Flaviar is billed as a subscription Whiskey Club but offers much more than your typical monthly subscription. I joined during a promotion so I did not pay the full price of $400 so make sure and join during a promotion. There are different subscription levels that you can join but my chosen subscription consisted of 1 bottle + 1 Tasting Box each quarter.
Each quarter, if you choose quarterly, you get an email reminder letting you know that it’s time to choose your bottle and tasting box. You log on to the website and choose from their allotted bottles for that quarter and from any tester kit. You are not free to choose from any bottle they offer in their retail store. They do offer a variety of Whiskey, Rum, Tequila, and Mescal so you are not limited to choosing just Whiskey. The same not limited to Whiskey applies to the Tasting Boxes. You will find a wide variety of offerings, from Whistle Pig to Pinhook. The bonus is that you might find bottles that are not offered in your state so this is an opportunity to try something new. You are able to read club member reviews of the offerings before choosing your bottle.
The website has a pleasant design and is easy to navigate. You can also purchase taster and bottles from their regular store and have access to higher end and allocated bottles through their Vault store. The Vault is only offered to members only and has secondary market pricing so no deals are to be had on the hard to find bottles.
Shipping is included in the subscription pricing and comes via a delivery service and requires someone 21 or older to sign for the spirits. Packing is well done with the bottles secured in bubble bottle bags. The tasting kits are well put together and come with tasting notes, a blind tasting kit, a coaster, and three tasters bottle tubes.
The value is there if you join during a promotion. The tasters are more than a standard miniature so you are able to share the kits. I would put the value of the tasters around $10-$12 per tube which provides value over the current cost of miniatures at retailers such as Total Wine. The bottle is a standard 750 ML and has a value anywhere from $30-$60. Sometimes you can find great values but for the most part you will be breaking even or paying slightly more.
Overall I give Flaviar a 3.5 out of 5 stars. For me it’s worth joining during a promotion but not at full price. It’s a well done club that offers unique bottles and tasting kits, many of which you will not be able to find in your state. There is value in not having to go to Total Wine to build similar packages.
Thanks for the information, it sounds like it is wroth trying. I wouldn’t consider it without some input like yours.
Cheers!