Robb Vices July 2017 Subscription Box Review + Coupon

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Robb Vices is a monthly subscription service that delivers a collection of “storied treasures.” The subscription costs $89.95 per month, and each box comes with incredible products and experiences that have been curated for your enjoyment.

The box is huge! It is the size of a padded laptop shipping box.

DEAL: Save $120 on an annual subscription! Use this link to get the deal.

Even the padding in the box is exquisite! It has a foam insert that cradles everything inside, and this month’s box had a velvety blue finish.

It all has a very high-end feel to it, and unboxing everything from the custom case makes you feel a bit like a secret agent selecting your gear.

Robb Vices is giving away a Clase Azul Tequila Box as a complimentary gift to those who will sign up for a 3+ month subscription using their code.

Only 13,000 bottles of Clase Azul Tequila were made, so it’s a very rare and limited.

The story of the premium products is told through a giant, novella-sized booklet with multi-page featurettes on each selection. This month’s box is much more focused than most, so nearly the entire booklet is about Clase Azul Spirits.

A short note from Daniel Curtis, Founder of Robb Vices.

A pic of traditional agave harvesting techniques in action.

The styling of the booklet is very sleek and elegant.

Everything in my July 2017 Robb Vices box!

Dardimans Mexican Crisps ($1.99): Slightly sweet and a bit spicy, these pineapple disks are a perfect accompaniment or garnish for a cocktail.

They are made in California and combine the sweet, spicy, and tangy characteristics that most associate with those parts of Mexican cuisine that have gone global.

The ingredients are very simple –  they don’t even remover the core of the pineapple.

They are a very dramatic garnish. The one in the upper right even looks likes a flower.

Clase Azul Reposado Tequila: This tequila is special in just about every way possible. It is an anniversary edition celebrating a score in production, it is produced and released in limited quantities, and even the packaging is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Unlike most tequila, this reposado has been aged 8 months – four in bourbon barrels and four in sherry casks, acquiring distinctive flavor notes in the process.

The booklet has an extensive feature exploring the talents and passion of Arturo Lomeli, the man behind Clase Azul.

Part of the discussion focuses on the development of the special bottle for this limited run spirit.

Each bottle is handmade and painted. Mr. Lomeli found the perfect artisan group to produce his bottles, but the process is so involved that he had to move them to a new facility and fund their expansion to produce the bottles in sufficient quantity for this release.

The bottle is hand-painted 360° (unfortunately, it looks like the state-mandated export label covered a loverly flower).

It came with plastic seal, but otherwise looks like something you may see in a cantina bar three centuries ago.

It is crowned with a bronze-colored metal cap the size of a doorknob.

It is sealed with a rubbery cork, so you don’t lose any of the precious juice.

The bottle is really elegant and perfect for displaying long after the last drop has been savored.

The front is adorned with a metal anniversary emblem. The only problem with adding this bottle to your display shelf is that it may put your present pieces to shame and have you rethinking the propriety of displaying  every Royal Crown bottle that’s passed through your house.

The bottom has a lot and case designation and anniversary stamp. You can see the handwritten marks from the producers and the exact time of bottling. It looks like this bottle was ready to ship June 22, 2017.

This reposado is made start to finish in Jalisco. Though the distillery is a mere 20 years old, it uses traditional methods and craftsmanship — this is as authentic as it gets.

The booklet explores some of the treasured sculpture pieces created to celebrate their 15th anniversary. Made from amber, olinata, talvera, and, of course, tequila, some fetched thousands of dollars at auction.

The booklet explored some of the luxury bars serving this limited run spirit, with each contributing a recipe. Only 7,300 bottles were released for purchase (one for each day in business, 365×20).

Sol Mexican Cocina contributed a Grande margarita recipe.

Some of Clase Azul’s spirits command $300 a pour at venues such as Ontario’s Harbour Sixty Steakhouse.

Global venues fight over the limited number of bottles released, but Robb Vices got a special side allotment for subscribers.

The recipes look really nice – not overly complicated or reliant on prohibitively expensive liqueurs.

Various Clase Azul offerings adorn high-end tasting flights at tequila-centric bars across globe.

Mexican sugar prefers to serve their Clase Azul for sipping, but they also offered a recipe.

Now to the tasting. This tequila is made of 100% blue agave, but is has a much different flavor profile due to its extensive aging. The first tip off is the rich, tawny-golden color. It looks more like a whiskey than it does your standard pale golden or clear tequila.

On the nose, it is smoky and very hot, with only a hint of the tangy, almost medicinal quality associated with agave spirits. The taste is equally intriguing – it has absorbed a profound bourbon character from the aging process, with all its attendant smokiness and oaken notes. The sherry casks is also detectable, with some fruity hints in the nose and a bit of winey tannic quality. Lots of sweet caramely notes, and clean core. and Despite the aging, the spirit remains very hot and vibrant. The texture is very refined, with no sign of viscosity, or oiliness, and the core of the spirit is very smooth, it’s wild notes much subdued.

This box had very few items by count, as it focused solely on one highly-prized item. But don’t let the small number of items fool you as to the value of the box, the bottle of Clase Azul Reposado alone is valued at $170-$220 dollars! As a beverage, the tequila was much different than I expected. It drank like a single malt, only with a much cleaner core palate.

The Robb Vices box is certainly one of the best subscription values you can get, particularly if you like luxury. This box came in at about $170-220 value, which is pretty amazing. I love the curation – everything fits in the theme and is accompanied by a hefty and well-written booklet that heightens the experience and lends context to the selections. The curation is ultra high-end and surprisingly affordable, given the value received. Certainly one of my favorites to have arrive at my door.

Visit Robb Vices to subscribe or find out more!

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  • PA Anna
    08.15.17

    The bottle is a work of art.