Abov the Noise – November 2022
November 2022 – Issue #3
Abov: Elevate Your Whiskey
The launch issue! We’ve been waiting for this day for months and then it arrived with more of a whimper than a bang. We’ve heard your issues and we’re working as quickly as we can to make sure that everyone is able to explore everything the new app has to offer!
ALL ABOUT THE APP
THE ABOV APP IS LIVE
After months of planning, development, and testing, the Abov app is live and ready for use. The app is available on both iOS and Android today!
That being said, we want to be realistic about what you’re all out there experiencing, we know that everything isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. We’ve heard about issues logging in, adding whiskeys, and accessing your data. The first bit of good news is that your data is safe, once you’re able to get into the application you’ll see what you had in WS ready for your use.
We’re trying to push these fixes into production as quickly as possible. In fact, there’s a good chance that by the time you read this, the login issues will be fixed, as will the ability to suggest a missing whiskey through the “add a whiskey” feature.
We knew there would be some initial speedbumps, and want to let you know that we hear you and we’re doing everything we can to accelerate fixes and get you back into the world of whiskey.
ELEVATING YOUR WHISKEY
A BETTER FUTURE
We know all these challenges are temporary and honestly, we’re still excited about the future. The new platform will allow us to deliver new features more steadily, squash bugs more quickly, and ensure stability and security moving forward.
When it comes to new ideas, we’re always open to learning more about what you want to see, what features you would use, or any thoughts you might have on the application. A great example of this is the number of people who have reached out about the ‘notes’ feature in WS. We’re already talking with the design team about how we might add this feature into Abov; including resurfacing all of the notes that existed in WS.
If you’re willing to share those thoughts with us, send an email to our Chief Product Officer Adam and he’ll be happy to hear your feedback and reach out if we start building the feature to make sure we’re doing it the way you intended. Our goals are to help you elevate your whiskey, whatever you need to make that happen!
GOTTA DRINK THEM ALL
Rackhouse Whiskey Club
A bottle of whiskey you’ve never heard of comes across your dashboard at a good price. Should you buy it? Will you get another chance to taste it?
We want to be able to help our users find and acquire those one-of-a-kind bottles when they see them. Enter rarity ratings.
We’re working to build an objective measure of the rarity of a certain whiskey for your area. Combining aggregated review, collection, whislist, and affiliate data; we can tell you how likely it would be that you’d come across that particular bottle again.
If you’d be interested in learning more about how this rarity rating works and would like to see it as an added feature in the future, let us know! We’d love to hear from you and see if we’re on the right track. Same thing if you hate the idea, we want to hear that too! No sense spending time building something that nobody wants or needs; we’re not Meta.
WHAT'S IN YOUR GLASS?
Talisker 10 Year Old
From the Isle of Skye which is part of the Islands region of Scotland, you can smell the maritime influence as soon as you pop the cork of this peated single malt. Talisker is the oldest working distillery on the Island, and a visit offers dramatic and breathtaking views of the sea.
While there is certainly a smokiness to this scotch, it’s nothing overpowering. Users reported surprisingly complimentary notes of citrus and pepper, giving this 10 year old classic a full yet well balanced flavor.
The Talisker 10 Year is the perfect entry point to trying some unique styles of peated whiskey, with some of the other expressions being very highly rated by Abov users.
USER REVIEW OF THE MONTH
Snoof – Suntory Whisky Kakubin – 78/100
“This blend does not offend. Nose: There is the promise of a saltiness. Once more with Japanese whisky, there is a maritime influence floating around in there amid the honey and general sweetness. Not quite iodine but apparent. There is a touch of pepperiness that suggests spice and maybe a slight nutmeg vibe although behind the honeyed sweet nose. Palate: Yep, peppercorn added to even more honey. This is honey of the runny honey variety and cinnamon more than nutmeg. There is a little fruit on subsequent tastings and it’s not a bad whisky at all. The quality of the blend brings a higher score as there is not a wide-ranging flavour profile to be found here. Finish: Much as above and medium in length. Without indulging in cliché, again a Japanese whisky that is almost brilliant but suffers from being too perfect in what it set out to do. It’s a quality blend but maybe a little bland to hit a score in the eighties or above… But I wouldn’t refuse this if offered! “
WHAT THE ABOV TEAM IS DRINKING
Jordan – @WhiskyCIO
Old Forester 86 Proof
Every year, I come back to Old Forester around this time of year, as it reminds me of my grandfather, who always kept a bottle of Old Forester on his small liquor cart in the dining room. He actually hated liquor, but kept it stocked for friends and relatives, on the off chance they wanted a drink. He was like that.
Years ago, when I asked him why Old Forester, he just told me it’s the least offensive of the cheaper options, and he liked the labeling on the bottle, as he thought it had a classic look to it. All these years later, I think I have to agree with him.
Old Forester 86 Proof is a surprisingly flexible drink that can be enjoyed anyway from neat to the base of a fancy cocktail. Notes of oak and vanilla dominate the palate on it, but they are not so strong that they are offensive. One of my standbys; has been for a long time and will be in the future. Try it in a hot toddy this autumn or winter season!
RATING: 80/100