---
title: "Our Review Process"
description: "How spirits are selected, tasted, and reviewed."
url: https://help.distiller.com/en/articles/18-our-review-process
collection: "Expert Reviews"
updated: 2026-08-13
language: en
---

# Our Review Process

How spirits are selected, tasted, and reviewed.

Every expert review on Distiller is produced in-house, specifically for Distiller, by our [Tasting Table](https://distiller.com/tasting_table) of spirits industry experts. New reviews are added every week.

## What we choose to review

Our goal is to spend our time (and money) on reviews that interest the majority of our readers. We focus on spirits that are:

-   **Widely distributed** or highly sought after
    
-   **Interesting** — spirits with compelling stories or people behind them
    
-   **Notable** — impressive new products or new approaches to production
    

Products with very limited distribution or small production runs may not be reviewed. Our editorial team decides what gets reviewed and when.

## How a review comes together

We source products through brand submissions, by tracking new releases and press announcements, and by purchasing bottles ourselves. Each product is assigned to a Tasting Table expert in the relevant category, who evaluates the **nose**, **taste**, and **finish** before writing the review.

## The three parts of every review

1.  **The description** — researched details covering availability, production details, quantities, mash bill, ingredients, and other product specifics.
    
2.  **The tasting notes** — a few sentences that help you understand what a product tastes like without buying it first: strong aromas, flavors, and lingering notes.
    
3.  **The flavor profile** — a visual interpretation of the spirit's taste, made up of 14 flavor points. The flavor points differ by spirit category, and our experts assign a value to each one.
    

## Our independence

Reviews can never be bought, and brands can never influence a score — full stop. While we may work with brands on samples, marketing, or tasting events, the reviews themselves are always objective and uninfluenced. Read more in [**Our Values**](https://distiller.com/pages/values).