BourbonVault v1.0 - Complete User Guide

Getting Started

Welcome to BourbonVault

BourbonVault is your personal bourbon collection manager, designed to help you catalog, track, and share your bourbon journey. Whether you're a casual enthusiast or a serious collector, BourbonVault provides the tools you need to organize and enjoy your collection.

The application philosophy centers on three core principles: comprehensive data capture, intuitive user experience, and complete data ownership. BourbonVault operates with your privacy in mind, giving you full control over your valuable collection information.

Collection Management

First Launch

When you first open BourbonVault, you'll be guided through a quick onboarding process:

• Welcome Screen: Learn about BourbonVault's key features
• Display Name Setup: Enter your name for sharing features
• Pro Features Overview: Discover what's available with BourbonVault Pro

Main Interface

BourbonVault features a clean, intuitive interface with five main tabs:

• Collect: Manage your bourbon collection
• Share: Share bottles with friends and fellow enthusiasts
• Taste: Organize and participate in tasting events
• Wish: Maintain your bourbon wishlist
• Analyze: View detailed analytics about your collection

Sharing Features

Adding Bourbons

There are three ways to add bourbons to your collection:

Manual Entry

1. Tap the "+" button in the Collect tab
2. Fill in bourbon details: Distillery, Name, Age, Proof/ABV, Type
3. Add purchase information: Date, cost, location
4. Include tasting notes and personal impressions

Barcode Scanning

1. Tap "Scan Barcode" when adding a bourbon
2. Point your camera at the barcode
3. BourbonVault will attempt to auto-populate details
4. Review and edit information as needed

External Database Search

1. Tap "Search Database" when adding a bourbon
2. Search by distillery or bourbon name
3. Select from results to auto-populate details
4. Customize with your specific bottle information

Bourbon Details

Each bourbon entry includes comprehensive information:

• Basic Information: Distillery, brand, name, type, age, proof
• Instance Details: Batch numbers, store picks, release type
• Acquisition: Purchase vs. gift tracking, date, cost, store
• Tasting Profile: Color rating, detailed notes, flavor descriptions
• Photos: Multiple photos per bottle with zoom functionality

Bottle Level Tracking

Track consumption with bottle level indicators:

• Unopened (100%)
• 76-99% Remaining
• 51-75% Remaining
• 25-50% Remaining
• 0-25% Remaining
• Empty (0%)

Tasting Events

Give Bottles

Share bottles from your collection:

1. Go to the Share tab
2. Tap "Give Bottles"
3. Select one or more bottles
4. Add recipient name and gift note (optional)
5. Choose sharing method: AirDrop, QR Code, or other apps

Wish Bottles

Recommend bottles for others' wishlists:

1. Select bottles from your collection
2. Add recommendation notes
3. Share via your preferred method
4. Bottles remain in your collection

Receiving Bottles

Accept shared bottles via AirDrop or QR codes. BourbonVault intelligently handles different sharing scenarios with context-aware alerts.

Analytics & Insights

Creating Events

Organize bourbon tastings with friends:

1. Go to the Taste tab
2. Tap "Create Event"
3. Enter event details: name, date, location, participants
4. Select bourbons for the tasting
5. Send invitations

Rating Bourbons

During tastings, rate each bourbon with:

• Simple Rating: 1-5 stars
• Enhanced Rating: Detailed scoring across appearance, nose, taste, and finish

Event Management

Track active and completed events, compare ratings with participants, and export results.

Pro Features

Collection Analytics

• Overview Metrics: Total bottles, collection value, average cost
• Distribution Analysis: Distillery breakdown, type analysis, proof distribution
• Geographic Origins: Where your bourbons come from

Spending Analysis

Free Tier: Total Investment and Monthly Spending tracking

Pro Tier: Advanced analytics including Value Analysis, Monthly Trends, Best Value Analysis, and Predictive Spending

Customizing Analytics

Access Settings → Analytics Settings to customize which metrics to display and configure real-time updates.

Tips & Best Practices

BourbonVault Pro Benefits

Upgrade to Pro for enhanced functionality:

• Advanced Analytics: Comprehensive analytics across all categories
• Enhanced Sharing: Advanced sharing options and tasting event organization
• Data Export: Complete data export and backup functionality
• Multiple Photos: Photo galleries per bottle with zoom features

Upgrading to Pro

1. Go to Settings
2. Tap "Upgrade to Pro"
3. Review features and pricing ($9.99 one-time)
4. Complete purchase through App Store

Troubleshooting

Collection Management

• Photography: Use good lighting and include label details clearly
• Data Entry: Be consistent with distillery names and include batch numbers
• Organization: Use instance names for multiple bottles and maintain detailed notes

Sharing Etiquette

• Include meaningful notes with gifts
• Acknowledge receipt promptly
• Share tasting notes when requested
• Reciprocate when appropriate

Tasting Events

• Plan variety in bourbon selection
• Provide palate cleansers
• Limit tastings per session
• Develop consistent rating criteria

Support & Contact

Common Issues

App Performance

Issue: App running slowly

Solutions: Restart the app, restart device, ensure sufficient storage, update to latest version

Sharing Problems

Issue: AirDrop not working

Solutions: Ensure AirDrop enabled, check connections, verify devices are nearby, try QR codes

Pro Features

Issue: Pro features not working after purchase

Solutions: Restart app, check purchase status, use "Restore Purchases" in Settings