Too often when I read about spirit of the month clubs, it’s from “experts”, that know a whole lot of what they’re talking about. Unfortunately, I’m not a booze expert. But I like bourbon, and joined Flaviar for a few months with the intent of getting access to interesting whiskeys. My review of Flaviar is based on that level of expertise, and those expectations.
Did I enjoy it? Hell yeah.
Was it worth the money? Every penny. (==> Join Flaviar Here)
That being said, don’t expect to get the cheapest booze out there. The main downside to the club is that you pay a premium on bottles. However, depending on your drinking habits, you may save money in the long term. At the very least, it’s a convenient way to get consistent access to a wide variety of interesting alcohol.
Flaviar completely lives up to its tagline. It’s a Club For Explorers At Heart. It’s not a club for finding deals, which is the main complaint I read about on forums. I’ll dig more into that near the end of my Flaviar review, but I want to share my specific experiences with this spirit of the month club so you can decide if its something you would enjoy, or if it would make a good gift.
Flaviar Review: Main Takeaway
The main thing I discovered from joining Flaviar is that this is not a “discount” whiskey club as I had imagined. It’s a membership designed for people that enjoy all types of booze, and want to try things beyond what’s available at their local bottle shop. Coupled with the educational content like tasting pairings, history lessons, and flavor profile cards, someone who wants to learn about what their drinking would get a lot out of this club.
There are also exclusive events and bottles available for true enthusiasts like tickets to the Craft Spirits celebration in New York, or the limited-release Bunnahabhain Hogshead 733 single malt Scotch Whisky. ==> Try Flaviar
Joining Flaviar
After joining a few beer of the month clubs, it was time to try the hard stuff. When I first joined Flaviar, it was invite-only, and you had to wait a few months until the club opened up to new members. I don’t know if this is an intentional marketing move, or if its to make sure there’s enough product to go around, but just be aware that if you sign up today it may be a bit until you actually get your first shipment.
My intent for joining Flaviar was to get access to some interesting bourbons. I never know what to buy when I go to the store. I see things like Bulleit, which a lot of people like, but is all too common. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I see expensive whiskeys which look and sound cool, but I don’t know if they are worth the price.
So much of the craft spirit market is just a pretty label. It sucks to sit in the store furiously searching Google to read the true history of each bottle.
On top of that, if I want to buy local, I have to suss that out as well. It’s too much work!
My hope was, I could outsource that work to Flaviar. I was also hoping to get access to some rare scotch, or maybe even some Pappy Van Winkle. I was previously part of the Rare Beer Club, and they always had exclusive deals you could buy.
Updated Flaviar Pricing: $95 Per Quarter
Flaviar has gone through a number of pricing and offer changes over the years. I think their newest pricing structure is the best, and most fair.
It’s $95/quarter, and you get one free tasting box, plus one free bottle per quarter included in the membership price. As a new member, I also got a discount code for a bottle, but I don’t know if they still offer that.
With the new pricing structure, the price of what you get is a LOT more fair that previous club prices. $95 for a single bottle and three 1.5 oz pours of whiskey sounds a little expensive, but the bottle included in your membership costs around $45-$55 retail.
1.5 oz is about one glass of whiskey you’d get at a bar, so you’re paying $12-$18 per glass. I think that’s a pretty good deal considering you’re getting it delivered to you house. This isn’t a shot of Jack Daniels during happy hour.
(Just FYI, they used to ship monthly for $40, with 5 drams, then quarterly for $60, with 3 drams, but no full bottles)
Keep in mind, as I mentioned in the beginning, the point of joining the club is not to get deals. It’s to explore whiskeys, and there are more benefits to being a member (discussed below). They offer other perks, which make up for the price.
You also get one free shipping credit per quarter. If you order a couple bottles you can’t source locally, that pretty much justifies the premium price on the bottles. Prices are consistently higher than other websites online, which is annoying when you price compare.
In most cases, the free shipping will even out the price. Especially when you consider that shipping costs will vary between online retailers. Plus, if you don’t have access to a big bottle store in your area, you may have no other choice. Driving 30 minutes to Total Wine or Bevmo might be worth the $15 premium! The monetary value of Flaviar totally depends on your location, drinking habits, and desire for a “deal”.
For example, here’s what I ordered in October 2019, and a great example of how you get get some badass whiskey for a reasonable price.
They don’t carry Stranahan’s Diamond Peak anywhere near me, so I’d have to ship it anyway. On top of that, I got a 3-pack of Japanese whiskeys I’d never heard of, including Nikka Days.
