Summary
Flaviar offers a quarterly subscription program for rare and premium liquors from around the world and lets you sample a variety of flavors without committing to a full bottle. Overwhelmingly positive customer reviews indicate this subscription company really delivers.
Pros
Cons
Posted on Apr 28, 2017
I love the selections, the free shipping, the ease of the website, the payment choices, and the tasting boxes.
I have recommended the website to my friends. I enjoy learning about the liquors, and the varieties that you can select and learn about.
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Posted on Apr 28, 2017
I've been a member for over three years now, and I love it, but full disclosure: I think I signed up before you were REQUIRED to take the box you're sent, i.e. I can skip a shipment and NOT pay for it if I don't like the sound of a box.
That being said, I really do like this service, and I've found several new "favorite" spirits through it. I'm a whiskey girl, so wouldn't bother spending money on, say, an expensive (or even middling) bottle of rum, but getting five little samples is so much more doable. Okay, some of the stuff I don't like, but how would I know if I didn't try?
I am actually writing this review while sampling my latest package of 'whiskeys aged in beer barrels.' I would never in a hundred years buy such an 'experimental' type of whiskey, but I'm really surprised. No, I did NOT like the first one I tried but loved the second. It's all about the experience. Three more to go.
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Posted on Apr 26, 2017
Being new to the art of Whisk(e)y drinking, I have thoroughly enjoyed the membership. It has allowed me to try new brands that I would not have otherwise tried.
Yes, a year-long membership is $210, but I have found it to be well worth it in the first quarter alone. I have received my first sample pack and can't wait to get the next in the mail. I appreciate having someone with more knowledge about the product there to guide me through the experience. I also love the free shipping every month. Just this month I ordered a bottle that sold for $30 more on a different website. I also saved $20 on shipping for a total savings of $50. If I do that every month, that's a savings of $600 a year. The membership pays for itself.
I have also enjoyed the vast number of articles that have greatly expanded my knowledge of spirits. This club has been an eye opener for me. I am throwing my first "bring your best bottle" party soon and have had a huge amount of interest. If you enjoy trying new whiskeys and don't mind spending a little up front, this club is a great place to start.
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Posted on Apr 22, 2017
I've been a member for over six months and enjoy browsing through the selection. However, that's the best part of the site.
The rest of the site is useless. They have a wishlist but don't notify you when wish listed items come back into stock/rotation. I can't even FIND my wishlist anymore.
There are very limited search options (new arrivals, classics and then by type), and there is no way to customize your experience.
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Posted on Apr 22, 2017
The author of the above article got it wrong. They don't send you anything "monthly." What you get for $20 a month is free shipping (big deal!) and the supposed opportunity to buy liquor that you otherwise would not have access to. But if you look through their inventory you find that they are not really offering anything unique or unobtainable.
The only thing I see beneficial is you can try samples to ensure that you don't waste money on a full bottle of something that you might not like. But you still have to pay $20 a month plus $40 and up (prices vary) for any samples that you want to try.
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Posted on Apr 12, 2017
I enjoy their wide selection of different Whiskies, Rums, and Tequilas at a very good price.
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Posted on Apr 5, 2017
This review is for the gift membership.
I received Flaviar as a gift, and it's really not worth the money. For $120 you get a 6-month membership and a tasting box for three vials of whiskey, around 2 oz, that can easily be bought at stores or your local bar for much cheaper.
I still can't figure out what is the point of the membership, since the whiskey they sell is charged at a much higher premium than at my local store.
As a regular person who would not bother with private bottling or have the need to get hard to acquire whiskey, it's truly a big waste of money.
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Company Response from Flaviar Ltd.
Apr 13, 2017
Hey Ted,
Thank you for sharing your concerns. Constructive feedback such as yours only helps us improve our service even further.
The six-month membership gets you two tasting boxes, six free shipping tokens, access to some of the most sought after and hard to acquire spirits, and so much more. We want to keep the membership fee as low as possible and include something tangible in it. Then, you can tailor the rest of the experience yourself.
The price is always delicate, we understand, but the amount of effort that goes into making members' experience worthwhile and memorable should be taken into account. Our competitive advantage lies in curation, personal recommendations and creating availability of rare, and hard to find gems that deserve your attention. Our offer is not all inclusive, and we present spirits that deserve a spot in your home bar. We encourage and help our members master the art of tasting, we provide detailed information on spirits, how to keep them fresh, and entertaining tips on a daily basis through new content. Membership covers many perks, perks usually not offered by the liquor stores.
