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Robb Vices Subscription Box Review – December 2018

Megan K.
ByMegan K.Jan 11, 2019 | 22 comments

Vices
3.4 overall rating
48 Ratings | 6 Reviews

Robb Vices is a monthly luxury subscription box that sends subscribers a carefully curated assortment of high-end lifestyle goods that help you indulge your vices. Look forward to accessories, home decor, electronics, food, kitchen gadgets, and booze, booze, and more booze! The subscription is somewhat geared towards guys, but we've found that most of their boxes are perfectly unisex. 

Robb Vices December 2018 open

The packaging is a real showstopper. It's kind of like opening a suitcase in a Bond movie.

Robb Vices December 2018 open packaging

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.)

Robb Vices December 2018 all contents

About Robb Vices Subscription Box

The Subscription Box: Robb Vices

The Cost: $159.95 per month + shipping, or 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 December 2018 Review

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet

This month's box is party themed!

Robb Vices December 2018 intros

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet parties

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet wine info

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet more wine info

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet BEEF

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet bacon

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet more bacon stuff

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet so many meats

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet salamii

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet salami info

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet chocolate photography spread

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet chocolate

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet chocolate info

Robb Vices December 2018 sweets info

Robb Vices December 2018 bookley cotton candy

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet cotton candy info

Robb Vices December 2018 bookley foreverspin

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet forever spin info

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet cherry beer

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet skiing

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet skikey

Robb Vices December 2018 booklet directory

The box comes topped with a thorough booklet about the items inside. This little booklet is photographed and printed beautifully, and explains more details about all of the box contents.

Robb Vices December 2018 seafood card

Robb Vices December 2018 crabs card

Included was a discount card for Cameron's Seafoods.

Robb Vices December 2018 card

Robb Vices December 2018 coupon card

I also got a card with a discount code to use in the Vices Reserve shop.

Robb Vices December 2018 red wine

Robb Vices December 2018 red wine label

Virtuous Napa Valley Cabernet 2016 - Retail Value $100.00

I am not a red wine expert. I am not a wine expert! When I saw the $100 price of this wine it made me really nervous because I am not someone who generally likes reds and I was worried this expensive wine would be completely wasted on me. My normal bottles of wine generally cost more in the $15-25 range, and I have always been happy with that. All of this hand-wringing aside, I actually really loved this wine. The Cabs I have tried before just tasted super acidic and coated my mouth in a way I didn't enjoy. (This might be because they were cheap?). They always tasted strongly of alcohol and were not smooth to drink. This red, on the other hand, was smooth and incredibly easy to drink entirely too much of. The aroma was of berries and jams, and there was some wood in there too. To me, it was very full bodied but not heavy at all, which might have been why I enjoyed it so much. Do I like Cabernet now? Who am I? I am in no way saying that I would ever buy this bottle for $100. What I am saying, is that if someone gifted me more of this wine, it would not last long and I would not share. Sorry, not sorry!

Robb Vices December 2018 mole salami

Robb Vices December 2018 mole salami back

New England Charcuterie Mole Salami - Retail Value $13.89

I actually really like salami, even though I didn't grow up eating meats like this ever! This particular salami is too spicy for me though my husband loved it. This dry, hard salami has mole, chili, and chocolate in it, as well as ghost peppers, which is probably why I couldn't hang. Will enjoyed it with crackers and sharp cheddar for a delicious midnight snack.

Robb Vices December 2018 bacon salami

Robb Vices December 2018 bacon salami back

New England Charcuterie Bourbon and Bacon - Retail Value $8.89

This salami was much milder than the first. I do not like bacon, but the bacon flavor in this was subtle and worked really well with the sweetness added by a few drops of maple syrup. It was peppery and less dry than the Mole version and I tried it out with some brie, as suggested by the booklet, which was yummy and made me feel quite fancy.

