This is the worst whiskey club in existence. I paid $350 for their top-tier service for the year. That is $87.50/quarter. The way I figure it is the samples would be $27.50 and I should get a bottle worth around $60 each quarter. That seems fair to me.
The reason I joined this club is to find new and rare spirits. Not to select from $20 bottles I can get from the local liquor store for $16 when it is time for my quarterly selection. Apparently, instead of my money going towards a nice bottle of spirits it goes to them making videos of some guy drinking the samples you pick and giving his opinions about them. Who cares what some random guy thinks? I want to experience an excellent spirit I have never tried on my own. That’s where I want my money to go.
For my most recent order, I picked my sample pack and then chose my bottle. I did a lot of side research before I made my choice. I finally decided on a nice single malt whiskey. I figured I would get a normal 750 ml-sized bottle considering the price I paid for my membership. The bottle on other sites averaged around $60. When I received my order the bottle was half the size! It was only a 375 ml bottle! Who does this?
When I emailed them asking why I didn’t get a full-sized bottle, I received some sort of standard template they apparently use repeatedly:
“Spirits can be produced in different volumes, depending on the distiller's choice. The majority of bottles are 25.4 oz (750 ml), but they can range anywhere from 12.5 oz (375 ml) to 95 oz (1.75 L). All of these are considered full-size.
The membership selection is curated based on quality first, then price. Bottle volume is not something that affects our curation process. If a 375 ml bottle is available for selection, then the spirit is of a higher quality but of comparable price to the other spirits in the lineup.”
At the price of the membership, a half-sized bottle should never be offered! Then when I asked them to make it right they flat out refused! Said there was nothing they could do.
All of the spirits they offer for the quarterly pick are low-quality choices you can find at your local store for much cheaper. I am very disappointed. I was planning on being a lifetime member with them as well as gifting top-tier memberships to family and friends for the holidays. Their service is a terrible disappointment and I am a very unhappy customer.
Stay away from this company. Take the money you were going to give them and spend it locally. Terrible. Terrible.
Pros and Cons:
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Company Response from Flaviar Ltd.
Dear Craig,
Thank you for sharing your concerns. Constructive feedback is always appreciated and helps us improve further.
We are sorry for your disappointment regarding the club and your latest claimed benefits.
The club shipments, which you seem to value above all else, are just one of the perks. For example, the unlimited free shipping credits alone can be worth hundreds of dollars each quarter, so it depends on what you want to use the membership for. As a Member, in addition to the guided tasting sessions, you also get access to free live and virtual events, distillery tours, discounted tasting boxes, access to rare spirits in the Vault, and much more.
We want to keep the membership fee as low as possible and include something tangible in it, and then you can tailor the rest of the experience yourself. As our customer care agent explained, full bottles come in different volumes, depending on the distillery, and while most bottles are 750 ml, different volumes are still considered full-size, and it foremost depends on the spirit quality.
We understand the source of your disappointment and we take all complaints seriously. I'm sure we can reach an agreement, though, as we hate to see disappointed members. Please check your inbox, one of our concierges will reach out to you with a proposed solution.
Thank you for understanding.