# Potion.bar: Whiskey Scanner — Scan Bottles. Prices & Reviews

> Whiskey scanner for prices, reviews, tasting notes, and local availability. (iPhone/iPad app by Ainbr, Inc..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/potionbar-whiskey-scanner/id1516194643 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Ainbr, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1876709375)
- Category: Food & Drink, Utilities
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.20/5 from 380 App Store ratings · 17 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 17+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 11 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2020-06-15
- Data updated: 2026-08-27
- Monetization: ad-supported
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/potionbar-whiskey-scanner/id1516194643/reviews.md

## What is Potion.bar?

Discover whiskey with Potion.bar.

Scan any bottle with your camera to identify it fast—then explore tasting notes, reviews, ratings, and price comparisons so you can choose your next pour with confidence.

What you can do:
- Scan & identify bottles: Recognize bottles from the label and pull up key details in seconds.
- Explore tasting notes: Learn flavor profiles, style, and distillery background.
- Read reviews & ratings: See what the community thinks before you buy.
- Compare prices: Check online and local retailer listings (where available) to spot good deals.
- Find bottles near you: Discover whiskeys at shops, bars, and distilleries in your area.
- Curated recommendations: Browse picks for beginners and seasoned enthusiasts.

Whether you’re identifying a mystery bottle, deciding between two bourbons, or hunting for a better price, Potion.bar helps you explore more and guess less.

Note: Product information, pricing, and availability can vary by region and retailer.

Potion.bar Premium (optional subscription)

Premium unlocks deal alerts for bottles you track, every store location and price behind a listing, full price history with low, median and high, Fair Price and expert-score detail, and advanced value filters.

- Premium Monthly: $7.99 per month
- Premium Yearly: $79.99 per year

Prices are in U.S. dollars and may vary by region. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the current period ends. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew in your App Store account settings after purchase.

Privacy Policy: https://potion.bar/privacy
Terms of Use: https://potion.bar/terms

## Key features

- Scan and identify whiskey bottles
- Explore tasting notes and flavor profiles
- Read community reviews and ratings
- Compare prices from online and local retailers
- Find bottles at nearby shops and bars
- Get curated whiskey recommendations

## What do users think of Potion.bar?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- 💡 Fantastic idea
- 👍 MSRP section is nice
- 👍 Auto-populated links to reviews are awesome
- 👍 Simple to use
- 👍 Useful

**Cons**

- 🐛 App constantly freezes
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 App doesn't work after iOS 17 upgrade
- 🐛 App hangs or crashes
- 🐛 Hunting locations have old reports
- 🐛 No incentive to contribute sightings
- 🐛 Nothing listed in Alabama
- 🐛 Search only covers limited areas
- 🐛 Not much info outside of MSRP
- 🐛 Hunting spots just spin
- 🐛 No results on searches
- 🐛 Cannot search by area
- 🐛 App is unusable
- 🐛 Search function never worked for common items

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App freezes and requires closing
- App goes in circles after iOS 17 upgrade
- App hangs or crashes, difficult to navigate back
- Hunting locations show reports over a year old
- Nothing listed for Alabama
- Search only populates results for Austin and Dallas, Texas
- Hunting spots just spin with no results
- Searches yield no results
- App crashes every time a bottle is selected
- Search function for bottles never worked

**Most requested features**

- Fix app after iOS 17 upgrade
- Improve stability and prevent crashes
- Update hunting location data with recent reports
- Provide incentives for user contributions
- Expand coverage to include more states/areas (e.g., Houston, Alabama)
- Work with distributors for delivery information
- Market the app to stores to encourage stock tracking
- Improve search functionality for common items
- Allow searching by local area

## Recent user reviews (10 of 17)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/potionbar-whiskey-scanner/id1516194643/reviews.md

### 1/5 — App no longer works

*2023-10-14*

App was working fine before I upgraded to IOS 17. Now app doesn’t work. Keeps going in circles. Hope they fix it soon

**Developer response:** Thank you, we fixed iOS 17 problems on our newest version!

### 1/5 — Useless App in Current Form

*2022-12-08*

Lots of potential with this app but right now its useless and will probably uninstall. 

1) unstable and constantly hangs or just crashes. Hard to even back out of whatever place you navigate to. 

2) the “hunting locations” have reports over a year old which in the rare whiskey hunting game, is completely useless. The fact that some rando spotted a Yamazaki in June 2021 at some random liquor store is literally not useful.  This can only work if it the app generates a massive amount of frequent volume which means you need thousands of users (maybe millions) who will constantly be engaging with app. But this also presents another issue: what incentive do i have to contribute to rare whiskey sightings? Tons of work with zero upside for me.

**Developer response:** 1) Sad. We're investigating on this issue.
2) Yamazaki 18 super rare, so.

### 5/5 — Fantastic Idea

*2022-11-09*

Ainbr Team - This application is a great idea and I’m excited to see it evolve over time. I’m interested in being involved in providing consistent feedback or testing as new versions come out. Is there a way to provide feedback on a more consistent basis than a review in the App Store? Please let me know, id love to help!

**Developer response:** Hello DoctorDuggan, You can all ways feel free to use feedback button which is 4th tab on our app. Otherwise, you can just mail us - hello@ainbr.com - Thanks for the review!

