Like many Australians, I enjoy a cold G&T on a warm summer’s day. So when I discovered that Whisky Loot was launching a gin discovery service, I was keen to try something beyond the usual Gordon’s, Bombay Sapphire, and Tanqueray offerings.
With gin being Australia’s fastest-growing spirits category and over 5 million regular gin drinkers nationwide, there’s never been a better time to explore the flourishing craft gin scene.
After three months of testing Gin Loot’s monthly deliveries of 3 x 60ml gin tasters, I’m ready to share my honest experience.
In this detailed review, I’ll walk you through exactly what it’s like to use Gin Loot, from the unboxing experience to the actual tastings. I’ll cover the subscription costs, what you get each month, and help you decide if it’s worth trying. Having tested several options, I’ll also explain why I consider it the best gin subscription in Australia.
Gin Loot Subscription Review
Gin Loot Review - Summary
Gin Loot offers a well-designed, educational gin discovery experience that’s perfect for curious drinkers wanting to explore beyond mainstream brands, though at $54/month it’s more about the journey than pure value for money. While the price point sits between retail and bar prices, the detailed tasting materials and premium presentation make it an excellent gift choice or learning experience for gin enthusiasts willing to invest in their taste education.
Overall
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Ordering - Website - 9/10
9/10
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Products - Quality & Experience - 10/10
10/10
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Ordering - Delivery - 8/10
8/10
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Value For Money - 6/10
6/10
Pros
- Premium unboxing experience with high-quality glass bottles and detailed tasting materials
- Educational approach with comprehensive tasting notes and tracking journal
- Curated selection introduces you to unique craft gins you might not find locally
- Great gift option with impressive presentation
- Free Australia-wide delivery on subscriptions
Cons
- Relatively expensive at $54/month for 180ml of gin
- Must commit to 3 months minimum on the monthly plan
- No customization options for gin selection
- Tonic pairing adds another $10/month
- Annual subscription requires significant upfront investment
Discover Gin LootGet $10 off all new subscriptions!
Page Contents
Who are Gin Loot?
Gin Loot is part of the Liquor Loot family, a Sydney-based spirits company founded by entrepreneur Joel Hauer. The story began in 2016 when Hauer founded a company called Whisky Loot to help Australians explore the world of whisky.
Following its success, the company expanded to create Gin Loot in December 2020 (you can also check out our Whisky Loot review).
Today, both subscriptions operate under the Liquor Loot brand, with Gin Loot (officially known as the Gin Explorer subscription) offering members a curated journey through 36 different craft gins each year. For simplicity throughout this review, I’ll continue to refer to it as Gin Loot, as that’s the name most people know it by.
What do Gin Loot offer?
A Gin Loot subscription delivers 3 x 60ml bottles of gin each month, with an optional tonic pairing. Each box includes detailed tasting notes about the selected gins.
The subscription starts with three introductory boxes. After month three, boxes are curated monthly based on new releases, seasonal products, and limited releases.
Your first delivery includes a tasting journal for recording notes and impressions. Members can also share their reviews through Gin Loot’s website, so you can see what others thought about each gin.
Gin Loot also offers single-month tasting packs, so you can get your gin fix as a one-off purchase.
Discover Gin LootGet $10 off all new subscriptions!
A (very) short gin discovery interlude
If you aren’t a regular gin drinker, you might not know too much about what gin actually is.
The thing that all gins have in common is that they contain the juniper berry, often in different ratios/strengths. Interestingly, the juniper berry isn’t really a berry, instead it’s more like a pine cone. You’ll also find that most gins also contain some other botanicals such as cinnamon, coriander, citrus peels or licorice.
Gins are made by fermenting a grain such as barley and then distilling it alongside the botanicals previously mentioned. This process leaves a spirit with around 40 – 45% alcohol content, perfect for mixing with a nice glass of tonic water.
The best description I’ve seen for what gin made from pure juniper berries tastes like is “Christmas tree water“. Probably why it’s a very acquired taste on its own.
How much does a Gin Loot subscription cost?
It’s important to consider that receiving 180ml of alcohol delivered to your door each month isn’t likely to come cheap, which makes Gin Loot’s cost less of a surprise.
A monthly rolling subscription costs $54/month, plus an extra $10 if you want to add a tonic pairing. If you want to commit to a 12-month gin tasting experience, it will set you back a fairly significant $649 with the tonic pairing. A yearly commitment gets you the equivalent of 12 months for the price of 10.
A little later on in this Gin loot review, I take a look at whether this price represents good value.
Do Gin Loot charge for delivery?
All gin subscriptions come with FREE delivery to anywhere in Australia.
If you want to buy a one-off tasting pack or full-sized bottle, then there is a $10 delivery fee. That fee is waived if you spend over $150 which is very easy to do!
My Gin Loot subscription
Now it’s time we crack into the good stuff, sharing my experience with the Gin Loot subscription box.
First impressions are absolutely incredible, with the sleek branding and sturdy shipping box giving a very premium feel to the delivery. In fact, I would go as far to say that it feels very special. I received a box without the additional tonic pairing.
This initial impression alone makes Gin Loot a really incredible gift for someone.
Opening up the box, you’re greeted with two booklets (more on those later) and the three 60ml gin bottles to explore. The bottles themselves are made of glass, which makes them feel very sturdy and adds to the premium feel of the Gin Loot discovery box. They’re stored in a firm foam pouch, meaning they’re very unlikely to get damaged during transit.
In my first box, I received the following 3 gins:
- Sydney Dry (Poor Toms Distillery)
- Malfy Con Limone (Torino Distillati)
- Modern Australian (Four Pillars Distillery)
Considering I live within a short car ride’s distance to Marrickville in Sydney (where Poor Toms is based), I was particularly excited to give this one a try.
