I am not a natural whiskey drinker. Mainly because I am a lightweight who barely drinks and whiskey is strong. But as the editor of this magazine I have come to appreciate whiskey due to the amount of samples we receive.

I have come to appreciate different types of whiskey, the sometimes subtle differences from one bottle to another is great and interesting. So when the opportunity to try Flaviar, a members club for spirit aficionados, came I jumped at the chance, and I am glad I did.

You get a tasting pack of five different 50ml bottles of whiskey. The 50ml is enough for three tasting shots. In my tasting pack is Nikka From The Barrel Whiskey, Hakushu Bourbon Barrel Whiskey (full of flavour and kick), Taketsuru 12 year Whiskey, Isawa 10 Year Whiskey, and Yamazaki 12 Year Whiskey. They are strong, one is even 51.4%. But they are luxurious and decadent. An ideal present to yourself or others. The whiskey is incredibly good quality as you would expect. For the £24.99 it costs, considering the quality and quantity, I think that is a bargain. You would be surprised how much 50ml is. 12 year old whiskey is incredibly special. These are hard-to-find bottles of whiskey at an incredibly affordable price. So, Flaviar: Frost loves….

Spirits subscription commerce startup Flaviar entered its second year of business with the launch of Flaviar Deals – limited sales of selected hard-to-find full bottles of high quality spirits at very special prices.

Flaviar’s unique approach to spirit tasting through storytelling and perfectly designed products received great feedback from the customers, many of whom were interested in the purchase of full bottles as well – thus the launch of Flaviar Deals. Just like the samples in Flaviar tasting packs, Flaviar Deals will also feature a fine selection of spirits, ranging from some of today’s most renowned brands to those from craft distilleries worldwide. The company also announced to have raised seed funding that will be used to pursue further growth of membership and new markets expansion, allowing them to ship the tasting packs also outside the EU.

Oliver Holle, founder and CEO of SpeedInvest, said:

To date, Flaviar’s curators already prepared 16 packs with 80 drinks. “In the first year it was all about exploring new categories. Many spirits lovers were amazed to discover that there is much more to top-notch spirits than Whiskies. Rums were one of the biggest surprises and a big hit, but we also introduced our members to some great cognacs, grappas, peated whiskeys and even Austrian schnaps,” says Soba, founder and CEO. “We have some great discoveries on the shelves prepared for our future packs and we are very excited about introducing them to our members – with the last pack shipped, we took them to Japan.”

Flaviar monthly tasting packs of 5 spirits samples are delivered in a robust and eco-friendly packaging. Each stylish gift-ready black package is a story itself, told by the spirits as well as by witty comments, tasting instructions and one-of-a-kind SmartAss Corner, prepared by Flaviar curators to help you improve your spirits-smarts. “Once they were pirates, arrrr!”, “Star Spangled Bourbon” and “Schnaps of the Alps” are just some of the previous Flaviar packs’ names. Each pack is available at only GBP 24.99, (compared to a GBP 200-300 full bottle price of a typical spirit included). “Flaviar promises to teach newbies to appreciate spirits, engage in new social activity and improve their smarts. As for aficionados, they get a chance to discover new flavours, show off their extensive knowledge and collections, meet with others alike and teach newbies. We encourage everyone to taste and fully appreciate specific properties of top shelf spirits at home, within the comfortable circle of their friends. Tasting experience is best when done in a small group, allowing one to “compare notes” and observations. That is why our tasting packs include five 50 ml samples, which is enough for 3 tasting shots,” says Soba, who is a seasoned spirit-maker himself. “After the tasting members can fill their virtual MyBar cabinets on Flaviar.com with information on the most wanted, tasted or owned spirits, thereby creating valuable feedback for the producers and us as curators.”