Whisky Loot Review (2025) My Journey Through A Premium Whisky Tasting Subscription In Australia

Discovering quality whisky can feel like navigating a maze – with countless varieties, regions, and styles to explore, it’s hard to know where to begin without investing in expensive full bottles. That’s what drew me to Liquor Loot’s Whisky Loot subscription, a subscription service that delivers curated tasting experiences directly to your door.

Each month, subscribers receive three premium whisky tasters in beautiful glass bottles, accompanied by detailed tasting notes and expert guidance. It’s designed as a journey of discovery, starting with approachable classics and progressing towards more unique and complex offerings.

I’ve spent several months exploring their carefully curated selection through their Explorer subscription, testing everything from the educational materials to the tasting experience itself.

In this hands-on review, I’ll share my complete journey with the Whisky Loot subscription and help you decide if this premium tasting experience could be your perfect introduction to the world of whisky.

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Who are Whisky Loot?

The Whisky Loot subscription was founded by Joel Hauer in 2016, after exploring New York’s famous whisky scene and realising that you couldn’t discover whisky in the same way here in Australia. Joel has built the service on an ambition to make you as passionate about whisky as he is.

Now run by a small team out of Sydney, the service has grown significantly. In 2020, they announced plans to start a Gin Loot subscription, and by 2022, both services were consolidated under the parent brand Liquor Loot.

You might also want to check out our Gin Loot review.

While the service is now part of the broader Liquor Loot family, we’ll continue referring to it as Whisky Loot throughout this review to distinguish it from their other subscription offerings.

What do Whisky Loot offer?

Whisky Loot’s core offering is a monthly subscription box including 3 different 60ml bottles of whisky to try. In this case, it’s called the ‘Whisky Explorer’.

Whilst most discovery subscriptions have you join their ‘box of the month’, Whisky Loot is a little different. They take you on a whisky journey starting at box 1 (an “Intro to Scotland”) all the way through to box 12 (“Hard to find”) for a year’s worth of whisky exploration.

After those first 12 months, you continue to receive exclusive samples that include unique and hard-to-find whiskies.

Whisky Loot also offers a range of single-purchase whisky tasting packs, so you don’t need to sign up to an ongoing subscription. If you find a whisky that you particularly fall in love with, their shop contains full-sized bottles with exclusive member discounts.

If you consider yourself a whisky expert, they also offer a ‘Whisky Advanced’ subscription which hosts a unique range of single casks, rare and premium age statement whiskies.

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How much does a Whisky Loot subscription cost?

A standard Whisky Loot Explorer subscription comes in at $64/month for a rolling monthly payment.

If you want to commit to 12 months of whisky exploration, that will set you back a total of $649, saving you an extra $10 per monthly delivery. In contrast, a one-off box will set you back $79.

A little later on in this Whisky Loot review, I take a look at whether this price represents good value.

If you want to expand your palate into the advanced Whisky box, this starts at $99/month for a subscription. A 12-month subscription comes in at an eye-watering $999, which is expensive but in return you’ll get a year’s access to some amazing premium whiskies.

Do Whisky Loot charge for delivery?

Delivery is always FREE with any Whisky loot subscription order.

If you want to invest in a specific bottle of whisky, or get a one-off tasting box, you’ll pay a $10 delivery fee unless your order is above $150. Which, considering this is Whisky, it probably will be.

My Whisky Loot subscription

I always think first impressions are important when purchasing a subscription product, and Whisky Loot have absolutely nailed those first impressions. Their website is well-designed and easy to use, with lots of useful information about whisky exploration. Following on from that, the box you receive feels very premium, with simple and refined branding.

You really feel like you’re entering an exclusive world of whisky (imagine this as a gift!).

Each Whisky Loot box contains 3 x 60ml bottles of whisky, stored in premium glass taster bottles. Each bottle has a label with interesting information printed on it, including where the whisky was distilled, how old it is and the alcohol percentage.

As a relative beginner to whisky, I opted for the Explorer subscription. In my first box, I received:

• Cragganmore Single Malt (12 years old)
• Macallan Sherry Oak Cask (12 years old)
• Dalwhinnie 15 (15 years old)

The packaging and finish across the whole box feel very special, like a genuine whisky experience. I’m very glad they opted to use glass bottles, as I think plastic would have just felt a little bit tacky.

