When you have a passion for scotch, you don't always want to rely on your local liquor store for a collection of spirits that promise the best tasting notes.
Shopping local does have its benefits, of course, but opting into a club that sends exciting new spirits once per month can give you access to high-quality options you might not be able to get at a nearby liquor store.
As a bonus, a company that offers scotch or whiskey subscription clubs has bottles of the finest delivered directly to your door. There's no need to adjust your busy schedule or spend time driving from store to store as you search for the perfect tasting tipple.
Before you opt into a club though, check out the information below for some of our favorite options for the true scotch enthusiast.
Our Top Scotch of the Month Clubs
1. Flaviar (Editor's Choice)
- Best Match For: People looking to explore the world of fine spirits, expand their palates, and experience live tasting events.
- Commitment Level: Subscription; One-time purchase
- Availability: EU, UK, and US (except AK, DE, HI, IA, ID, MD, MI, MN, PA, TX, UT, VA and WI)
- Value: $24.17-$29.67/month;
- Type: An exclusive spirits club
Feeling a little anxious about committing to by-the-month clubs? A membership over at Flaviar gives you the best of both worlds — the convenience of a subscription and a truly customized shopping experience.
For an affordable price, you'll receive one full-sized bottle and a sample selection of whisky every three months.
Rather than paying for full bottles you may not even enjoy, these 1.5-ounce trial bottles let you experience new tasting notes, brands, and products without the cost that comes along with buying full-sized products.
Plus, if you love one variety, you can always purchase more. As a subscriber, you'll also gain access to their large selection of great-tasting spirits (that's 15,000 different products) and be invited to free live tasting events.
Our full Flaviar review will tell you everything you need to know.
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2. Caskers
- Best Match For: Seasoned spirit enjoyers looking for premium artisan-made bottles and small-batch distilleries that bring a whole other world of aromas and experiences.
- Commitment Level: One time orders; Subscription
- Availability: Availability depends on the product you select. Not all bottles are available everywhere in the US.
- Value: Although these are high-end spirits, you can still find some bottles for under $20. However, you’ll have more luck with premium options, where the priciest bottle of single malt scotch whisky sells for as much as $27,000. Shipping is $12.99 for the first bottle and $3 for all additional ones.
- Type: Fine spirits
This company will have whisky arriving at your doorstep once every quarter, and you can pay the fee upfront instead of being billed per month.
The American Whisky Club focuses on homegrown whiskies made right here in the United States.
You'll get the traditional bottles and flavors, like bourbon and rye, while also receiving up and coming bottles from new distillers.
If you're one of the people out there looking for something a little more exotic, the World of Whisky club may be the way to go, with fine spirits made around the globe included in the boxes.
Scotch, Irish, Japanese, and other hard-to-find varieties will keep you coming back for another sip.
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3. Taster's Club
- Best Match For: Fine drink lovers searching for a carefully curated wine and spirit subscription that brings them unique, high-quality drinks, expert tasting notes, and a little info on the history of each distillery.
- Commitment Level: Subscription
- Availability: All states except Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Utah.
- Value: You can select your favorite type of liquor or wine for $59-$94 a month or select a mix of everything for $73 per month. Shipping is free.
- Type: Alcohol subscription clubs
Craving a quality, full-sized 750ml bottle of scotch or liquor? As a subscriber of the Taster's Club, you'll be sent a premium, hard-to-find bottle of liquor once per month.
Without an unveiling of the item in advance, your order is a complete surprise until it arrives.
Along with the beverage, you'll receive additional information on the month's selection, including production techniques, flavors and tasting notes, and the history of the company and product.
A gift option is available and there are nine different clubs to choose from, which means you're sure to find a club that's right for you.
This is one club where you aren't limited to exceptional whisky. Tequila, rum, gin, scotch, and other options are also available, so you're bound to find a membership that suits you and your flavor preferences.
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4. Craft Whisky Club
- Best match for: Enthusiasts looking for European-based distilleries.
Feel like you've been around the block with Johnnie Walker and other classic brands from America? A whisky subscription with Craft Whisky Club can give you the whiskies you've been missing out on with others.
With multiple club options, you can choose the option that fits both your price line and your drinking habits. Lock-in your subscription and as a member, every other month you'll receive a box worth double the value of your monthly installment.
Based out of Scotland, this company is known for its single malts, which are included in your first delivery. Depending on the membership you select, you'll receive one full-sized 750ml bottle (or two, if you sign up for the larger package) with each shipment.
