My relationship with whiskey is tentative at best. I would buy a shot at the bar, but a full-sized bottle used to intimidate me since I never knew what I was getting. Today, I can say that I love to drink whiskey, but admittedly, the relationship is pretty new. (I've always been more of a beer-and-wine kinda gal.)
I stumbled into the world of whiskey by accident when I was searching for gift ideas for all the men in my life. I knew they enjoyed whiskey, but full-sized bottles were too expensive for my budget, and yet they deserved quality brown liquor.
Personal whiskey tasting boxes, along with the personal whiskey notes guide provided by Flaviar, make for an incredible presentation for the whiskey lovers in your family and friend group. After watching my friends and relatives give an incredible whiskey review, I knew I had to try it for myself.
In search of a whiskey subscription club to fit the bill, I landed on Flaviar and pulled the trigger. Here's my Flaviar whiskey club review after signing up for their whiskey subscription and enjoying the first two shipments.
What Is Flaviar?
Flaviar is the world's largest premium spirits club, best known for its best-in-class whiskey subscription. Whiskey enthusiasts can now sample whiskey with a curated tasting box based on their preferences.
Flaviar's bread and butter is their fantastic selection of spirits from around the world, from producers big and small, and their members-only prices and perks. You can get full-sized bottles from its site at competitive prices.
Flaviar is big on community, bringing like-minded aficionados of whiskey, tequila, and more together for a common, positive purpose: to enjoy these spirits and share the experience with one another.
That's why Flaviar's website boasts an impressive number of reviews on the individual bottles it sells.
To become a part of the Flaviar community, you can:
- Order bottles and tasting boxes directly from their website.
- Get a Flaviar whiskey subscription for yourself or as a gift.
- Join the Flaviar Black Club (included with a whiskey subscription).
For a high-value experience, you should order Flaviar’s Advent whiskey calendar. This calendar brings multiple award-winning liquors to your door in a festive holiday box, with flavors ranging from fresh rye to caramel corn to toasted oak.
How Does A Flaviar Whiskey Subscription Work?
When I signed up for a subscription, I opted for the Globe-Trotting Whiskey Vol. 2 box, which included three separate whiskey samples, including a Taiwanese brand. You get a notebook to document your experience and preferences–and they guide you along the way, telling you what the experts say and what other users say.
On each page, you see the spiral of flavors: heavy blue corn taste, apple cider, musty wet basement, and other ways to describe whiskey flavors in such a distinct way. If you struggle to describe that soft, subtle aroma, Flaviar will help you.
A Flaviar subscription delivers unique, storied whiskey to your doorstep, with bottles you'd never see at your local liquor store. Here's what to expect:
What you get
The Flaviar whiskey subscription delivers to your doorstep every 3 months (quarterly delivery), so you get 4 total shipments per year.
In each subscription shipment, you get a curated selection of:
- One (1) 750mL bottle of whiskey selected by experts and approved by the Flaviar community
- One (1) 3-vial tasting box to discover new, distinct whiskeys
In addition, there are more perks to the whiskey subscription with Flaviar:
- FREE shipping
- Includes complimentary membership to Flaviar Black, an exclusive members only club with special pricing and free shipping on select bottles.
Payment options
You have two options when paying for a Flaviar membership:
- Annual prepaid membership - Pay once in full; Get 1 delivery free; cancel anytime; best for gifts
- Pay-as-you-go - Pay for each shipment before delivery; cancel anytime
About the Liquor
Apart from getting a whiskey subscription, you can also simply shop online with Flaviar to get an expertly vetted selection of spirits. You don’t just get boxed tasting flights, access to the store, and premium whiskey–you get much more!
It's not all about whiskey! Flaviar features labels worldwide, from household names like Johnny Walker to smaller producers from Central America who are slowly gaining critical praise. You can get high-end full-sized bottles like Whistle Pig Piggyback Rye, or you can get cheaper brands. Here's a breakdown of the selection:
Bottles
If you don't know your way around high-quality spirits but want to stock your home bar artfully, Flaviar is the place to go.
