Flaviar First Look

Disclaimer: We've recently been speaking with Flaviar and received this box to review for this website. Below is an honest and open review on the company and the service they offer. Today as I ran down the stairs like I was a child at Christmas, hearing the doorbell from the postman, I had that anticipation that something exciting and intriguing was being delivered. I was not to be disappointed! Today I received my first monthly box from Flaviar, with their Five Flavours of Scotch monthly tasting box; I had to withhold myself to capture some photos for this review before ripping open the box.

Flaviar, an online monthly or free subscription service, essentially hand pick some craft spirits which you then get delivered monthly direct to your door. Or as they put it they "...tongue-pick the ones that deserve a spot in your home bar." Each box contains between 3 and 5 spirits in nifty little bottles and contain a range of flavours along with some helping leaflets to help you get the most from the contents. You can choose from rums, scotches, whiskeys, cognacs, bourbons and more. As well as the monthly subscription services that I am reviewing here, they also have an online store with a lot of great craft and hard to find spirits.

I've tried some of these monthly services before with a few craft beer services and food recipes and have had some mixed feelings; often the companies seem to try and get away with cheap standardised yet unfamiliar beers or ingredients that are mass produced and just repackaged under new names. However with the multitude of spirits out there, and the expense that you naturally incur trying to taste more and more, Flaviar seem to have something good going for them.

First impressions can mean a lot, especially in subscription services where your on-going support to the company is based not only on the product, but also in your feelings and emotions towards them. Flaviar didn't disappoint as I opened up the delivery packaging to be presented with a smart, swish black box, that has an almost honest feeling of craftsmanship about it from the start - a theme that was to carry on throughout the product.



As I excitedly opened up the box, taking care not to rip the red sticky labels in half, for no other reason than an intrinsic feeling of keeping the box intact and to not spoil the overall feel, I had presented to me 5 test-tube esque bottles of scotch along with a couple of leaflets of information and tasting instructions.



I really do like the feel of the box; the presentation, the smart packaging and the way that the scotch is presented and displayed, held up in a stately manner akin to its prevalence and enjoyment hereon in. The 45ml bottles (for you non-math wizards out there, totalling 225ml of scotch) are made of glass, have a good solid feel to them and are of a good size, they are enjoyable to hold. Maybe I'm lamenting too much on the look and feel here, but it really is important that a company understand all these aspects and start right from the off before the product even shines through if they are to keep customers loyal and wanting more, and so far I'm impressed.

Before cracking open the first scotch however, I had a good read of the paraphernalia that comes along with the package. And you know what - I actually enjoyed reading it. The language is in a friendly almost humorous manner, with little jokes and attempts at humour that had me enjoying the read. They could have gone down the serious scotch drinkers route with flavour maps and what to taste for, but instead have gone for the much more approachable language with such snippets as 'tastebuds' in the 'preflight checklist', along with a 'sound system', reminding you to 'invite your friends', and a 'SmartAss Corner' flavour map introduction. Its the little touches.....



Of course, as much as a product can sell itself on the emotive responses gained from the product, the actual contents, in this case, the scotch, is just as important. In the box I received laid out before me was:

• Lagavulin (16 years old)


• The Glenliver (18 year old)


• Laphroaig (quarter cask)


• Auchentosham (12 year old), and a


• Singleton of Dufftown (15 year old)

Price wise, some of these go for £40+ ($60USD) a bottle and I was pleasantly pleased and upbeat to see the contents live up to the packaging, with the price point of the box definitely providing quality inside, and a good return on the monthly investment.

Of course taste can often be in the eye of the beholder, and I am yet to find that 'friend' that the leaflet requires of me to taste test these beauties, but I am excited and giddy at the thought of going through Flaviar's product line and seeing what their leaflets can both teach and inspire me with the scotches received in this box.

Overall, a big thumbs up from me. Well done Flaviar. The packaging and care you've taken on your product is top notch. The way the contents are presented, the language used and the overall honest feeling of craftsmanship to the whole product is one of the best I've seen in a monthly subscription service.

With Christmas just around the corner, I wouldn't be surprised to see the company have a good uptake on its products, a good solid business with uncompromising quality so far. Well done!

About Flaviar

Flaviar's website can be found here: flaviar.com
They offer a free members service with bottle deals and ratings and reviews, as well as the aforementioned monthly subscription packs, called Prime or Gift Packs.
They also offer an app (The Flaviar App) for use with their products that can be found here.

Prime membership (i.e. the monthly tasting box) is priced at:

USD PRICES
First month is $18.99, then $24.99 per month after

EUR PRICES
First month is €15.99, then €21.99 per month after

GBP PRICES
First month is £14.99, then £18.99 per month after

See more of what they offer on their website.