Regardless of which membership you choose, you'll also receive a food pairing per month that goes especially well with the selection you receive, giving you a truly authentic drinking experience.
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5. Master of Malt Dram Club
- Best match for: People who are looking for regular deliveries of single-serving spirits.
Master of Malt began as an independent manufacturer. Once they were established, Master of Malt branched out into retail.
This company is based out of the U.K. and offers true by-the-month clubs. Opting into one of the dram clubs will have you receiving deliveries of 30ml — or 1 ounce — drams once per month.
It's okay if you aren't into whisky or scotches but still want that high-quality beverage flavor. Other by-the-month clubs are available at an equally affordable price per month, so you can select your favorite spirit and get in on the fun.
Choose from gin, whisky, or rum and expect to have five tasters shipped to you for less money than buying a few drinks at your local bar.
As a bonus, you'll receive a free gift every three months and tasting glassware to fully embrace your samples.
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6. Pour More
- Best Match For: People looking to send exclusive spirits gifts or explore the world of liquors with rare bottles they otherwise wouldn’t be able to get at their local liquor store.
- Commitment Level: Subscription
- Availability: All states except UT, MS, AL, and RI.
- Value: You can select your preferred spirit and join the club for $49 per shipment and up, depending on your preferences and the number of bottles you want. Shipping is $15-$19, depending on the delivery location.
- Type: Spirits of the month clubs
With eight different clubs to choose from, Pour More is a company that offers so many options that there's bound to be something for every drinker. There is even a wine option and another that will give you tasters from each alcohol type — perfect for people who love their cocktails and keeping a fully stocked bar.
Once you've chosen your club, you have the option to select how frequently you want a delivery, which means you're in charge of the amount of alcohol as well as the style of spirits you're receiving.
This company offers so many ways to create the perfect by-the-month club designed especially for you, whether you're enjoying it yourself or have plans to give it as a gift.
Some of the available by-the-month clubs also feature tier levels. If you're looking for a way to get your foot in the door at a great price, affordable clubs are available.
But if you're a scotch pro subscriber with a refined and experienced palate looking for more from your purchases? There's a tier for you, too.
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7. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
- Best Match For: Whiskey lovers looking to join an exclusive club with the world’s best whiskeys, unique tasting events, expert insights, distillery tours, and more.
- Commitment Level: Subscription
- Availability: US, UK, and EU
- Value: One year memberships start at $99 and unlock access to award-winning whiskey bottles. Shipping fees may apply.
- Type: Community with an exclusive access to world's best whiskeys and tasting events
When you join the Society you aren't just opting into one of those standard by-the-month clubs. Instead, as the name implies, members become part of a society that was established more than 30 years ago.
Based out of the U.K., all members share in a truly authentic experience. For your fee, you'll gain access to their top-notch single malt whiskeys. Produced exclusively for their members in just one cask, these make great gifts, and range in price depending on your preferences.
As a member of the society, you'll also receive a magazine subscription with information about how scotch whisky is made and what going into making a good scotch. With 30,000 members, an active online community, and 20 new bottles of single cask whiskies hand-selected each month, there's plenty more than just scotch whisky to enjoy when you're part of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.
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8. Whisky Loot
- Best match for: The Down Under enthusiast.
If you're located in Australia, some of those spirits from the U.K. and beyond were previously out of reach. Until now, with the advent of Whisky Loot, Australia's fastest-growing club service for scotch whisky.
Whiskies are selected from the finest distilleries around the globe and each shipment you'll receive three two-ounce bottles — just the right size to share a drink with a friend.
At an affordable cost per month to become a Looter, it's less expensive than hitting bars to grab a drink with someone.
Whisky Loot's services don't just stop with the by-the-month club, though. Once you've identified which tasting notes you're after and which flavors make your taste buds sing, you can order the full-sized 750ml bottle of any samples you just have to have more of.
With great gift choices and enough liquor in each of the shipped boxes for a relaxing nightcap, this company offers plenty for its customers.
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FAQS
Surprise! There's no difference between the two beverages — except the name. Or, more accurately, it's that pesky "e." Whiskey is the spelling that's generally used in the United States and whisky is the spelling that you'll usually see in Scotland (as with Scotch Whisky) and other parts of the globe.
The spelling on your bottle may give you an idea where it comes from but doesn't change the style of beverage you're about to enjoy.
