Drambook import guide

Whiskey collection CSV import checklist: fields to clean before you move from a spreadsheet

Collection migration · Last reviewed July 2026

Before importing a whiskey collection spreadsheet, clean the columns that identify the bottle, not just the columns that look tidy: expression, distillery, proof or ABV, mash bill, batch, barrel or store-pick notes, purchase facts, tasting notes, and backup status. A spreadsheet can hold all of that, but it usually turns into one giant notes field. The goal of import prep is to keep the facts separate so the shelf is searchable after the move.

Quick version: back up the original spreadsheet, split bottle identity from purchase facts, normalize proof and ABV, keep value estimates separate from what you paid, then import only fields you can explain later.

Drambook is a private, on-device whiskey and bourbon journal for iPhone and iPad. It can import a CSV with column mapping behind the one-time lifetime unlock, then export CSV or PDF later. This page is not about locking you into Drambook. It is the checklist I would use before moving any collector spreadsheet into any serious whiskey tracker.

Adult-use boundary: Drambook is for adults of legal drinking age. It does not sell alcohol, facilitate purchases, appraise bottles, or provide investment advice.

1. Save the original spreadsheet first

Before cleaning anything, duplicate the file. Keep one untouched original and work on a copy. That sounds basic, but collection spreadsheets often contain years of notes in uneven columns, hidden tabs, and merged comments. Once you normalize fields, you want a way back.

If you care about the collection, store the original somewhere outside the app import flow too. Drambook stores your personal shelf on your device. That is good for privacy, but it means manual exports are your backup habit, not cloud sync.

2. Split bottle identity into real columns

The first cleanup pass is identity. Avoid one column called "Bottle" that contains everything. Split the facts that make one bottle different from another:

• Brand or producer
• Expression, such as Single Barrel, Barrel Proof, or 12 Year
• Distillery, if it differs from the brand
• Year, batch, barrel, or release, especially for allocated bottles
• Store pick or private barrel, including retailer name if relevant

That split matters because two bottles with the same front label can be different records. A standard shelf bottle, a single-barrel pick, and a batch-specific release should not collapse into one row.

3. Normalize proof and ABV

Proof and ABV should be numbers, not prose. In the United States, proof is twice alcohol by volume, so 100 proof means 50% ABV. The TTB describes proof and alcohol-content labeling in its distilled spirits rules and guidance, and the legal category rules sit in 27 CFR 5.143.

Practical import rule: use one column for proof and one for ABV if you have both. Do not write "100pf / 50" in one cell. Drambook can be useful later only if the field is searchable.

4. Keep mash bill and category separate

A bourbon category label and a mash bill are related, but they are not the same field. Bourbon must be at least 51% corn, rye whiskey must be at least 51% rye, and wheated bourbon is still bourbon with wheat in the secondary grain slot. If your spreadsheet has mash bill notes, keep them separate from broad category.

If that sounds like overkill, it is exactly the kind of overkill collectors eventually want. It lets you answer questions like "how many wheated bourbons do I own?" without opening every bottle record. For the field logic, see what is a mash bill.

5. Separate what you paid from what you think it is worth

Purchase price is a fact. Estimated value is a guess. Keep them apart.

Drambook can show cellar value views, but those numbers are estimates based on catalog data. They are not live prices, not sale offers, and not investment advice.

6. Turn tasting notes into usable note fields

If your spreadsheet has one huge tasting note, keep it, but consider splitting future notes into nose, palate, finish, rating, and flavor tags. That is the common tasting-note structure because it keeps sensory impressions comparable bottle to bottle.

You do not need to rewrite old notes before importing. The better move is to preserve the old note, then use structured notes going forward. See how to write whiskey tasting notes for the format.

7. Be honest about photos

CSV files are text. They do not carry bottle label photos cleanly unless your spreadsheet already uses local file paths or URLs. Treat photos as a second migration task, not a reason to block the text import.

In Drambook, label photos are local to the device. The website cannot see them, and Drambook does not upload your personal collection photos to a server. If you want photo backup, use your own device backup workflow and periodic CSV export for the structured records.

8. Import a small test first

Before importing a long cellar, test with five to ten representative bottles:

• One ordinary bourbon
• One store pick or barrel pick
• One scotch or Japanese whisky
• One bottle with a long tasting note
• One row with missing fields

If those rows land cleanly, the rest of the spreadsheet usually follows. If they do not, fix the columns before importing hundreds of bottles.

Where Drambook fits

Use Drambook if you want a private iPhone and iPad shelf journal with no account, no collection cloud, no analytics, and a one-time unlock for collector tools. Do not use it if you need Android, web, cloud sync, alcohol buying, resale appraisal, or investment advice.

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