UPDATE: Flaviar has stopped shipping to NC Customers. What a bummer.
We’ve talked about Flaviar on here before, but now it’s time for an in-depth review to discuss all the pros and cons of this whiskey subscription service (and online store!).
What Is Flaviar?
Flaviar is one of the most popular whiskey tasting subscriptions available on the internet. They offer a membership that includes quarterly whiskey samples and credit towards their online store, as well as exclusive access to bottles only available to Flaviar members. They offer paid memberships for yourself, or you can buy a membership as a gift for family and friends. Obviously, you should be 21 or older to purchase or receive a Flaviar membership.
So what does a Flaviar membership include? All this, and maybe a bit more (especially if given as a gift):
- Quarterly tasting box of three 50mL samples
- One full-size bottle per quarter, from their store
- Exclusive member pricing in the store + free shipping
- Member-exclusive live tasting events
Cost of Flaviar Whiskey Subscription
Flaviar offers a few different subscription options for memberships or gifts. Here’s are the main four, as of now:
Membership Costs
Quarterly
- Quarterly memberships cost $95
- That’s ~$31.67/month
- All of the aforementioned perks
This is a good option if you’re just getting your toes wet. Most whiskey enthusiasts have no problem dropping this kind of money on new, exciting whiskey.
Annually
- $300 per full year
- That’s $25/month
- ~21% monthly savings
- With all the aforementioned perks
If you decide you really want to jump all in, you can save $80 a year with an annual membership
Gift Costs
Semi-Annually
- Six months for $190 (equivalent to two quarterly memberships)
- The aforementioned perks
- Two extra gifts
- Full bottle of Whistle Pig Piggyback Rye*
- Sample vial of Whistlepig Homestock*
*These extra gifts could change over time. See what Flaviar is currently offering.
Annual Gift
- Full year for $300 (same as annual membership)
- Aforementioned perks
- Two extra gifts (same as semi-annual gift)
- 21% savings
Is Flaviar Worth The Money?
My short answer is that yes, Flaviar is worth the money. Even at the quarterly rate of $31.67 per month you’re getting a lot of value. Let’s break it down:
- $45 worth of store credit a month to use toward full bottles ($15/month).
- Free shipping! Shipping on full bottles of bourbon starts at around $18 for one bottle (increases slightly for additional bottles)
- The curated samples for exploration and discovery
- Access to exclusive bottles
- Access to other hard-to-find bottles
So, if you take out point (1), you’re looking at $16.67 per month (quarterly/semi-annual) or $10 per month (billed annually) for points 2-5. Yep, $10 per month gets you the quarterly samples, the exclusive access, and the member pricing at the online store.
If you buy several bottles a month, like many bourbon collectors, this is a no-brainer. Even if you don’t buy that much bourbon a month, this is still a fantastic deal.
Flaviar is a great value whiskey-of-the-month subscription whether you’re an experienced bourbon collector and high-roller, or a brand new hobbiest looking to expand your whiskey horizons.
Flaviar for North Carolina
If you live in North Carolina, you’ll be pleased to know that the Flaviar store has many bottles that are unavailable through the NC ABC board system. With member pricing, you’ll get free shipping and member pricing — which will save you a lot of money driving across state lines. I highly recommend NC whiskey hunters join Flaviar.