I’m a HUGE fan of the original Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, and Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky. Rather than buy four bottles at $40-$100 per bottle (Kurayoshi 12 is $100/bottle), I can try everything for $117.57. Now that’s a deal! ==> Join Flaviar Here
Ordering & Tasting Spirits From Flaviar
I’m a person that loves to learn about food and drink, hence owning a food related website. I make my own beer, kombucha, and am a huge fan of grilling as well as sous vide. So when I drink whiskey, I like to learn about it. I want to know who made it, what makes it special, and what I should be tasting.
To be honest, the tasting part is still tough for me. It’s hard to taste wheat, caramel, and lavender in a fiery dram of 80 proof. Nonetheless, it’s interesting, and I want to learn.
The tasting notes was one reason I really enjoyed the whole Flaviar experience.
When my welcome box arrived I was greeted by tasting notes for each bourbon.
In an email, I then received further information about each distiller. It was interesting to read about the history of the maker, the space, and specific bourbon they sent. I eat this type of stuff up.
Personally, this is what I envision a great whiskey club to be. I wanted to try a bunch of different whiskeys from different places in the world and learn about them. I’m not that consistent of a drinker of spirits that I can finish a bottle in a month, so I just want to be able to taste a few things, then buy a bottle once in a while.
Oh, and I should mention that Flaviar does a great job presenting their product too. It’s a real treat to receive such a niche package in the mail! The first package is set up as a “tasting club”, where each whiskey is unmarked, so you can taste with friends and guess which one is which. My second order was not set up this way.
==> Join Flaviar Here!
Flaviar Bourbons & Blends Review
For my “Welcome Box”, received three craft bourbons. I can’t remember if I told them that was my drink of choice, or if it was just random, but I was happy with this selection. My favorite was from a Distillery called Journeyman.
Welcome Box (Bourbons): Few, Koval, Journeyman
To get a full idea of what Flaviar had to offer, about a month later, I ordered another taster box. This time I went with “Blends” because they had a Japanese whiskey in the mix, and I’m a big fan of Japanese whiskeys, especially Nikka Coffey Grain. Results? Equally good!
Tasting Box Order #1: Blends
Actually, I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I did prefer the smoother blended styles. I know it sounds cool to drink straight bourbon or single malt scotch, but the blended whiskeys in this second box were a pleasure to drink.
The box itself was $32, which was one of the cheaper ones. I used my free shipping credit for the month, so this was a pretty affordable package. Sampler packs range from $40 – $80, so a single vial may be $12 – $35, depending on what you buy.
And yes, they do have Pappy Van Winkle samples, but they are wildly expensive. Might be fun for a special occasion, and much cheaper than a bottle!
Tasting Box #2: Experimental Scotch
Will I Keep My Membership?
Yes, I’ll probably keep my membership for at least a year (I did. I canceled for a time, but now I’m a member again). I’m not a huge spirits guy, but I do like to try things from time to time, and this is the perfect pace for me. I get at least one sampler per quarter, plus I can get free shipping on another one each month. I’m not too concerned about paying a more per ounce, because this is not my main source of alcohol. I already make my own beer on the cheap, so I can indulge a bit here.
I’m not so much interested in brandy, rum, or other spirits right now. That being said, just looking at their website, there’s a lot of whiskey to keep me busy. There’s categories like Japanese Whiskeys, Peat Whiskeys, American Grains, Island Scotch, and Beer Whiskeys! Wow. Actually, if I order just one a month, there’s probably enough variety for a few years just sticking wish whiskeys.
==> Join Flaviar Here!
What About The Other Perks Of Being A Member?
Actually, there’s a lot going on in the membership area that I haven’t explored yet. There are distillery tours you can organize, events you can attend, cocktail recipes, blog posts, merch, reviews, and info on exclusive bottle releases.
I just want to drink, so I don’t really pay attention to that stuff, but it might be fun if you have the time an interest.
Should You Join Flaviar Or Gift A Membership?
If you are looking for whiskey deals, this membership is not for you. If you exclusively want to find rare whiskey ($1000+ bottles), you won’t get that at Flaviar either.
However, if you want to learn about what you’re drinking, and get access to a wide variety of booze in a fun way, then this is a great club to join. If you know someone who’s into tasting rather than just drinking, then this makes a great gift too.
