About Chugcheck

Chugcheck is a place to explore beer, wine, cider, spirits and cocktails. The idea is simple: you should be able to get a good understanding of how a drink tastes without having to try it yourself.

Finding out what a drink is, how strong it is, where it comes from or how long it has been aged is usually easy. Understanding how all those things affect its taste is harder. That is what Chugcheck is here for.

The site is new and still growing. Some drinks may have placeholder images or missing information while I continue building the database.

How a drink is described

Every drink has a flavour wheel showing its main accords. Some accords are shared across all types of drinks, while others are specific to certain categories. Each drink also has a set of scales that show different aspects of its character. Users with an account can vote on these, and expert assessments may also be included.

Tasting notes are chosen from a shared list of around 150 terms. This is intentional. A freely written note describes one particular drink, while a note chosen from a shared list connects it to every other drink with the same flavour. Vanilla, for example, becomes a page of its own, bringing together every drink associated with that note.

The scales follow the same principle. A sweetness rating only becomes useful when the same scale means the same thing across different drinks.

Where the facts come from

Details such as alcohol strength, cask type, grape varieties, botanicals and region come from the producers. I check their own websites and product information, working through the database one drink at a time.

If I cannot verify something, I leave it blank. I would rather show missing information than fill in the gaps with guesses.

What is editorial

The tasting notes, flavour wheel and scale values reflect my own assessment of each drink. They are not laboratory measurements, and they are not meant to be.

Producers are welcome to share their own tasting notes, which I can use as a reference when writing descriptions. The final assessments are made here, using the same approach across the database. No producer decides a score, and nobody can pay to be included or receive a higher rating.

The ratings

Ratings come from the Chugcheck community. You need an account to vote, which helps keep ratings tied to registered users. An account also lets you leave comments, add photos and keep track of the drinks you have rated.

What Chugcheck is not

Chugcheck does not sell drinks. There are currently no ads, sponsored content or affiliate links. If that changes, I will make it clear here.

Who makes it

Chugcheck is built by Josef Diksved in Sweden.

Producers: If you would like your range included, or have spotted something incorrect about one of your drinks, feel free to get in touch at Josef@chugcheck.com. Product sheets, verified facts and photos are always welcome.

For everyone else, the same address applies: Josef@chugcheck.com.