The Whisky List is celebrating the success of its world-first virtual whisky tasting app, which has already connected with 1000 Aussie whisky lovers.
The app was launched in April 2020 to help local distilleries and global brands reach existing and new consumers from the safety and convenience of their homes.
With a core focus on storytelling, the app enables consumers to interact directly with brand representatives and distillers. Event attendees receive a curated whisky sample pack, access to a dedicated livestream with live Q&A, and can rate and purchase their favourite whisky.
In creating the virtual tasting app, The Whisky List wanted to digitally introduce the experience and feeling of what it feels like to be visiting a distillery from the comfort and convenience of consumers' homes.
The Whisky List co-founder Chris Ross said: “Whisky drinkers love getting to learn everything about the whisky they’re enjoying. When we surveyed our users about what they’d like to see next from TWL, overwhelmingly the feedback was we want to engage directly with the makers, the distillers themselves.
"And so we did just that. We brought the distillery experience directly to people’s homes and the support so far has been overwhelming. Both whisky drinkers and the brands participating love the experience we’ve helped craft.
"Since launching the app in April (2020), we’ve already run over a dozen tastings with 1000 attendees so far. We’ve got the next quarter already booked out and are taking bookings for the remainder of the year.”
One user who attended the launch of Westward Whisky’s Oregon Stout Cask via the The Whisky List tasting app said: “The app is really cool. Not only did I get to hang out with and ask some questions of the Head Distiller, but he took us on a virtual walk around the distillery.
"We got to chat as a group about each whisky we were trying and at the end of the tasting, I used the app to order a bottle. Easy. The bottle turned up a few days later. I love how connected the experience has made us whisky drinkers feel.”
The tasting app provides both brands and whisky drinkers with interesting insights. Users can rate every whisky they try in the app, with those ratings helping feed TWL’s whisky recommendation engine.
Ross describes it as the “Netflix of whisky recommendations”.
“Users tell us what whiskies they like most and our platform matches them up against thousands of whiskies across 23 taste variables, highlighting the whiskies they’re most likely to enjoy drinking.
"We see this as the most advanced whisky recommendation we’ve come across. We invite anyone to give it a try for themselves.”
More than a dozen whisky brands including Campari, Brown-Forman, SouthTrade, Westward, Hobart Whisky, Iniquity, Wm Cadenheads and The Whisky Show, have already leveraged the app experience to enhance audience engagement and build new customer touch points.
You can download the app on iOS and Android app store at thewhiskylist.com.au/links/app or just search “Whisky List” in the app stores.
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