While writing this post, I was thinking about who would be perfect for joining Flaviar. Here’s what I came up with. You’d really enjoy a Flaviar membership if you:
- are interested in trying whiskeys or other spirits but don’t know what to buy
- don’t want to waste hours reading forums with people arguing what’s the best whiskey for your money
- like the idea of a curated selection of booze
- want to learn about whiskeys without buying in-depth books with convoluted tasting notes
- don’t mind paying a premium for the club membership
- enjoy the a variety of spirits, but don’t want to be locked into buying entire bottles
- like the idea of “try before you buy”
==> Join Flaviar Here!
Flaviar Review Final Look
Pros
- Can sample a wide variety of spirits without buying a whole bottle
- Helps improve tasting skills by ordering “themed” tasting sets
- Access to curated spirits, getting good, craft booze
- A fun way to learn about distilleries and their products
- Huge selection of whiskeys from around the world
- Access to hard-to-get spirits
- Unlike any other club (most clubs require buying full bottles monthly)
Cons
- Bottles are more expensive than buying in the store
- Only one free shipping credit per month
- Very few “rare” bottles, mostly stuff you can find online
Suggestions for Improvement!
- Ship monthly instead of quarterly
- Offer more bottle discounts included with membership fee
- More access to exclusive bottles.
==> Join Flaviar Here!
Fun Stuff About Flaviar’s Website
- Learn how different spirits are made
- Read tasting notes of each bottle before you buy
- Organize a “home bar” to keep track what you own, and what you plan to buy
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I think this was a great review! Unbiased and from someone I consider being at the same level with. I love to sample and try new things and was wondering whether I should join. I had considered joining and splitting the membership with my cousin but based on the size of the samples that you clearly articulated, this would not work. Great info! This helped quite a bit with my decision.
Thank you,
– Ian
Awesome. Glad I could help Ian. You can check out the full list of whiskey of the month clubs, and skip to the “sampler” portion for comparable services, or perhaps a full bottle club would be more what you guys are looking for if you want to split it.
You could also share the price of the bottles in Flaviar, and then do tastings together. I’m not sure if the full bottles come with notes though.
I just “activated my one year subscription and have a question. Do I need to do anything else or do they just show up at your door? Do you have to pay more than the $300 membership or is the sample box and full size bottle free and they send you when it’s a new quarter? I guess i need to know if I need to order something and is there a cost beyond the membership. Thank you!!
You do need to pick your whiskey on their website. That would include picking your first bottle and taster pack, then they’ll ship. Each quarter, they’ll send you a notification when you can get your next pack and bottle. In the meantime, you get free shipping on one bottle per quarter as well which you can use at your leisure.
Super helpful- thank you
This was a very good un-biased review that aided in the process of whether to joint a club or not.
It helped me with the pros and cons to what you get with the club and what kind of selections they have.
It also made me aware to just keep seeking whiskey from my local distributor that has monthly tastings of rare whiskies.
As does Total wine too which is another good source of intel, as for drinking I love whiskey, in the end the review explains how I am not suited for the club as I don’t vary that much, coupled with the fact I can get nearly all varieties somewhere to sample in the big city.
Thanks for reading Coot! My local Bevmo doesn’t do tastings unfortunately! Sounds like you might be in a more metropolitan area. I used to live in Riverside CA, and they seemed to have more resources due to their proximity to LA, San Diego, etc. I agree with you though – it would be very helpful to have an in-person tasting club. More discussion = more learning.
That really helps with my homebrew tasting.
The closest Total Wine to me is 90 minutes away, so no-deal there for me LOL
Thanks for the review,I am currently mulling over the idea of accepting the invitation to join. I do think the waiting period is a marketing idea but nevertheless I liked the idea of learning/tasting new whiskeys.
Awesome. Yeah man, do it. If you don’t like it you can always cancel after a month. I know that I never go to the store and come home with a bunch of bottles so this is a good way to at least get some kind of tasting, so you can figure out what you like.
I thought for sure I would love a “hop infused” whisky, but it turned out to be super sweet and I didn’t like it. Good thing I didn’t buy the bottle!
Absolutely great review. Definitely helping me a ton in deciding whether to join or not and provides a pretty accurate picture at what the membership entails!
Thanks!
Thanks Robert!
Good review. I joined membership last month and received my first tasting sampler and bought some nice Irish Whiskey that is not sold a regular stores. I like the fact they have the history and hard breakdown of flavor within the bottle. I do wish they would go down to at least $40, or up the perks on being at $60… I am sticking with it for now, but not sure how much longer. Over all great review, I would like to add though on the online prices, it does automatically show you the price for your state (taxes etc) in Flaviar; I am not sure if the other site you looked at already matched your state. The Basil Hayden for me (that you showed in picture above) is for $48.99. My next move is to try the beer club that you mentioned at the beginning, thanks!
