Taster's Club is a subscription that sends a new bottle of “must have” liquor to your door every month.
When you sign up for a subscription, you decide what kind of alcohol you’d like to receive. The following clubs are available: Whisky, Bourbon, Scotch, Scotch Pro, Rum, Tequila, and Tequila Pro. This is a review of the Scotch Club.
Taster's Club subscriptions are accompanied by their “Whisky 101” course material, so you can learn more about what you’re drinking.
My Subscription Addiction pays for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Taster's Club
The Cost: $79 per month + shipping for the Scotch Club (Shipping to DC was an additional $15.) Note that the price differs between clubs.
The Products: A different bottle of liquor every month. (My shipments feature Scotch because I joined the “Scotch Club.”)
A note about shipping: Taster's Club does not list the US states to which they ship on their website. Most alcohol subscription companies are unable to ship to all 50 states due to alcohol shipping restrictions, so I’m uncertain whether Taster's Club is able to ship nationwide or not.
Find other boozy boxes in the Alcohol Subscription Box Directory and make sure to add Taster's Club to your subscription list or wishlist!
According to the Taster's Club website, “each bottle is accompanied by our own ‘Whisky 101’ content.” I didn’t receive anything in my box apart from the Scotch, though.
I did, however, receive an electronic “Scotch Appreciator Certificate” via email when I signed up for the subscription.
The whisky itself came with a small brochure, which is nice. It’s always helpful to receive information about the contents of a subscription box.
This month’s Scotch pick is Bunnahabhain. (My husband is Scottish, so I had to look to him for pronunciation help with this one. Apparently, it’s pronounced like “bu-na-ha-venn.”)
The Bunnahabhain distillery is located on Islay, an island famous for its Scotch production.
The hubby and I took a trip to Islay a few years ago, but we didn’t make it to the Bunnahabhain distillery. If anyone is ever in that neck of the woods, I can’t recommend visiting Islay enough. It’s a stunning, uncrowded island with excellent hospitality and fantastic Scotch!
Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch- MSRP $59.99 (on sale for $54.99)
Islay whiskies are known for their smoky, peaty flavors, but this whisky is surprisingly mild.
From Bunnahabhain: “The nose offering a fresh and aromatic experience with a subtle whiff of smoke floating through the air. The taste starts with a light fruit and nut appeal that leads to a spectacular malty sweetness, finishing into a beautifully rich full-bodied, lingering experience.”
I’m a big fan of this Scotch. The touch of smoke is pleasant without being overpowering, and I think this is definitely a people pleaser. (Not like some of my favorite ultra-peaty whiskies that taste almost medicinal.)
Verdict: I’ve been in the market for a Scotch subscription for awhile, so I had extremely high hopes for Taster's Club. Unfortunately, I’m not sure what to make of it quite yet. On one hand, I think this month’s Scotch selection is excellent. On the other hand, though, I’m concerned about the overall value and lack of supplemental materials. For me, a big part of a subscription like this is the educational content, and the “Whisky 101” materials seem to have been left out of my box. Without additional materials, this is really just a bottle of Scotch in a box, and I don’t think it’s appropriate to pay nearly double retail just to have someone pick out a bottle for me. I’m hoping that this box is just a fluke- that next month’s value will improve and that the supplemental materials will be included. If not, I don’t think I can justify the subscription.
Have you tried Taster's Club?
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