Whisky Tasting Notes

Each Whisky Loot box also comes with a printed leaflet that gives you all the information you’d ever need about the whiskies in your box.

You can use these notes to see how many features you can spot, looking at how the whisky feels on the nose, taste and finish. You even get a QR code link to a specially created video explaining more about whisky tasting and the whiskies you’ve got in the box.

With your first order, you’ll also receive a ‘Whisky Tracker’. This physical tracker allows you to write down and store all your opinions about the whiskies you try. It’s perfect for people like me because I always forget which drinks I like and can’t ever find them again.

Is a Whisky Loot subscription good value?

On first glance, paying nearly $65 for the equivalent of 6 shots of whisky seems like quite a premium price, similar to the price you’re likely to pay in a city bar for an average glass of whisky. However, let’s take a look at how much the equivalent amount of whisky would be if I bought the bottles themselves.

Whisky	700ml Price	60ml Price
Cragganmore Single Malt (12 years old)	$82.99	$7.11
Macallan Sherry Oak Cask (12 years old)	$109.99	$9.42
Dalwhinnie 15 (15 years old)	$89.99	$7.71

That makes the total cost at retail prices $24.25, less than 50% of the cost of a Whisky Loot subscription. However, I recognise this is actually an incredibly unfair comparison for a few reasons:

• If I actually wanted 60ml of those three whiskies, I would need to pay an eye-watering amount of $283 to get the full bottles. Even then, there is definitely no guarantee you’ll enjoy the whisky.
• Exploring different whiskies from around the world can be very expensive, with bottles often costing $300+. This makes Whisky Loot a fantastic way to explore 36 different whiskies each year without spending many thousands of dollars.
• It’s important to consider all the reasons that make a subscription special, including the delivery, packaging and excitement you get each month when the box is delivered.

Whilst I wouldn’t suggest that Whisky Loot is exceptional value, I do think $64 is a reasonable price to pay for the premium whisky experience you receive. However, you might also consider that the same whiskies will set you back $80-$90 in a bar setting that’s a little more atmospheric than your house!

Important Details & Benefits to Consider

Whenever considering taking up a new subscription, it’s important 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 Whisky Loot account for the exact date.

Signing up for the Yearly or 6-Month subscription commits you to receiving 6 or 12 months of deliveries. Although this won’t automatically recur, the 12-month subscription will convert to a monthly subscription after the initial period.

The subscription also comes with several benefits worth considering:

• Yearly subscribers receive a free nosing glass (valued at $13).
• Members can earn reward points by submitting whisky reviews, which can be redeemed for items like tasting journals, leather coasters, mystery spirit packs, and even $50 gift cards.
• Access to member-only pricing with up to 7.5% off full-sized bottles

I also want to raise one of the best things Whisky Loot have ever created – the Whisky Advent Calendar, one of the best alcoholic advent calendars in Australia. Released every year, this is an advent calendar featuring 24 x 30ml bottles of whisky. It’s an incredible idea that’s very well executed and something worth taking into account when we start to reach October/November this year.

Should you buy a Whisky Loot subscription?

Whisky Loot is an incredibly well-crafted experience with premium design and packaging. The tasting notes, videos, and tasting tracker create an excellent educational experience that’s particularly valuable for those beginning their whisky journey.

Whisky Loot’s Explorer subscription would be perfect for:

• As a gift for any whisky-lovers.
• Anyone who wants to explore new & interesting whiskies.
• People new to whisky who want to develop their palate.

For whisky enthusiasts and connoisseurs, I’d strongly recommend considering the Advanced subscription over the Explorer. While the Explorer subscription offers a solid introduction to whisky, experienced drinkers will likely find themselves wanting more unique and rare expressions. The Advanced subscription, though pricier at $99/month, provides access to single casks, rare releases, and premium age statement whiskies that even seasoned whisky lovers might not have encountered before.

Although the price point is a little on the steep side, I would suggest that the overall experience represents good value. In particular, the yearly subscription makes the perfect gift that keeps on giving.

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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.