Robb Vices December 2018 chocolate assortment

Robb Vices December 2018 chocolate assortment out of bag

Robb Vices December 2018 chocloates

Robb Vices December 2018 chocolate slabs

Xocolatti Assorted Gift Pyramid - Retail Value $28.00

These little chocolate slabs are so beautiful! This company refers to their chocolate bark as chocolate "slates" because the textures resemble the surface of jagged slate. Five flavors were included:

  • Caramelized Hazelnut- This dark chocolate slate is filled with caramelized and crispy hazelnut pieces. They are airy and pop when you bite into them!
  • Mango Paprika- I loved this one! This is a white chocolate stale with jellied mango pieces and paprika, giving it a mixture of sweet and spice, and a gorgeous color.
  • Orange Hazelnut- Milk chocolate and orange is always a great combo and this one shines with the addition of hazelnut and crispy rice.
  • Rose Pistachio- I love anything with edible rose petals because they add beauty and fragrance. These blend beautifully with the green pistachios and chocolates.
  • Tiramisu- White chocolate blended with the perfect amount of coffee and dusted with a fine layer of dark chocolate.

All of these were absolutely delicious but my favorites would be the Rose Pistachio and the Mango Paprika, which really surprised me because I generally don't love white chocolate. In these chocolates though, it truly allowed the flavors to shine.

Robb Vices December 2018 cotton candy

Robb Vices December 2018 cotton candy back info

Robb Vices December 2018 cotton candy open

Robb Vices December 2018 cotton candy detail

Lolli & Pops Pumpkin Pie Spice Cotton Candy, 2 oz - Retail Value $6.00

If you have read some of my reviews, you might know I am not crazy over pumpkin spice anything. I did not have high hopes about this treat. I can happily say that I did enjoy it very much because the flavor is so subtle and the pumpkin flavor is only at the end. This might be why a true pumpkin spice fan might not like it as much, but for me, less was more. The texture was light and airy, just like fresh cotton candy, and this portion was generous enough for multiple snackings.

Robb Vices December 2018 forever spin in bag

Robb Vices December 2018 forever spin info

Robb Vices December 2018 forever spin all the thngs

Robb Vices December 2018 forever spin top

Robb Vices December 2018 forever spin top detail

Robb Vices December 2018 forever spin clip

Robb Vices December 2018 forever spin info sheet

Robb Vices December 2018 forever spin cards

Robb Vices December 2018 foreverspin cards back

foreversppin discount card

Robb Vices December 2018 forever spin discount code

Robb Vices December 2018 foreverspin stickers

Robb Vices December 2018 forever spin paper sheet

Robb Vices December 2018 foreverspin sheet of paper

Foreverspin Steel Top - Retail Value $38.00

This is the most impressive and involved simple toy I have ever seen. Foreverspin had a Kickstarter launch that raised over $2 million dollars from all over the world! That is a ton of money and I think their huge success stems from a craving for modern versions of old-fashioned toys, in direct contrast to the electronic screens we obsess over and love. This steel top comes with so much info it is mind-blowing. It is capable of spinning for around 10 minutes with a good spin, and the other metals offered by this company will spin for longer or shorter times depending on what elements they are made of. This little guy is also beautiful to look at, making it the perfect 'spin' on an old time classic. We also received a discount code to use in the online top shop.

Robb Vices December 2018 chery beer

Robb Vices December 2018 cherry beer back label

Ommegang Rosetta Cherry Beer - Buy a 4 pack for $10.99

Goodness, I love fruity sour beers! This one was a real treat. It is a Belgian style combined with aged cherries. Dark in the glass and smooth in your mouth, this rich brew saves the cherries for the finale, ending on a delightfully tart note. It is also a 5.6 ABV, meaning you can enjoy a lot of it without overdoing it. I enjoyed it with a steak and spinach salad, but this is one of those beers that would pair well with most foods. I can't wait to track more of this brew down at my local craft beer store.

Robb Vices December 2018 skitool

Robb Vices December 2018 skikey

Robb Vices December 2018 skikey detail

Ski-Key BC - Retail Value $14.99

Full disclosure here guys: I am Southern, I hate snow, and I went skiing once and got a legit concussion. This product is totally not for me, though it does make my keychain look super cool and can be used as a bottle opener! If I were a skier, I would use this to tighten my boots with much less effort. Apparently, it is really hard to tighten ski boots, especially with cold mountain fingers. This device makes it quick, easy and allows you to make your boots much tighter. I will just be over here popping beer caps though!

Verdict: This is my first Robb Vices box and it had some really fun and unusual stuff! I absolutely loved the wine and beer and the steel top is a fun little toy I never thought I would enjoy so much. The chocolates were exquisite, and the salami was also a treat and has piqued my interest in specialty cured meats. All of the products really fit the party theme pretty well, minus the Ski-Key, unless you consider its bottle opening potential. My husband and I stayed in and enjoyed all of these things together, which made for quite the date night. I am guesstimating the total value of this box at around $220, which is well over the cost of $174.90. Part of the value of this subscription and the goals of the curators is to give you a total experience, which they absolutely accomplished with this box, at least for me!

