For whisky fans looking to expand their knowledge and try new bottlings, there’s nothing better than joining a tasting club. We round up some of the best subscription services delivering top-quality drams to your door.

The Dram Team offers ‘out-of-the-ordinary’ whisky tastings to drinkers’ homes

As consumers increasingly head online for their purchases, there are a wide variety of options for drinkers looking to try new whiskies without leaving their homes.

For those who would like to get more experimental with their choices, there are subscription services offering whisky samples from across the world and in a variety of styles.

From single malt pouches to premium full-sized bottles, we highlight some of the best clubs offering personalised services in monthly, quarterly or year-long subscriptions. Many of these can also be gifted with ease to family and friends with a penchant for whisky.

Click through the following pages to see our pick of 10 subscription clubs for whisky lovers. 

Whisky-Me

The brainchild of London-based whisky bar Black Rock, Whisky-Me is a subscription service offering pouches of “rare and exclusive” single malts, which can fit through a postbox.

The same whisky is never sent twice with more than 100 malt distilleries in Scotland to choose from.

Every month, subscribers will receive a 50ml pouch of whisky selected by the team at Black Rock, which is kept as a surprise.

The club also includes a membership reward programme and subscribers gain access to exclusive distillery content on a monthly basis.

The Whisky-Me subscriptions start at £7.99 (US$10.60) per month or a one-off payment of £84 (US$107) for the year (equivalent to £7 per month). It is only available for delivery in the UK.

Whisky Loot

Whisky Loot aims to guide consumers on a tasting journey through whisky from the comfort of their own homes.

Over the course of a year, drinkers will be introduced to whisky from different regions, styles, flavour profiles and history, along with some exclusive hard-to-find bottles.

Every box includes three 60ml whisky bottles, tasting advice, and access to exclusive bottlings for AU$59 (US$44) per month.

A year-long subscription is priced at AU$649 (US$481), with shipping free in Australia. There’s also the option to buy a one-off box containing three whiskies.

Caskers

For drinkers who prefer full-sized options, there’s membership club Caskers, which offers two 750ml bottles of ‘top-shelf’ whisky every three months.

Drinkers can choose from The American Whiskey Club or The World Whisky Club. The world whisky option provides bottles from a wide variety of styles including Scottish, Irish and Japanese.

Members receive digital tasting notes and exclusive early access to rare bottles and new arrivals. The memberships also provide flexibility, allowing members to skip certain shipments if they want to take a break.

The American Whiskey Club costs US$146.99 and The World of Whisky option is priced at US$166.99 every three months.

The Dram Club

The Dram Club was launched by online spirits retailer Master of Malt in 2017, offering three types of membership: whisky, gin or rum.

Each spirit comes with a collectible tasting card with tasting notes and space for subscribers to add their own thoughts on the bottling.

At the start of the subscription, members are sent a welcome pack, and will receive ‘rare’ bonus gifts after three, six and 12 months in the club. Gifts can include drams of a 40-year-old Glenfarclas single malt or a 33-year-old Port Ellen whisky.

A monthly whisky subscription costs £29.95 (US$35.30).

Craft Whisky Club

Launched this year during the pandemic, Craft Whisky Club offers consumers the chance to explore ‘craft, artisan and innovative whisky making’ through its subscription service.

Each box includes up to two 700ml bottles, along with a food pairing to match with the whiskies and information about the distillery and how the expressions are produced.

The team at the Craft Whisky Club select whiskies from innovative distilleries from across the world, including American whiskey producer High West and independent bottler Douglas Laing & Co.

Furthermore, Craft Whisky Club has partnered with the Edinburgh Whisky Academy to give members 10% off its whisky courses, along with monthly prizes and special offers.

The one-bottle subscription costs £25.95 (US$35) per month, while the two-bottle subscription is priced at £55.95 (US$75) per month. Delivery is available to the UK and most US states.

Pour & Sip

In August this year, Master of Malt unveiled its new Pour & Sip monthly subscription club for whisky lovers.

Described as a ‘flexible platform for drinks discovery’, Pour & Sip is a monthly subscription club that offers five different 30ml drams. The bottlings have been selected by Master of Malt’s in-house team of whisky experts.

New customers will receive a welcome pack containing a pair of tasting glasses, a ‘How to taste whisky’ card, along with detailed tasting notes and five 30ml samples.

Pour & Sip will also host online tastings twice a month, and offer subscribers access to exclusive blog content and discounts on bottles on Master of Malt.

A monthly subscription is priced at £29.95 (US$40).

The W Club

UK drinks retailer The Whisky Shop offers its W Club subscription service, described as helping drinkers unlock the ‘mystery of whisky’.

The club offers the Explorer Safari, priced at £74 (US$99) for a three-month subscription, which delivers a box containing two 100ml whisky samples by post every month. The two whiskies delivered are selected around a theme and may represent a certain region, style, distillery or year.

The service is also available for six- and 12-month subscriptions and is only available for delivery in the UK.

Whisky fans can also join the W Club for £30 (US$35) a year, which offers exclusive access to members-only bottlings, tasting events and offers in store and online.

The membership also includes a quarterly subscription to the Whiskeria magazine, priority notice of rare and limited releases and members-only competitions.

The Dram Team

The Dram Team is described as a subscription service that offers ‘out-of-the-ordinary’ whisky tastings to drinkers’ homes.

The club offers monthly, bi-monthly and quarterly subscriptions, with each box containing five 25ml drams of whisky ranging from between RRP £50 (US$67) to £80 (US$107) per 700ml. It also offers the ‘Sixth Dram’ ­– a special 10ml dram at £125+ (US$168) per 700ml. The boxes also comes with tasting note cards.

The subscriptions are priced at £29.99 (US$40) per month and only available in the UK. Special edition one-off boxes are also available to purchase.

The Whisky Tasting Club

The Whisky Tasting Club offers a choice of three or six different whiskies by post every month.

The package, which conveniently fits through the letterbox, contains special and exclusive whiskies, from old bottlings that are no longer available on the market to the latest releases.

Each tube contains a 25ml dram and comes with a tasting booklet. Every month the drams are curated by a whisky expert, from a Keeper of the Quaich to a whisky blogger or distillery owner.

A monthly subscription containing three tubes of whisky is priced at €18.95 (US$23).

Flaviar

Launched in 2017, spirits subscription service Flaviar is focused on ‘taste, exploration and quality’.

The club offers a wide variety of spirits and allows members to personalise their experience by choosing their first box. Subscribers also benefit from tailored recommendations, a community that rates and reviews, and members-only events.

Drinkers can choose from Scotch, Bourbon and whiskies from around the world. Each box contains three 50ml vials and every quarter subscribers receive a complimentary premium bottle. The first quarter will see consumers receive a bottle of Whistle Pig 10 Year Old rye whiskey.

An annual membership costs £250 (US$295), or a quarterly membership costs £75 (US$88). Shipping is available to Europe and the US.