pour from light and delicate to full-bodied, and always save smoky or peated whiskies for last, since peat lingers and can overpower everything that follows. A clear theme (region, age or cask type) makes the whole tasting more rewarding.

  • Can I add notes to whiskies in a list?

    Yes. Every whisky you add to a list can carry its own note. Handy for recording tasting impressions, how long you've owned a bottle, whether it's finished, the order you'll pour it in at a tasting, or why it's on your wishlist.

  • Can I share my whisky list with other people?

    Yes. Lists on Distilld can be shared for anyone to see, which makes them great for recommending bottles to a friend, sending a tasting line-up to your guests, or simply showing off your collection.

  • Is there a free app to track your whisky collection?

    Distilld is free to use, on the web and as an app for iOS and Android. Create a free account and you can build unlimited lists, add whiskies with one tap, write notes, and personalise each list with its own background and icon.