We understand if your needs and wishes differ from what we offer and I'm terribly sorry that our club didn't work out for you.
If you need help with anything let us know, we're easy to reach if you write to us at hello@flaviar.com
Wish you all the best!
Posted on Apr 2, 2017
I placed an opening order and then got an email about some great sale of samplers. I opened that up and discovered that there was a bunch of stuff marked as sold out. Then when you actually picked something and then went to the checkout, it gave you an option to continue shopping. But if you do not pick anything there is no way to get back to the checkout.
They make this out to be all about great whiskeys and the opportunity to try a lot of rare whiskeys. It is a sale trap and scam designed to squeeze every penny out of you.
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Company Response from Flaviar Ltd.
Apr 13, 2017
Hey Ray,
I'm so sorry to hear other members beat you to your favorite picks, but you have to understand that in the "vault," a special section of our shop which is opened for a few days per month only. The samples and bottles are rare and very limited so that we can offer only a few at a time.
We understand that our first-come, first serve policy might be frustrating at times, but this way no one gets an unfair advantage. We like it because it's egalitarian, but we are currently working on further improvements to the model.
We're working hard to provide bigger vault editions in the future, so you'll have even more chance to get your hands on drinks you like the most. A small hint for future, vault releases is only there to help you plan. The vault opens its gates around the same day each month. Hope this helps with planning.
If you have more questions or need help with anything at all, please contact us at hello@flaviar.com. Our team will be most happy to help and answer any questions you might have.
Posted on Apr 1, 2017
I love the Black Barrel and can't wait to experiment with more and more varieties.
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Posted on Mar 30, 2017
My six-month subscription was a Christmas gift from my wife, and initially, I was very excited about it.
And then the Welcome Box came. There were three vials of not even a finger of mediocre whiskey. Definitely not a box I would have chosen, but there goes one of two boxes that were paid for. I looked at the pricing for some of the bottles I was interested in and they were the same, if not more expensive, than buying it locally (never mind the hassle of having to pick the box up from from FedEx since they need a signature and only deliver during the day while I'm at work).
The second tasting box is on its way now, so that's $20 per vial. You get better prices (and a more generous pour) by just going to a bar. The only way this might be worth it is if you don't have any stores with any kind of selection near you. Don't waste your money; try them at a decent bar and then buy the bottle somewhere else.
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Company Response from Flaviar Ltd.
Apr 13, 2017
Hey Tom,
Thank you for sharing your concerns. The constructive feedback such as yours only helps us improve our service further.
The six-month membership gets you two tasting boxes, six free shipping tokens, allows you to access some of the most sought after and hard to acquire spirits, and so much more. We want to keep the membership fee as low as possible and include something tangible in it. Then you can tailor the rest of the experience yourself.
The price is always delicate, we understand, but the amount of effort that goes into making members' experience worthwhile and memorable should be taken into account. Our competitive advantage lies in curation, personal recommendations, creating availability of rare and hard to find gems that deserve your attention. Our offer is not all inclusive, and we present only spirits that deserve a spot in your home bar. We encourage and help our members to master the art of tasting. We provide detailed information on spirits, how to keep them fresh, and tips for entertaining on a daily basis through new content. Membership covers many perks, perks usually not offered by the liquor stores.
We understand if your needs and wishes differ from what we offer, and I'm terribly sorry that our club didn't work out for you.
If you need help with anything, let us know. We're easy to reach if you write to us at hello@flaviar.com
Wish you all the best!
Posted on Mar 22, 2017
My partner is an avid bourbon drinker, so I thought I would treat him to a cheeky bottle!
After reading through the bourbon selection, I choose the bottle of 'Basil Haydens.' It had the highest customer rating, and the ingredients used looked appealing. I am glad I choose this specific bottle. Partner waited patiently for it to arrive and was not disappointed AT ALL; he absolutely loved it. He usually adds coke to his bourbon, but had this neat over ice as he said it was so smooth to drink!
He would recommend this drink to anyone who is wanting a nice smooth, refreshing tipple. It was a huge hit and I'll definitely be purchasing again soon. Many thanks Flaviar.
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Our Promise to You
In order to safeguard you and ensure helpfulness and relevance, our compliance team manually assess every customer review before it goes live.
We have a zero-tolerance policy for fake reviews, and companies cannot control or alter any reviews at any time.
