As the year draws to a close, we took the opportunity to dig into the data behind Distiller in 2018. We’ve been doing this for a few years now, but if you missed it, you can check out what 2017 looked like. Every year we’ve been continuing to grow at an exciting pace, and 2018 was no different. This year we introduced Tastes, quarter star ratings, adding locations and cost to your Tastes, a brand new Liqueur category and tons of other things. We saw more new users than ever before, and we reviewed more spirits than ever. In short, it was a whirlwind.
As always, thank you so much to everyone who has joined us at Distiller, created lists and bottles and shared your Tastes with us. We have even more exciting things in store for 2019, so keep an eye out!
The United States in 2018
Two years ago we were amazed by just how much of a splash Suntory Whisky Toki had made. Across both the east and west coasts, it was the most viewed spirit by a long shot. Last year the whisky made even more headway, breaking into states across the South and the Midwest. This year, however, other big names made a big push back. Toki lost ground, and in its place came Elijah Craig Small Batch, Henry McKenna 10 Year Bottled In Bond, Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Red Cask and even Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey.
Some states held onto their local state spirits like Texas, which has had 1835 Texas Bourbon as its top spirit for two years now. The same goes for Montana, which held on to Bighorn Bourbon as its most-viewed spirit for another year. Check out our map for 2018 and see where your state landed!
It’s always interesting to see where brand marketing has been most impactful. While Toki has clearly focused on the coasts, it seems that with the new redesign of Elijah Craig Small Batch came a concerted marketing effort across parts of the South and Midwest. Long an under-the-radar favorite of bourbon fans, it would seem that the word is finally out on Henry McKenna, which exploded in popularity out of Kentucky and surrounding states. Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the impressive showing from Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Red Cask Whisky that has clearly invaded from the great white north.
Finally, it would seem that Conor McGregor’s Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey made a big impact in Nevada where marketing around the UFC was clearly effective.
The Tasters Abroad
While Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia remain our top three largest markets outside of the United States, other countries are on the move. India moved up to bump Germany out of the 4th spot, and Japan jumped from the 9th spot to the 6th. Mexico moved up to #10.
The Great One remained on top in Canada this year with No. 99 Red Cask, as did Australia’s own Starward Malt Whisky. In every other country, however, there was a new top dog.
2018 By The Numbers
Many millions of people used Distiller in 2018, and hundreds of thousands of Tastes were created all over the world. People from Uzbekistan to Venezuela to Zimbabwe to Lithuania came to Distiller this year to view spirits, add to their lists and create Tastes.
Total Searches Performed: Over 20 Million (+3 Million over last year)
Total Spirits Added to Lists: Over 425,000 (+110k over last year)
Total Tastes Created: Over 175,000 (+25k over last year)
Curious which spirits took home the top spots across the entire platform? Here we go!
Most Viewed Spirits of 2018
Suntory Toki hung on, but just barely. Elijah Craig Small Batch and Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey came on strong to edge out Suntory The Chita Single Grain and Wayne Gretzky No. 99 Red Cask Whisky from last year.
#1 – Suntory Whisky Toki
#2 – Elijah Craig Small Batch
#3 – Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey
Most Added To User Lists In 2018
A bit of a re-shuffling here. Last year Lagavulin 16 took the top spot, now it’s down to #3, Blanton’s was #2, and Eagle Rare 10 Year was #3. All the same players, but different positions.
#1 – Blanton’s Original Single Barrel
#2 – Eagle Rare 10 Year
#3 – Lagavulin 16 Year
The Most Tasted Spirits In 2018
While Lagavulin 16 Year held on to the top spot, Eagle Rare 10 Year moved up from #3, Buffalo Trace Bourbon entered the top 3, and Laphroaig 10 Year dropped off the podium entirely.
#1 – Lagavulin 16 Year
#2 – Eagle Rare 10 Year
#3 – Buffalo Trace Bourbon
Here Comes 2019!
Thank you to everyone who used Distiller in 2018 for contributing to the amazing community, sharing your Tastes with us, and always suggesting new features to help us constantly improve. If you thought 2018 was exciting, you’re going to love what we have in store for you in 2019.
From everyone here at Distiller, we hope you have a wonderful holiday season. Relax, sip on something delicious, and of course tell all your friends about the greatest spirits platform on earth: Distiller.
Cheers everyone!
Mikael Mossberg is the Co-Founder & CEO of Distiller.
With Distiller, you’ll always know what’s in the bottle before you spend a cent. Rate, Review, and Discover spirits! Head on over to Distiller, or download the app for iOS and Android today!