They've already done the legwork for you regarding researching processes, finding premium distillers, getting input on flavor profiles, etc.
And since the brand's mission is to expose smaller, high-quality producers to a larger audience, you get access to artisan brands that are hard to come by at local shops.
Here are the different types of bottled spirits available for sale from Flaviar:
- Whiskey (1 full-sized bottle included with every subscription shipment)
- Gin
- Rum
- Vodka
- Tequila
- Mezcal
- Brandy
- Cognac
- Non-alcoholic
- RTD (Ready To Drink)
NOTE: I appreciate that Flaviar's collection of vetted bottles caters to every budget, from under $20 liquor infusions to reserve label tequila at over $2,000 per bottle.
Tasting Boxes
You can build an entire event around Flaviar's award-winning, 3-vial tasting boxes. Set up a party for your friends or spice up an afternoon of Scrabble with your parents because you can get these in whiskey* tequila, vodka, etc.
This sort of thing proves awesome for holiday gifting time. Whiskey, rums, gins, oh my! It's time to drink.
*A whiskey-tasting box comes quarterly with every Flaviar subscription.
Value Sneak Attack: The Gift Options
So here's where a Flaviar whiskey subscription really comes in handy, even for those who aren't particularly into whiskey:
It's a classy, personalized gift you can buy without leaving the house.
Here are your options:
One, you can simply gift a bottle you get delivered from your subscription, especially if you accumulate bottles. Unopened, of course. Put a bow on it. Or put it in a timeless paper bag like we did (less is more). It's what's inside that counts.
Remember, the subscription isn't for discount whiskey. Its featured artisan distillers usually have a multi-generational history that will give any drinker or owner of a home bar the warm and fuzzies.
Option two: You can gift a Flaviar whiskey subscription to someone you love or your new boss, whom you want to impress.
Whoever's getting it, it's the gift that keeps on giving. And all you have to do is enter your credit card information.
What can I say? I like gifts to be easy but meaningful, too. Something enjoyable that the person might not necessarily know about buying for themselves.
Shipping and Returns
Now for the fine print: How quickly do Flaviar spirits get to your door? Are returns allowed? These are things you want to know before you commit to any subscription or give one to someone as a gift.
Here's the breakdown of what you can expect in the Flaviar shipping and returns policy:
Shipping
Available delivery areas: US*, UK, EU
*Shipping only available for certain US states. Check out the Flaviar shipping policy for more information, or proceed to checkout to make sure your shipping address is in an available delivery area.
Delivery to P.O. Box? NO
How long does shipping take? Shipments are prepared by third-party vendors closest to your location, which is partly why Flaviar can offer such low prices to their members. These are processed within 1 to 5 days of the initial online order.
When I ordered a whiskey subscription from Flaviar, the first delivery arrived three days later.
Returns
You can cancel your Flaviar order for a full refund within three days of purchase.
Once an order of Flaviar spirits has been delivered, the company states you cannot return items due to taste or preferences or simply changing your mind.
Suppose you receive an incorrect or damaged order. In that case, you can submit a support request to Flaviar within seven days of delivery with the order number, issue with the product, and photo of the received package.
Flaviar: Is It Worth It?
I've come to the conclusion that a Flaviar whiskey subscription is perhaps the most fun and convenient way to stock your home bar and never have to worry about gifts for whiskey drinkers again.
And at the end of the day, it provides legitimate value and fun times, by extension.
For my money, the Flaviar Whiskey Club is worth it if you check one or more of the following boxes:
- You love whiskey
- You want to stock your home bar with cool, artisan spirits
- You have people close to you who are whiskey lovers
To close, getting meaningful gifts is a difficult part of adulting, and that's one of the biggest reasons I think Flaviar's whiskey subscription is a winner.
As far as the actual whiskey goes, I'm no connoisseur yet, but it's better than the stuff I stole from my parents' liquor cabinet in high school. And the people around me seem to love it.
Keep Flaviar in mind when December rolls around and those birthdays 'pop up' on your calendar out of nowhere. Or give yourself something to look forward to every three months.