Hm. Prices may vary by state! I’m in California, so I’m not sure how that affects the price.
The flavor breakdown is fun. I think a lot of “tasting”, whether it be wine, whisky, or beer is intimidating for people. As a knowledgable craft beer drinker (and maker), I’m always surprised at how many people seem shy to comment on beer flavor, for fear of looking like a non-expert! I’m sure the same goes with wine and whisky. These small, but important flavor cards can help you build up your chops talking about whisky, feel more comfortable tasting and looking for flavors, and help you enjoy the whole whisky drinking experience even more!
Fantastic review! You helped me decide that this is not the club for me. I was hoping it was a place to buy harder to find whisky and bourbon. You made it obvious that it is not that kind of club. I appreciate your very detailed review.
Thanks
-Ian
Thanks Ian. Glad you enjoyed it. I really wish there was a club like that. I mean, Flaviar has featured Pappy Van Winkle spirits from time to time, and other rarities, but it’s not the norm.
Some whiskey clubs do claim to have “rare” whiskeys, but from what I’ve seen, most of them are just “expensive” whiskeys LOL. So far, I haven’t found anything like the rare beer club, but for whiskeys. I’ll keep searching!
I think your best bet so far is to do the research yourself, find a bottle you want, then source the bottle. It’s a lot more work, which sucks, but you’ll end up with something you like. You might want to follow some whiskey Instagram accounts to get some ideas of where to start.
I did have a question. Your “welcome box,” was this one of your 2 tasting boxes that are paid for with the membership? Or was the welcome box an extra and you still got the tasting boxes each quarter?
The welcome box was free, but you have to commit to at least one cycle to get the freebie. I got one box per quarter, but ordered ANOTHER variety pack, which had free shipping since you get one free shipping coupon per quarter.
What do you mean you have to commit to at least one cycle?
I mean to get the free stuff, you have to pay for one quarter. You can’t just get the free stuff delivered, then unsubscribe, essentially getting whiskey for free without paying anything.
Thank you for the in depth review. I was considering purchasing a gift membership for my son for his 30th birthday as a companion to the distillery tour party we are having. You have made up my mind for me, I am purchasing a year membership for him. I hope he will share his knowledge with me!!
Sounds like he’s gonna love it! If he’s into whiskey or spirits enough to enjoy a distillery tour, I think he’ll like the educational material provided with Flaviar Shipments.
Great review! Super helpful! I do have one question, if you’re purchasing as a gift, does the recipient of the gift see the pricing when they pick out their quarterly full sized bottle? Or are the priced marked out for the bottles that would be included and then the recipient has the option to upgrade, if they want? Thanks!
The bottles are not priced when choosing your quarterly bottle/taster pack. If they decide to buy more bottles throughout the quarter, then they would see the price, and they would have to put their own credit card to purchase either bottles or taster packs.
I just signed up. When I go to select my first free full sized bottle it only shows me a list of whiskeys. While I like whiskey I was hoping to choose a scotch. Why can’t I choose the full bottle I want?
Did you select scotches when you went through the sign up process as you preferred whiskey? Did you click some famous scotch brands you like? That should get you scotch as an option for your free bottle. There’s usually a couple of good ones top ick from, although you can’t just pick any scotch available on their website.
Hi! Loved the review. Still confused on exactly what my friend will get if I gift him with a $300 subsription? What is included in that price? (i.e., what is the actual gift? How many “free” bottles per quarter? And then…what else?)
A $300 gift is a 1-year subscription, so you get 1 bottle and 1 taster every quarter. That would be four total bottles and four taster kits (3 tasters in each kit). Then, your friend will also get free shipping on one bottle per quarter (he has to buy the bottle himself), plus access to exclusive bottle releases and other taster kits he can purchase himself.
Can you choose what type of spirit that you prefer? For instance, I am more of a rum drinker would love to have this service for rums, but would not be as interested if all I received was whiskey.
Yes, you can set your preferences at the beginning when you sign up. Then they’ll give you a couple options for your “free bottle” for the quarter, and then you can order your preferred spirits accordingly.
Hi, I recently think about joining the membership. May I ask what is the free premium bottle for this quarter? Thank you!
You get to pick your bottle based on your preferences. There’s a selection of a few to choose from.
Just joined and my biggest complaint besides those you mentioned is the lack of sorting or filtering functions in the bottle store. It’s annoying to be scrolling through $30-$50 bottles and have a $700 bottle come though…yes nice to know it’s there but being able to sort low-high would be great.