One of the great joys of whisky is discovery. Even after years of tastings, distillery visits, and events, there are always new styles, regions, and cask types waiting to surprise you. That’s where curated whisky subscriptions come into their own — offering access to whiskies you might not otherwise buy a full bottle of, or even encounter at all.
Liquor Loot is one such service. Originally launched as Whisky Loot back in 2016, the business began with a clear focus on helping people explore whisky through guided tasting packs. Since then, it has expanded to include gin subscriptions as well, while whisky remains firmly at its core. The model is simple: carefully selected sample bottles, tasting notes, and educational material delivered to your door.
Liquor Loot currently offers two main whisky subscriptions — an Exploration Pack, designed for those early in their whisky journey, and an Advanced Whisky Pack, aimed at more experienced drinkers looking for higher age statements, cask‑strength releases, and harder‑to‑find bottlings.
What Comes in a Liquor Loot Box?
Each whisky is supplied in a 60 ml sample bottle, which is a meaningful step up from the more common 30 ml format.
That extra volume allows you to revisit a whisky on a different day, experiment with water, or even share a pour with someone else.
Alongside the samples, the box includes printed tasting notes, with background information on the distilleries, a flavour chart and even a QR code that takes you to a video on each individual whisky.
Perfect for whisky nerds who want every drop of information.
There’s also a guided tasting notebook covering tasting technique, a flavour glossary, and even a colour reference chart — useful for beginners, but still genuinely practical for seasoned tasters who like structured note‑taking.
Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask (Speyside, Scotland)
The Scottish representative in this tasting is the Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask, matured initially in American oak bourbon casks before finishing in sherry butts. Aberlour is a distillery well known for its sherry‑forward style, and this expression showcases that influence with refinement and balance.
On the nose, dried fruits lead the way — raisins and sultanas are immediately apparent — followed by sweet oak spice and a gentle musty wood character. There’s a classic Speyside elegance here that feels composed rather than showy.
The palate delivers a pleasing combination of candied oak, toasted malt, and lingering sweetness. Despite being bottled at 40% ABV, the whisky carries its flavours impressively, with a finish that holds longer than expected. Spice builds gradually, bringing cinnamon, black pepper, and clove, balanced by nutty sherry and soft toffee notes.
This is a well‑constructed, traditional Speyside malt that rewards patience and attention — a reminder of why age and careful cask management still matter.
Kavalan Solist Port Cask Single Malt (Yilan, Taiwan)
Next is a bold shift in geography and style with the Kavalan Solist Port Cask, a cask‑strength single malt from Taiwan bottled at a formidable 58.6% ABV. Kavalan has built an international reputation for intense, character‑driven whiskies, thanks in part to Taiwan’s hot climate and accelerated maturation.
The colour alone hints at what’s to come — deep and dark from extended contact with a port cask. On the nose, stewed fruits emerge, though with a sharper edge than you might expect from a European port‑matured whisky. There’s a firmness to the aroma, with dark oak and spice sitting alongside the fruit.
Despite the high ABV, the palate is surprisingly restrained, leaning into oak‑driven structure, with subtle spice, dark chocolate, and roasted wood notes taking centre stage. The mouthfeel is rounded and controlled, avoiding the aggressive heat often associated with whiskies at this strength.
The finish is medium in length, slightly drying, with black pepper and wine‑influenced fruit lingering briefly before fading. It’s a fascinating example of how climate and cask interact — and one that challenges assumptions about what port cask whisky should taste like.
Corowa ‘The Dreaded Drop’ Vol. 1 (NSW, Australia)
Rounding out the lineup is the Corowa Distilling Co. ‘The Dreaded Drop’ Vol. 1, an Australian single malt matured in a single chardonnay cask and bottled at 55% ABV. This is a peated whisky and, notably, a release that is otherwise only available at the distillery itself.
The nose is immediately compelling: charred oak, gentle sweetness, and a distinctly Australian character that evokes dry bushland rather than the medicinal peat often associated with Islay. Star anise, vanilla, and faint barbecue charcoal weave together beautifully.
On the palate, peat presents as soft, powdery ash rather than smoke, balanced by buttery texture and chardonnay‑derived sweetness. Burnt toffee, sandalwood, and toasted marshmallow notes build complexity without overwhelming the whisky’s structure.
The finish is long and satisfying, turning peppery and spicy with dark caramel, bittersweet chocolate, and lingering oak. It’s a confident, expressive whisky that demonstrates just how far Australian distilling has come — and a highlight of the tasting.
Why Whisky Subscriptions Make Sense
What makes a service like Liquor Loot particularly appealing is not just the quality of individual whiskies, but the curation. In this single box, the tasting journey moves from a classic Speyside malt to a modern Taiwanese powerhouse and finishes with a uniquely Australian single cask release — three whiskies that most drinkers would be unlikely to purchase side‑by‑side.
For newcomers, the Exploration Pack provides a structured, educational way to understand core flavour profiles without committing to full bottles. For more experienced drinkers, the Advanced Whisky Pack offers access to rare, cask‑strength, and limited releases that genuinely expand your tasting horizons.
Subscriptions are available as gifts, with multi‑month options that make for a thoughtful alternative to the usual bottle purchase — particularly for whisky lovers who already have a crowded shelf.
The Liquor Loot website also sells a range of whiskies by the bottle, available for all but discounted pricing for subscribers, gin tasting packs, and every Christmas they curate some incredible whisky advent calendars.