The Full Disclosure
First things first: Every review on this site is independently written and no producer has reviewed it prior to publication. Period.
That said, I would rather keep access to this site free for beer and spirits consumers, so I do allow companies to purchase opportunities, such as the sponsorship of a single category overview, a portfolio review of their business and many of their products, and simple banner advertising. Again, these are opportunities, not promises of effusively positive reviews, and the no one from the client company is given an opportunity to review the copy prior to publication.
I do accept samples for review, although there is no guarantee that provided products will be reviewed in this space, or if they are reviewed, that they will be given a positive assessment. I also, from time to time, am offered support on a trip, usually by tourism organizations, but occasionally by distilleries or breweries. Any sponsorship of such trips will be clearly marked at the end of the resulting narrative.
The Process
As someone who has been writing beer and spirits reviews for more than three decades, I take my reviewing process very seriously. Every product, with very few exceptions, will have been sampled a minimum of two times, often three or more, before the review is considered ready for publication. (The odd exceptions are beers and spirits tasted while travelling.)
Beers are analyzed at least once under tightly controlled conditions and then again in a more casual manner, much as anyone might enjoy a beer – socializing with friends, watching the television, relaxing after a long day of work. I find that the latter sampling often reveals hidden aspects that more rigorous examination sometimes overlooks.
Spirits are sampled in much the same way, except the analysis portion happens at both full strength and in diluted form, so as to reveal the full character of the drink. Each spirit will also be tasted in a more informal fashion, sometimes neat, sometimes with water or ice, sometimes mixed with a traditional accompaniment such as tonic for gin, and sometimes all three ways.
In the end, my goal is to provide the most descriptive review possible, emphasizing information over rating, experience over elitism. I hope that you will share my enthusiasm for this approach.