Seeing a lot of conflicting information out there on scotch, whisky, and scotch whisky? Sorting through labels and types with names like bourbon, peat, and rye can be confusing. Here's the basic breakdown of why different types of alcohol are called what they are called and how they're different from one another.
It can get kind of complicated, but the long and short of it is that these drinks are all whiskies. From there, the designations just give you more information about the beverage. You may see them broken down into scotch whisky or bourbon whisky (or rye whisky, peat whisky, or barley whisky — the list can be quite extensive). It's the grains and the process used that give your scotch or whisky its corresponding title.
Different grains are used in different locations based on what grows well in that region, so it shouldn't come as a shock that most whiskies from a certain part of the world will have a similar title and tastes. Love an American whisky? You'll probably prefer clubs that have plenty of bourbons, rye whisky, rye malt whisky, wheat whisky, corn whisky, or Tennessee whisky.
If you prefer the robust flavor of barley, you'll be better off with a scotch whisky instead. Of course, there's nothing to stop you from trying (and enjoying!) them all.
When you're searching through the by-the-month clubs you'll likely come across additional designations for different whiskies, like malt or single malt. The terminology can quickly become confusing, especially if you're looking for a gift and not shopping for yourself. Here is the basic information you need to sort through the available types of spirits.
Malt whisky is mostly made from malted barley. As barley whiskies often come from Scotland, many malt whiskies also come from that area and may be referred to as Scotch whisky. If you see a bottle with a label identifying it as a single malt, that means the bottle was created at one single distillery. You may come across bottled scotch blends as well, which means multiple spirits have been used to make the final product. A blend can help give you a better price point for a 750ml bottle without compromising on the tastes or experience.
Once you start shopping for scotch whisky you'll find many choices are stamped with a number. You'll notice a corresponding price increase with the older bottles. These whiskies have had longer to mature in their barrel or cask, allowing for a greater range and depth of flavors.
This doesn't mean you need an ancient bottle (or the accompanying high cost) to enjoy some drinks with your friends, though. Don't discount a bottle just because it hasn't had as long to age. Just like a bottle of wine, you'll find there are some company names out there that consistently produce great drams at a lower cost.
If you have your heart set on a club that will send you scotch each month, turn toward a company based out of Scotland, especially if they offer exclusive or local items. Some of the companies mentioned here, like Taster's Club, specifically cater to scotch enthusiasts.
You can also look for by-the-month clubs that lets you enter information like preferences, have you create a taste profile, or even let you select exactly what you'll be receiving, to ensure you're receiving scotch.
Finding the right gift for scotch aficionados can be difficult, especially if you aren't much of a drinker or have a different spirit of choice. You can always opt into purchasing a club as a gift and have the gifts hand-selected by a qualified expert, ensuring the recipient of your gift will truly love what they receive.
If you aren't ready to commit to a company that offers membership as a gift, you can always work with a business that provides gift baskets or choose to send a dram gift card.
Looking for a high-end and reputable scotch to get you started on your journey? Searching through endless reviews can be time-consuming and fruitless. If you've been drinking mostly beer and wines, transitioning over to scotch whisky can be intimidating, and at these price points, you don't want to spend money on something you won't enjoy.
Some popular options that will give you the full experience of a nice scotch without breaking your bank or going to waste include the below:
- Glenlivet 12 years old
- Chivas Regal 12 years old
- Johnnie Walker Black Label
- Balvenie Doublewood 12 years old
Choosing just 10 scotches is hard, but some of the tasters' favorites in 2020 include those in this list:
- Ardbeg 10 year old
- Arran Robert Burns Single Malt Whisky
- Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve
- Ballantine's Finest Blended Scotch Whisky
- The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 years old Scotch Whisky
- Glenlivet 12 year Single Malt Whisky
- Lagavulin 16 year old Single Malt Whisky
- Kilchoman 8th edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Chivas Regal 12 years old
- Oban 14 years old
The Best Club for the Scotch Whisky Lover in Your Life
If you thought by-the-month clubs for alcohol stopped and started with beer and wine, you've been missing out. Any one of these services can have you enjoying regular deliveries of exceptional spirits straight to your door, whether you plan to spend a lot per month or have a more modest budget. The perfect choice will come down to how often you like to imbibe and your preferred type of spirits.
If we needed to recommend just one by-the-month club for you to try, we'd have to go with Flaviar. We love the smaller sized bottle for figuring out your flavor preferences and think it's a great and affordable option when giving gifts as well. The free postage and the expansive network with fun in-person events are just the icing on the cake.
Flaviar
Our #1 Recommendation