How it all works

How to find your way around, how to write a whiskey review, and how to turn it into a card for Instagram.

Using this site

• The Parlor is the front page, with the latest reviews and posts.
• Reviews has every review. Search by name, maker or tag, and sort by date or score.
• Review Desk lets you write your own review with the same color chart and flavor wheel. It runs in your browser, nothing is saved on this site, and you can download it as Markdown, HTML, plain text or a Discord post.
• Card Studio turns a review into an Instagram card with your own name and logo.

Writing a review

1. Set up. Pour about half an ounce into a tasting glass. Let it sit for a few minutes, and try it neat before adding a drop of water.
2. The basics. Write down the name, the distillery, the proof and what you paid. Those are what readers check first.
3. In the glass. Pick the closest color on the chart, then legs, then body. A sentence about what you see is plenty.
4. Nose. First smell, then after it sits. Tap what you notice on the flavor wheel, then put it in your own words.
5. Palate. First sip, second sip, how the proof shows. Tap what you notice on the flavor wheel, then put it in your own words.
6. Finish. How long it lasts and what lingers. Tap what you notice on the flavor wheel, then put it in your own words.
7. Your thoughts. The context: the story behind it, how it compares, who it's for.
8. Score it. Reviews here use a 10-point scale. The score is how much you enjoyed it, not how rare it is. Then make the value call: Skip it, Try it, Buy it.
9. The bottom line. One sentence someone can remember.

Tips

• Write what you actually taste. The flavor wheel is a prompt, not a checklist.
• Taste it twice, a few minutes apart. Things change once it opens up.
• Say what you paid. A great one at a bad price is still a hard sell.
• Keep notes short while tasting and tidy them up afterward.

The Card Studio

1. Pick a card. Showcase for a new bottle with its specs, The Hunt for one you tracked down, Review for your score and notes, and Post for anything else.
2. Pick a layout. Classic puts the words over the photo, Split keeps the photo clear on top, Arch frames it in an arched window, and Spotlight shows the most photo.
3. Fill it in. Use the review you're writing, open a review .md file, or type the details.
4. Set the photo. Upload it, then slide and zoom until it sits right, and set how much shade goes behind the words.
5. Pick the colors. Six color themes, from Forest to Tasting sheet.
6. Save it. Download a 1080 × 1350 image sized for an Instagram post, and copy the caption it writes for you.

Open the Review DeskOpen the Card Studio