Irish Taste Club is a monthly subscription box that features award-winning Irish artisan foods.
Boxes are packed with small-batch products from independent Irish producers and are shipped directly to your door!
Products are selected from small batch independent producers, and subscribers can expect to receive everything from “chocolate and desserts, jams and chutneys, [to] snacks or spices.” An Irish farmers market!
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the subscription review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Irish Taste Club
The Subscription Box: Irish Taste Club
The Cost: $49 per month with free shipping
ACTIVE DEAL: Get 10% off your first box!
CODE: MSA10
The Products: “The best small-batch products sourced from independent makers across Ireland.”
Ships to: US & Ireland
Irish Taste Club December 2017 Review
Irish Taste Club includes an information paper that provides information about each product and the producer. There is also a special note from the owner's, Pauline and Tom. I absolutely loved all of the detail that went into this welcome card!
Newgrange Gold Irish Rapeseed Oil, 250 ml - Retail Value $3.57 USD (€2.99)
This bottle is made of 100% Irish rapeseed oil. Never heard of rapeseed before? According to the monthly card, rapeseed is a newer crop in Ireland, and is becoming a go-to product for the health-conscious since it is high in Omega 3 and 6. It has a very high burning point which allows it to be used in many different ways. It makes an incredible dipping oil with some crusty bread, which is exactly how I taste tested it. OMG, I can't explain how rich and bold this oil is. You an also use it on a salad or to roast vegetables or meats. Lucky for me, this bottle is very large so I know I will be able to use the oil for many different dishes.
Ballymaloe Foods Relish Taster Gift Pack, 6 jars - Buy a 310 g. jar for $15.15
This taster gift set is so delicious I wish there was a way I could buy a few to send to my family members! Ballymaloe Foods started in 1990 and has built into an award-winning company best known for their relish. This gift pack is filled with some of their most popular relish flavors including the original, mint jelly, steak sauce, jalapeno pepper, and cranberry sauce. The containers are small, but they are just enough to make you want to search high and low to find ways to buy a bigger jar of each. The jalapeno pepper relish was my favorite and super spicy! I just cooked steak and eggs for dinner for my husband and we both used the steak sauce and the jalapeno blend for dipping. The steak sauce was the perfect addition to a delicious cut of meat! I spread the cranberry sauce and mint jelly on toast for breakfast a few days ago and boy was it good! The relishes are so sweet and fresh. Ballymaloe Foods uses traditional cooking methods and fresh ingredients, to me, you could really taste the homemade flavors and love in each jar!
Isle of Crackers: Flaxseed With Black Olives, 150 g. - Retail Value $4.72 USD (€3.95)
I was so surprised to see the lovely heart shaped crackers when I first opened this box. What was more outstanding was how delicious and addicting the crackers were as well! Each batch of crackers are made with Irish-sourced flour and cold-pressed rapeseed oil. Located in Gorey, County Wexford, Isle of Crackers is an artisan bakery that makes each batch of crackers by hand with love. The crackers on their own are so fluffy and flakey! They have that perfect amount of crunch and richness from the oil. The flaxseed and black olives add a lovely flavor that has a hint of saltiness. I decided to use these crackers with a cheese plate for my family over the holidays, and have since eaten the rest of the bag with some hummus. So yummy no matter how you eat them!
The Chocolate Garden of Ireland: Dark Chocolate Salted Caramels, 3.9 oz. - Retail Value $5.97 USD (€5)
It is safe to say that I could not put this box of decedent caramels down. It came as no surprise when I read that these caramels are a Gold Award winner at the Taste of Ireland. The Chocolate Garden of Ireland, located in Tullow in County Carlow, makes each batch without any artificial preservatives or sweeteners. You are left with the purest and richest tasting chocolates I have ever had. They are made with 70% dark chocolate that provides a creamy bitterness that was so good. You can really taste the salt within the caramel filling, which was just so rich. I honestly had to send the rest with my husband to work because I could not stop eating these little treats!
Keogh's Crisps: Roast Turkey & Secret Stuffing, 50 g. - Buy 3 bags for $13.95
The taste of a holiday dinner all wrapped up in a bag of crisps! Each bag of chips are made from potatoes grown on the Keogh's Farm in North County Dublin, a farm that has been growing potatoes for over 200 years. This particular blend of chips is seasoned with onion and garlic powder, various herbs, dried lemon juice, and spices. The flavors really tasted like turkey and the seasoning had an herbal flavor that reminded me of stuffing. It isn't the real thing, but the flavors are so fresh and delicious, it helps curb the cravings between holiday meals!
Foods of Athenry: Christmas Cake, 2 packets - Buy a 600 g. cake for $11.89 USD (€9.95)
My aunt makes a cake like this during the holidays so it was exciting to see something so similar to a family recipe in this month's box. It is important to note that all products from Foods of Athenry, based in Galway, are gluten-free! The cake itself is a vine fruit cake that is very soft and sweet. The fruit provides a nice tartness that pairs so nicely with the marzipan and fondant icing. I literally could eat just the icing, it is so sweet and thick! I think what I love most about this Christmas cake is the texture that the fruit provides, almost like a carrot cake. Such a lovely treat!
Foods of Athenry: Starry Mince Pies, 280 g. - Retail Value $5.91 USD (€4.95)
I have never had mince pie before so I was very excited to try this box! Plus, look at how incredibly cute each mini pie is with the star topper. I almost couldn't handle the mini pie pans, too cute! So for anyone that isn't familiar with mince pie, it is basically a filling of fruits, nuts, spices, and seasonal cheer. You can really taste the spices that break through the tartness from the fruit. The nuts add this lovely crunch that pairs nicely with the fruit. The dough is so crumbly and fresh. I decided to warm mine up slightly and enjoyed this pie to the very last bite! Now that I am in love with mince pie, I think I will need a box of these every December.
Verdict: I was eagerly awaiting my December Irish Taste Club because I knew it would be filled with holiday cheer! This month's box did not disappoint. Each product was perfectly selected to bring the holiday season to me from Ireland. What I love the most is experiencing new flavors that I might not eat here, but learning and discovering new traditions is what makes the holidays so exciting. Without Irish Taste Club, I would have never realized how much I love mince pies or that rapeseed oil is perfect for dipping crusty bread. The December box gave me all of the warm and fuzzy feelings that make this time of year so special, but I was also able to learn a bit more about Ireland and different small businesses.
To Wrap Up:
Can I still get this box if I sign up today? No, you will receive the January box.
Coupon - Save 10% off your first box with code ITC10!
Value Breakdown: This box is $49 a month with free shipping. I received a total of eight items, which is an average of $6.13. While I do love this box, I think the overall value of each product comes in a bit short of the cost per item. I would love to continue seeing more items each month or one larger product that is a higher price point to bring that overall value up slightly.
Check out all of our Irish Taste Club Reviews and visit the Food Subscription Box Directory to discover more specialty food boxes!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Have you tried Irish Taste Club? What was your favorite product from December?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.