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 $174.90 ($159.95 + $14.95 shipping to PA). The average cost of each of the 8 items is $21.87, which is great for the wine and top, and not so great for the food items and Ski-Key.

Check out all of our Robb Vices Reviews and find other specialty boxes in the Artisan Subscription Box Directory!

Keep track of your subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription box list or wishlist!

What do you think of the December 2018 box from Robb Vices?

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The Vices membership program delivers high-end items specially curated by luxury tastemakers and delivered to your doorstep. Boxes will include wines or spirits, gadgets and accessories with a booklet describing the story behind why each item was chosen for the box.
Megan K.
Megan K.
I love natural/vegan beauty products, Korean skincare, unique jewelry, and weird candies from far away places. When I am not waiting for my next exciting box you can find me painting or taking photographs of interesting people. I never leave home without pug hair somewhere on my shirt and a bold lipstick on my smile.

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22 comments

TK

Well this box definitely looks better than the past several boxes but not good enough to get us to resub at that price. $175 is too much. That wine is not worth $100. We are members of several wineries in California and receive much better wine for half that price.

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Megan K.

I enjoyed it! I am totally not anyone remotely knowledgeable about wine, but this one is tasty. $100 tasty? Not for this girl.

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Melissa

I usually enjoy the Robb Vices boxes, but thought this was an odd assortment of “stuff and junk” and the theme was really a stretch. Definitely does not seem “curated.”
What does a ski boot key have to do with setting a cool party table? Pumpkin Spice cotton candy? Huh- Pumpkin Spice season is Sept/Oct. And sure doesn’t pair well with cherry beer or red wine.

Really seems like they were only able to negotiate for some random low value items and did their best to try to make a “theme” apply.

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Alex

I love the top. I’m a bit obsessed with it and I time how like I can get it to spin. I even bought a base for it with the coupon. I’m at about 2 minutes (which is pretty long when you’re watching a spinning top).

My hubby liked the sausage and I loved the beer and we both devoured the chocolates.

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Sarah

I grew up near Napa and have never heard of that wine. When looking at the back label, I can see why. The label says “personal wine San Miguel ca”. I Also spent a lot of time in San Miguel Which is about a 5 Hour Dr. from Napa.

A lot of wineries around San Miguel mass produce large quantities of wine. There are a lot of places that will slap anybody’s label on premade bottles. Since the label says Napa Valley, the grapes came from there. This does not mean they are high-quality, and in fact probably means the opposite.

In short, this wind is not worth $100.

Sorry if this post is a duplicate, I couldn’t see my first comments.

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Megan K.

I would personally never spend $100 on this wine, and I totally wouldn’t know how to value it! I appreciate your input and thank you for reading <3

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Karen

I hate to be a pessimist, but after the re-labeling of that “fondue pot” it wouldn’t surprise me in the least. Shady.

Ughhh, just when I was starting to think they they had turned their ship around.

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Sarah

I live near Napa and have never heard of this wine. When looking at the back of the label, I can see why. If you notice the wine says “bottled by personal wine San Miguel “. I also spend a lot of time in that part of California which is on the central coast and about 5 hour drive from Napa. A lot of mass produced wines are made around San Miguel and there are quite a few places that will allow you to slap your own label on a batch of already made wine.

The fact that the label also says Napa Vally means the grapes came from Napa it that does not mean they are high quality. In fact, it probably means the opposite because most Napa wineries would reserve the best quality for themselves.

In short, There is no way this is a $100 bottle of wine.

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Melissa

Agreed

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Lilly

I have adored and studied the best vintages for over 40 years and had no idea Robb’s Vices dealt in any wine products. Hmm.

The last domestic wine I drank was the 2000 Opus One. Funnily enough, I ordered it in Paris as a quirky joke ” imported wine in France”. $600 a bottle and it was vastly overrated by almost all published enophiles.

If you want good wine, you have to know exactly where it comes from as you noted, what the winery’s quality rated and quantity yield was that season for the type of wine you are buying if they produce variations, which almost all do. I suggest getting the Reserve only, but I always go to a wine store ( not a grocery store but a pure wine store) with a list of wines rated best with the qualities I like ( pure, fruity, mellow, little oak taste, minimal flower or herbal tastes.)