### 1/5 — App freezes

*2022-11-04*

App constantly freezes and I have to close it out after a few clicks into one bottle I’m looking at.

**Developer response:** Hi MKraly, we found the issue and it will be resolved soon on our next update. Thanks for the feedback.

### 1/5 — Horrible

*2022-09-11*

This has nothing listed in Alabama I can’t find any of the bourbons I drink on here

**Developer response:** We totally understand about no allocated products in Alabama. We can't do much about it since stores in Alabama don't publish their in-stock data on their websites (most don't have website). If you prefer, you can use the "Go to shop" feature to see which stores ship to Alabama.

### 3/5 — Nice concept, but not there yet

*2022-04-24*

Search finally works and now populates results for hunting. Problem is, seems they only cover Austin and Dallas in Texas. Add Houston results and I’ll be happy camper.

**Developer response:** Thanks for the feedback. We're working on coverage issue and hope we can make you happy camper ASAP.

### 2/5 — Great idea, bad execution.

*2022-01-25*

When I initially saw this app I was ecstatic. Who wouldn’t want to find hard to find things or check stock at places all just by opening an app!?

Upon further review the only useful thing I’ve seen so far is the MSRP section so I know if I’m vastly over paying for a bottle of bourbon or not. 

I think this app has a bunch of potential, if they can somehow work with distributors at least to know when and where certain bottles are getting delivered that would be great. Or somehow reach out to literally any store they can think of and market this in a way where it could drive more business as long as they actually keep track of their stock.

There’s not much info outside of MSRP just yet and I hope it gets better soon, as for now, however, this is an app to skip. You’ll get more information by simply calling a store which this app should be working to eliminate.

I really hope it gets better because this really is such an incredible idea!

**Developer response:** Thanks for the long feedback metad00d429. We are deeply working on the live price feature with massive numbers of more stores. Hope we can satisfy you the next time.

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work

*2022-01-12*

When you hit huntings spots it just spins and there are no results.

**Developer response:** Sorry for the inconvenience dink763. Due to a lack of data, some products may have no results. We're heavily working on this issue to provide massive data points to users. Again, thanks for the feedback, and I hope to see you again with a better service experience.

### 3/5 — Generally flawed

*2022-01-07*

I like the idea. But to also think that you are going to find rare bourbon that isn’t at secondary market prices because someone puts it on an app is a little crazy. Stores don’t have problems selling allocated products. That’s why they are allocated. 

Anyway. The app. The msrp section is nice, the auto populated links to reviews are awesome. The search function for actual bottles never worked for me with common things such as Buffalo trace, baby saz, etc. The app never stopped loading on the likes of warehouse C. 

If you’re looking for a decent amount of data about new brands while looking at options in the store, then this is decent. If you’re looking for any more than that then this won’t deliver.

**Developer response:** Thank you for your precious review, Johnthegreat823. We're actively working on the features you mentioned, such as allocated products (hunting spots), better search accuracy, and precise data. Stay tuned, and again, thanks for the feedback.

### 1/5 — Swirl….

*2022-01-01*

All I get is the swirl thing for hours…. Nothing comes up on any searches.

**Developer response:** Sorry for the inconvenience. We had some critical error at that time. It's now resolved. We will continue to deliver the better service. Thanks for the feedback!

## Frequently asked questions about Potion.bar

### What does the Potion.bar app do?

This app allows you to scan whiskey bottles using your camera to quickly identify them. Once identified, you can explore detailed tasting notes, read community reviews and ratings, and compare prices from various online and local retailers. It also helps you discover bottles available in shops, bars, and distilleries near you.

### What are the key features of Potion.bar?

Key features include scanning and identifying bottles from their labels, accessing detailed tasting notes and distillery information, reading community reviews and ratings, comparing prices to find deals, locating bottles at nearby establishments, and receiving curated recommendations for both beginners and experienced drinkers.

### Is Potion.bar free to use?

The app is free to download and use, supported by advertisements. There are no in-app purchases or subscription fees mentioned for accessing its core functionalities.

### What kind of whiskey information can I find?

You can find comprehensive information including flavor profiles, style descriptions, distillery background, community ratings, and user reviews. The app also provides price comparisons and helps locate bottles at local retailers, shops, bars, and distilleries.

### How does the app help me choose my next whiskey?

The app helps you choose your next whiskey by providing instant identification of scanned bottles, detailed tasting notes to understand the flavor, community reviews to gauge popularity and quality, and price comparisons to ensure you're getting a good deal. It also offers curated recommendations based on your preferences or experience level.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.1.3 — 2026-08-22

Premium is here. Subscribe to unlock deal alerts, every store price behind a listing, full price history, and Fair Price detail.

Also in this release: the subscription screen now tells you what is happening when pricing cannot be loaded, instead of showing a placeholder.

### 2.1.2 — 2026-08-01

- bugfix
- UX fix

### 2.1.1 — 2026-06-30

- Snap a photo and Potion.bar identifies the bottle faster and more reliably than ever.
- Clearer results when a label is hard to read, so you're never left guessing.
- Speed and stability improvements under the hood.

### 2.1.0 — 2026-06-17

- bugfix

### 2.0.5 — 2026-05-11

- bugfix: camera crash

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-27.*