When you’re trying these gins at home, it’s definitely important to create your drinks in the optimal way to get a full experience. Gin Loot provides serving suggestions which include suitable cocktails and garnishes to go in a gin & tonic.
I opted to go down the simple gin & tonic route, investing in a premium tonic for a few dollars extra (FeverTree).
What surprised me the most is how much difference the garnishes make. I had the Sydney Dry gin with an added strawberry for flavour, which gave an incredible fresh taste to match with the slightly bitter gin. Previously, I’d always used cucumber as the key garnish, so I’m definitely a convert to using strawberry.
Likewise, the Malfy Con Limone is recommended with a sprig of fresh thyme. This gin really hits with a citrusy (lemon) flavour which balances out perfectly with the herby notes from the thyme. Highly recommended.
Gin tasting notes
Each Gin Loot box comes with a detailed booklet packed with information about your monthly gins. It breaks down the botanicals you’ll find in each gin and provides expert guidance on smell and taste profiles.
You even get access to a video explaining more about the gin, adding to the overall experience.
With your first Gin Loot order, you’ll also receive a ‘Gin Tracker‘ that gives you a physical space to note down what you thought of each gin.
The tracker includes a flavour wheel to help identify and describe different taste elements, which I found particularly helpful when comparing different gins over time.
Is a Gin Loot subscription good value?
Paying $49 for 180ml (6 standard measures) of gin initially feels like quite an expensive way to drink.
This price point definitely aligns more closely with the price you’ll pay at an inner-city bar. Since you’re drinking at home however, I want to compare this price against purchasing those bottles directly from the distilleries (where possible).
This means that if you were to buy all 3 bottles of gin, the equivalent 3x60ml would cost you a total of $19. That’s less than 40% the cost of a Gin Loot subscription. However, it’s fair to say that this isn’t a very fair comparison for a few reasons.
- If you actually wanted to purchase these three whiskies, you’d be paying the full bottle price of $221. Yes, you definitely get a lot more gin but you need to invest a lot more money to try those three different types.
- With Gin Loot, you get the added experience of receiving a box, delivered to your door, with useful tasting notes and a curated set of gins to try.
It’s probably more reasonable to compare the price against what you’d expect to pay in a bar. It’s not unusual to pay $15-$20 for a standard Gin & Tonic in bars around Sydney. Your local area may differ significantly. If I take the lowest part of that range, it would be a total $90 for the equivalent amount of gin and tonic.
| Gin Loot (with tonic) | Bar Drinking |
|---|---|
| $54 – $64 | $90 – $120 |
This all makes Gin Loot seem far more reasonably priced. Whilst I still wouldn’t consider it incredible value, there is evidence to show the pricing is pretty reasonable. Would it be worth paying an extra $30+ to drink in a bar instead? Well, that’s totally dependent on individual preference.
If you’re interested in exploring other alcohol subscriptions, you might also want to check out Wine Selectors or Good Pair Days for wine delivery options.
Other things you should consider
It feels like I’ve covered almost everything you could possibly know about Gin Loot.
Even with all this information, it’s no guarantee that Gin Loot will be perfect for you. So, it’s good to know their cancellation policy. If you are on the Monthly subscription, you’re able to cancel anytime but must be at least 3 business days before payment is taken for your next box. That can be at different times for each person, so check your Gin Loot account for the exact date.
Signing up for the 6-Monthly or Yearly subscription commits you to receiving 6-12 months of deliveries, with the 12-month subscription automatically renewing into a monthly subscription after your year is over.
The subscription includes several benefits worth considering:
- Members can earn reward points by submitting gin reviews, which can be redeemed for items like tasting journals, coasters, and mystery spirit packs.
- Access to member-only pricing on full-sized bottles
- Free delivery on all subscription orders.
I also want to raise one of the best things Liquor Loot do for both their brands – the Gin Advent Calendar, one the best alcoholic advent calendars in Australia. Released every year, this is an advent calendar featuring 24 x 30ml bottles of gin. This is an incredible idea and something worth considering as a treat for yourself when we start to reach October/November this year.
Should you buy a Gin Loot subscription?
After testing Gin Loot for three months, I’ve found it to be a well-designed tasting experience that goes beyond just delivering gin samples, much like their sister service Whisky Loot.
The detailed tasting notes and tracking journal have helped me learn more about different gin styles and botanicals than I expected. I particularly appreciated discovering new garnish combinations, like using strawberry instead of my usual cucumber.
The subscription would be most suitable for:
- People who want to explore gin beyond the standard supermarket brands
- Those interested in learning about different gin styles and botanicals
- Anyone looking for a gift for a gin enthusiast
- Newcomers to gin who want to develop their palate
However, it’s probably not the best choice for experienced gin connoisseurs who already know their preferences, or for those primarily focused on getting the most gin for their money.
At $54 per month, it’s not a budget option. However, when compared to trying these gins at a bar, the price becomes more reasonable – especially considering the educational materials and convenience of home delivery.
My main takeaway is that Gin Loot is a solid option if you’re genuinely interested in exploring and learning about different gins. Just be prepared for the monthly investment and make sure you’ll actually use the tasting materials that come with each delivery.
Discover Gin LootGet $10 off all new subscriptions!
Full Disclosure: Liquor Loot reached out to me and offered a trial of their service for free (who can say no to that!), and we may receive a small commission for any purchases made through our links. It is my promise to readers of FoodBoxMate that this does not influence the review content and everything written in this review is entirely my own opinion.