Any truly memorable French wine, which I have 40 years experience of drinking with a fine meal or as a relaxing glass before bedtime, is going to be priced from $75 to, let’s say, $750, which was my top price for a rare wine from the 90’s to early 2000’s if it’s truly excellent. Pick your price between those two numbers and you should have a wine which will age well in your wine rack, cellar or storage for a few years. Obviously, the more expensive vintages should be quite a bit older and mellower, thus drinkable the day they are brought home.

Hint- I often buy ” very good” rated 3-5 year old vintages from the best wineries in France and hold on to them until they are at their prime. Much cheaper that way. You can search for ” highly rated wine” in whatever press you choose and come up with some really interesting variations.

I love Pouilly-Fuissé, a light white from the Loire Valley which is NOT popular right now due to a big dispute about the content in France a few years ago which left the lovely wine with a tarnished reputation. It can be bought for prices lower than in the 1980’s. Around $30 a bottle for an average bottle, and I actually haven’t seen any reviews of a newer bottle in several years. Some of these people must be very touchy about their rules and reputations LOL.

In the fall, a fun wine is the limited production Beaujolais Nouveau, which is a very limited and fun to drink new wine pressed, bottled and only sold on the third Tuesday of November. It gives the oenophile a lively and fresh sample of the French wineries for that very growing season. Obviously very fruity and what I’d consider just plummy undertones. This is a $10-$30 wine in the USA due to import taxes.
The best part about it is the gorgeous artwork on the labels. No kidding.
( Note- you MUST drink this wine soon after buying. It is NOT a wine which will get better with age.. it comes from the Gamay grape and contains no tannin.

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Amy

That ski key was a really weird inclusion. It doesn’t fit with the box or even have much of a purpose for a skier. I have been an avid skier for 30 years and I grew up in a ski resort town. My family all works in the ski industry and I worked as an instructor for years in the past. This is basically the definition of a silly gimmick.

Other than that, it actually looks like a pretty good box. I wish they hadn’t raised the price so much last year.

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Megan K.

I thought it was also an odd inclusion. It is really cool but I never plan on any snow sports again!

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Jen

What a great box. I won’t spend that on a box but for those who do this one looks great!! Definitely impressed by their content.

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Megan K.

It is super expensive. I was happy that there was enough value to justify it this month for sure!

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Heather

It seemed to me like a weird mix of stuff, but I didn’t hate it. My husband drank the beer. It wasn’t his favorite, but it was fun to try. I took a sip and you can really taste the cherry, unfortunately you can also taste the beer, so it’s a no-go for me. You can always count on Robb’s vices to add a little class to your liquor cabinet.

I’m ashamed to admit I likes the cotton candy. I liked the chocolate with the mango. The two pack of sausage was good, but the other one was terrible. I cut it into chunks and gave it to the dog as treats until it was gone. He appreciated it.
I’ve see those tops before and kind of want one, but they seem awfully expensive for what they are. My card had $10 off and I bought the round base. My husband can make it spin for a couple minutes, me not so much, but still really like it.

I used a $25 off code for Robb’s reserves earlier to get a bottle of honey glass Vodka. It was a good deal and came well packaged. I just love those bottles.

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Ks

This makes me want to resub. I never had wine costing more than $30 😂

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Megan K.

Me neither! I wish I could say it was disgusting… but it isn’t.

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Elizabeth

This looks like a great box! I love Ommegang beers and am so surprised to see them in a box! The Rosetta is a great one 🙂

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Kim

I agree. This beer was amazing. It had us researching Belgian fruit beers and are hoping to see if we can get a local place to order us some. During the holidays we toured the Goose Island brewery in Chicago and learned a lot about the new trends in beer. Fruit, smoke, sour and even beer aged in whiskey casks are all new options. Although not for everyone the choices are endless.

Other than playing with the top, we haven’t tried the other box items.
Living in Maryland, the seafood coupon is a pretty good deal as the prices and shipping are not out of line for crab.

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Megan K.

My husband and I loved it! I plan on buying more from this brewery whenever I can now.

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Rosemary

I loved everything in this box. Yes…I resubscribed in December, and I won’t be disappointed if the rest of the boxes are this quality.

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Megan K.

Heres to hoping! This was my first one and I really enjoyed it.

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