Frequently Asked Questions

The Barrel Vault is a private bottle tracking app for bourbon collectors. It helps you keep your personal collection organized with quantities, purchase details, and notes in one place.

Use Add Bottle and either select an existing catalog bottle or submit a new one for review. Both paths add an item to your personal collection.

Yes. Set your quantity to the number of bottles you own, and update it whenever you open, trade, or add another one.

No. You can search the catalog manually or submit bottle photos. Scanning tools are not required for the current workflow.

Choose Submit New Bottle, upload front and back images, and enter optional details. Your submission goes into review so the catalog stays curated.

Images help admins verify labels, proof, and packaging before approving a new master catalog entry or merging into an existing one.

Yes. Your collection is scoped to your account and is not publicly listed in the app.

Yes. You can store user-specific details like batch labels, store pick names, and tasting notes without changing the shared master catalog.

No. Collection edits only update your own collection entry. Approved catalog records stay admin-managed.

Estimated market value is entered and maintained by you on your collection item. It is a tracking field, not a guaranteed sale price.

Yes. Price paid and estimated market value are separate fields so you can track cost basis and current estimate independently.

Not yet. Update values manually whenever your estimate changes.

It appears in your collection as pending review. Admins then approve it as a new catalog bottle, merge it into an existing bottle, or reject it.

Approval keeps the master catalog accurate and prevents duplicates, while still letting you track bottles you own right away.

Review time can vary. Your pending status stays visible so you know the submission is in queue.

Yes. Sign in is required for collection, add bottle, and account pages so your data stays tied to your profile.

The current experience is mobile-first web. Native app plans are not part of this release.

Admin routes are restricted to admin-enabled users. Standard users can still submit bottles and manage their own collections.