Robb Vices is “a membership program centered on a monthly delivery of storied treasures.” Each month, they send a collection of curated products and/or experiences.
FYI – The July 2018 Robb Vices is delayed but will ship soon. Learn more here!
Subscribers should expect boxes to include “vices” like “exceptional wines and spirits to enjoy, foods to taste, tools, toys, accessories, and gadgets.”
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Robb Vices Subscription Box
The Subscription Box: Robb Vices
The Cost: $99.95 + shipping (For reference, shipping to PA is $12.95) Save with longer subscriptions.
The Products: Each box contains a curated selection of products and experiences and provides subscribers with a taste of the good life!
Ships to: Robb Vices ships to all states except ND, UT.
Robb Vices "Spanish Afternoons" August 2018 Review
There's always a really nice booklet included that tells the story of the month's collection and goes a little deeper into why it was chosen.
There are several pages on each of the items.
This time, some cocktail recipes were offered up to use your gin with.
There are more descriptions on some of the other items.
A recipe using some of them...
And a closer look at the maker of the included salami.
The back has a table of contents and how you can join Robb Vices if you received the box as a gift.
Let's get a look at those items in the flesh!
Alkkemist Gin, 750 ml - Retail Value $57.97 (found here for $49.97)
After months of jealously reading Anna and Liz's reviews, I am excited to review a month where the star is this lovely bottle of Spanish Gin. Since the theme is "Spanish Afternoons", they've chosen to highlight the art of the Gin & Tonic which they say is perfected over in Spain. The bottle says right across the front that this gin was "distilled by the light of the full moon" which I have to say is intriguing. I don't know anything about distilling, but this one is done so in traditional copper alembics with quadruple distillation, using a base grain alcohol that is already three times distilled. It's only distilled 12 times a year, when "the influence of moon is bigger". That may be where the metallic gold cap gets its shape from, hmm? The booklet goes on to say that this gin is very juniper-forward but also uses muscat grapes in addition to the other 19 botanicals which gives it an "exclusive" scent. I wish my sniffer was more fine-tuned to pick up on this difference, but I do love gin and this one hits the spot. I also learned that Incan and Mayan civilizations used botanicals only extracted under a full moon which the Alkkemist distillers respect the cycle of.
Q Drinks Tonic Water, 16.9 oz. - Retail Value $17.00
If you're going to make a premium tonic water, you better start with some nice packaging! Check! I normally wouldn't sip tonic water alone, but this one is actually doable even with its recognizable slightly bitter end. This is much more enjoyable than the plastic bottle I buy from the local grocery store brand. It's also made with organic agave which has to be a defining factor.
Q Drinks Indian Tonic Water, 16.9 oz. - Estimated Retail Value $17.00
Next is the Indian Tonic Water, which I had never heard of. In the booklet, they mention that this one will be sweeter than the classic tonic and they are very right. The difference is that this one is made with sugar instead of agave. It makes it even easier to drink straight but I found that it made a G&T a bit too sweet for my tastes.
So how does it all taste?
I had Andy join me for (and make) some simple G&Ts using the two different tonic waters included since I am not partial to drinking gin on its own. They came out extremely smooth and VERY drinkable. As I mentioned above, the Indian Tonic made the drink a bit too sweet for my liking, but the original was just right. What I'm most excited about is to have a nice bottle of gin for my guests, especially my friend Justin who is quite the connoisseur of gin! He'll be so impressed!
Robb Vices also included some dried botanicals from Melissa's Produce to enhance the ones that the gin is made with or use with food to compliment the cocktails.
Juniper Berries, 0.7 oz. (net wt) - Buy 1.5 oz for $10.29
The first item is in a smaller jar and is normally thought of as of the star of gin. The booklet suggests using these to cook game and fish as they give "character", but you can also just bump up your cocktail game and toss these into a punch bowl. These are also used as part of the sauce in the Flank Steak recipe in the booklet.
Star Anise, 0.8 oz. (net wt)
Anise is not my favorite thing, I have to say. I've gotten some in cocktail subs in the past and know they can bring something to the table depending on the drink, but they just aren't for me. There's a healthy portion here in a jar almost double the size of the Juniper Berries. These can also complement something you steep, like tea or bone broth, according to the booklet.
Dried Rose Petals, 0.2 oz. (net weight)
Last but not least is the dried rose petals. Rose water is everywhere in beauty products right now, so I love to see them in a completely different form in another part of the subscription box world here. I would love to see these floating in any cocktail because I am a sucker for that kind of thing. Don't want to ingest them? Put some in a sachet to stow in your dresser drawer!
In addition to the three offerings, there's a $25.00 code to purchase whatever you'd like from Melissa's.
La Quercia Spicy Borsellino Salami, 6 oz. - Retail Value $9.99
The last item this month is a salami from La Quercia. While it's a product of the USA, the booklet tells me its common to get complimentary tapas such as this in a Spanish bar to enjoy with your Gin & Tonic. They suggest pairing this with French bread, and one of my favorite cheeses, the Spanish Manchego (6 month, if you please). I immediately found this salami to be smoky and rich with flavor. It tastes fresh and has a gorgeous marbling to it. The end of this cured meat has just a kick of spice which is perfect to cool down with a cocktail indeed.
Verdict: My first Robb Vices experience was luxurious and delicious. As I'm told, this is more of a "classic" box since it includes a specialized alcohol and other treats to enjoy alongside, which I think it just perfect. I lucked out that it featured one of my favorite cocktail ingredients which could have only been outdone by vodka. I'm excited to explore how to use and mix everything from the box with more creativity and impress my friends with my newfound knowledge! This box has a retail value that seems to hover around the $126.96 cost including the $25.00 coupon. I'd say that you kind of break even with this one, and it's a nice discovery for anyone interested in quality spirits and food. It would make a killer gift but isn't exactly a "deal" kind of sub.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No. Sign up by the 1st of the month to receive that month's box.
Value Breakdown: This box cost $112.90 (cost + shipping to us in PA). The products I could find individual retail values for add up to $101.96, plus there's a $25.00 coupon code and three jars of botanicals that are hard to get exact prices of.
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What do you think of the August 2018 box from Robb Vices?
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