You know that feeling you get after you’ve ordered something online? When virtually every single car driving past your house seems like it could be delivering the goods? Just imagine if you could guarantee that dopamine spike every month, on the dot. Enter the much-underrated monthly whisky subscription.
A service that most certainly isn’t restricted to diehard enthusiasts, they’re a great way to leverage the buying power of big communities; and give yourself a wide range of taste tests — no matter whether it’s Scotch, Japanese or American whisky that is your specific go-to dram.
To get you started, below are six of our favourite such services available in Australia.
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The Best Whisky Subscription Services In Australia
Whisky Loot
Our friends over at Liquor Loot offer a whisky subscription service that is tremendous when it comes to value proposition. The concept is simple enough: three uniformly sized bottles, delivered to your doorstep each month — intentionally kept unlabeled (lest you focus on brand names instead of flavours).
Each bottle is accompanied by detailed tasting notes and links to a series of tasting videos. Pricing starts at $99 per month (with free delivery) and you’ll be given access to a range of rare and single cask whiskies. On a good month, the street value of what you’ll find in your goodies box can reach up to $600 at retail. We’ll drink to that.
The Whisky Club
Often billed as “Australia’s biggest” spirited subscription service, The Whisky Club allows dram lovers to gain access to a range of interesting bottlings on an exclusive basis — particularly from top flight Scotch producers including such as The Glendronach and Talisker.
Technically free to join, this is the definition of a no-fuss subscription. There are no minimum purchase quantities or lock-in periods; instead, members are offered the opportunity to purchase up to two bottles each month, all of which are roughly priced between $110-$145.
An added bonus? You’ll get 20% off your tab at a selection of the best whisky bars in Australia; many of which play the role of ‘Clubhouses’ during events for a member.
The Single Malt Whisky Club
A service that is much reminiscent of The Whisky Club, The Single Malt offers dram lovers an opportunity to purchase one to two bottles of whisky every month — no strings attached.
Established in 2015, and with direct lines of supply to producers such as Overeem, the group’s model is very straightforward: on the 14th day of each month, an email is sent out announcing the upcoming whisky release(s). Thereafter, members have six days to decide whether they want to purchase a bottle (or two), with delivery direct to your door anywhere in Australia.
Aside from its signature ‘Gift Card Box’ (complete with Glencairn, hip flask, and gift card) The Single Malt also operates its own dedicated e-store: replete with single-cask releases from a range of independent distilleries, along with the occasional bottle of wine or beer.
Barrel Lane Whisky Club
Elevate your drinking experience with a carefully curated selection of Australia’s finest spirits, brought to you by the fine folks over at Barrel Lane Whisky Club.
With boxes showcasing drops from the “rugged landscapes of Tasmania” to the “sun-kissed distilleries of Western Australia,” the capture the essence of our domestic whisky craftsmanship like no other.
Do note that given Barrel Lane only deals with the very best, monthly subscription pricing may very slightly; although you can always be sure you’re receiving far better value than any other RRP.
In short: why settle for less?
True North Spirits
Billed as “a new way to taste, explore and share premium spirits”, True North adopts a novel approach to home whisky subscriptions.
Beyond the conventional free-to-join members program, the company also offers a five-bottle ‘Adventurer’ kit (its signature bestseller) in addition to the ‘Voyager’, essentially a trial service consisting of a single 50ml tasting portion — perfect for those looking to get a feel for premium spirit deliveries.
The website is updated with both a premium gin and premium whisky kit at any given time; all of these having been curated according to themes of terroir, ingredients, style et cetera. For us, the latest ‘Harvest Youth’ whisky kit (centred on five grain-based distillates from Koval) is a standout.
Bourbon Brothers
As you may well have guessed from the name, Bourbon Brothers dedicates its monthly subscription to all things American whisky — specifically from the state of Kentucky.
Easy to sign up to (there are no hidden fees or lock-in durations), for just $79 per month, dram lovers receive a trio of Bourbon whiskies, each in 100ml tasting bottles.
Blessedly, the quality (and sheer variety) on show here is rock solid. For instance: this September’s delivery includes a mixture of barrel-strength Wild Turkey and Bernheim Original — a classic Kentucky Straight, matured for seven years and made on a mash bill with a higher-than-average proportion of wheat.
If you’ve enjoyed our brief beginner’s guide to the best whisky subscription services in Australia, then why not check out some of our other similarly spirited stories. Here are a handful to get you started:
