Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account or using Bourbonator (“the Service”), you agree to these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Service. Bourbonator is operated by Ryan Ferris (“we,” “us,” or “our”).

2. Eligibility

You must be of legal drinking age in your jurisdiction (21 years of age in the United States) to use Bourbonator. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet this requirement. We reserve the right to terminate accounts if we have reason to believe this requirement is not met.

3. Your Account

You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and password. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account. You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account at [email protected].

You may not create accounts using automated means or under false pretenses. You may not impersonate other people or entities.

4. Content You Post

You retain ownership of content you post (check-ins, tasting notes, ratings, photos). By posting content, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to display, store, and distribute that content in connection with operating the Service.

You agree not to post content that is false or misleading, defamatory, harassing, or abusive, infringing on third-party intellectual property, or otherwise illegal.

We reserve the right to remove any content that violates these terms or that we determine is harmful to the community, without notice.

5. Bourbon Catalog & User Submissions

Users may submit whiskies not in our catalog. By submitting a whisky, you represent that the information is accurate to the best of your knowledge. Submitted bourbons are reviewed and may be edited or removed by administrators. We do not guarantee the accuracy of user-submitted information.

Pro subscribers can use Whisky Lens to scan bottles, menus, and shelves. Whisky Lens uses AI to identify whiskies from your photos and may occasionally misread or misidentify items — always verify results before saving them. Images are processed by our AI provider solely to return results and are not retained afterward.

6. Pro Subscription

Pro subscriptions are billed monthly ($4.99/mo) or annually ($49.99/yr). On iOS, subscriptions are purchased and billed through your Apple ID via Apple In-App Purchase; on the web, they are billed through Stripe. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and access continues until the end of the paid period.

You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time: on iOS, through your Apple ID subscription settings; on the web, through the billing portal. We reserve the right to modify Pro pricing with 30 days notice. Features included in Pro may change over time; we will make reasonable efforts to maintain the core value proposition.

We do not see or store your card details — payments are processed by Apple (iOS) or Stripe (web). Refunds for iOS purchases are handled by Apple through your Apple ID; refunds for web purchases are handled on a case-by-case basis — contact us at [email protected]. Note that cancelling or deleting your account removes your access but does not automatically cancel Apple or Stripe billing — you must cancel the subscription itself through Apple or the web billing portal.

7. Responsible Use

Bourbonator is a tasting journal and social platform. We do not encourage excessive alcohol consumption. Please drink responsibly. If you or someone you know has a problem with alcohol, please seek appropriate professional support.

8. Affiliate Links & Advertising

Some whisky detail pages contain affiliate links to retailers. We may earn a commission if you purchase through these links at no additional cost to you. We do not run advertising and do not allow advertisers to influence our content or recommendations.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components. Bourbon ratings, tasting notes, and recommendations are subjective user opinions and are not professional advice.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Service. Our total liability shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim.

11. Termination

You may delete your account at any time from your profile page. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms, with or without notice. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately.

12. Changes to Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Material changes will be announced via email and in-app notification. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

13. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.

14. Contact

Questions about these terms? Email [email protected].