Robb Vices is “a membership program centered on a monthly delivery of storied treasures.” Each month, they send a collection of curated products and/or experiences.
Subscribers should expect boxes to include “vices” like “exceptional wines and spirits to enjoy, foods to taste, tools, toys, accessories, and gadgets.”
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Robb Vices Subscription Box
The Subscription Box: Robb Vices
The Cost: $99.95 + shipping (For reference, shipping to PA is $7.95.) Save with longer subscriptions.
The Products: Each box contains a curated selection of products and experiences and provides subscribers with a taste of the good life!
Ships to: Robb Vices ships to all states except ND, UT.
Robb Vices "A Perfect Moment" April 2018 Review
One thing I like about this subscription is that it always comes with a very thorough booklet of information about its curation, the featured brands/artisans, and how to use the products themselves.
This month's box is all about crafting "a perfect moment", whether that's with a perfect song or a perfect blend of flavors (like you might find inside this month's foodie-friendly box).
They do a feature with musician George Strait, who is a backer for the brand of tequila that appears in the box.
There's also a recipe for margaritas in between all of the thorough brand features in the box.
The box also comes with a coupon for Fish Fixe, a mail-order seafood company. They're profiled in the booklet and seem cool (and mindful about sustainability, which is important to me). I'm not counting this coupon as a value-adding item in the box, though, since you'd have to make an additional purchase to get its value.
Còdigo 1530 Rosa Tequila, 750ml - Retail Value $59.99
The star of this box is this gorgeous bottle of pale pink tequila. The booklet talks about the Còdigo brand, which uses generations-old processes to create this spirit. The rose color comes from the barrels the tequila rests inside—they formerly held Cabernet Sauvignon, which imparts flavor and a sunset-like color on the end product. I've never had a pink tequila before, but I definitely picked up on the subtle floral quality of the flavor. It really does smell like wine when you open the bottle! The tequila is feather-light on the palate and has that instantly warming, slightly woody flavor that you expect from a tequila. Aesthetically and flavor-wise, this tequila definitely impressed me. It feels special and unique.
Còdigo 1530 Organic Agave Nectar, 11.64 oz.
According to the info booklet, Còdigo has just started making agave nectar, that's not yet widely available. (I couldn't find a value for it online, it's so new.) I don't sweeten a lot of my foods, but I've heard that agave is a great product to swap in for sugar in beverages, cocktails, and in sweet treats. I could see using this smooth, light syrup to jazz up my morning oatmeal. It's about as sweet as honey but lighter in consistency and color. The sweetness is way more like regular sugar—it's got a pure sugar flavor, rather than botanical or woody notes like the tequila has.
Melissa's Hibiscus (Also Called Jamaica)
I'm hesitant to name a retail value for this product since I'm not sure how much is in this unlabeled jar. What I can say is that the jar is about 5.25" tall and 2.5" wide and that the Melissa's website sells 3 2 oz. packages of what I think is the same product for $8.50 here.
The booklet mentions that Melissa's has been featured in the subscription before—the last time was in the "En Fuego" box, which appeared about this time last year. That box featured Melissa's dried Oaxaca chiles. This time around, they're featuring dried hibiscus flowers, which you can steep in syrups, cocktails, or teas to add flavor, or use as a glamorous garnish. The aroma and flavor has a raisin-like quality to it, with lots of strong floral notes.
Exclusive Port Living Company Salt Cellar
The booklet notes that this salt cellar was made "for you and you alone." Port Living Company makes its products out of architectural-grade concrete, which gives this piece its minimalist, industrial aesthetic. I like that there's a cork bottom to prevent it from scratching my wood table as it's being passed around. With the lid on, it measures about 3.75" across and 2" tall. There are little imperfections (tiny notches where air bubbles crept in, uneven spots under the rim of the lid), but I personally don't mind the extra bit of character.
Farm Candy Citrus Ginger Habanero Sea Salt
This is another product that didn't come with a volume label, so I'm hesitant to give it a value. There is a suspiciously similar product currently listed on the Farm Candy website—their Nasty Woman Citrus Ginger Habanero salt—which costs $15.00 for a 4 oz. tin. I'm not sure how big this tin is, volume-wise, as it's not labeled, but I can say that it measures about 2.25" wide and just shy of 2" deep with the lid on (and it's filled to the brim).
I've gotta say, I did not expect to love a tin of salt so much. This mix is addictively spicy, mineral-ish, and richly sweet, thanks to the ginger flavors. I literally kept pinching off tiny bits of it to eat plain, as if I was snacking on sunflower seeds or Nerds candy. Weird, I know. But the flavor combination is just that good. And the crunch of the giant salt crystals? Yum. This would make an amazing rim to a cocktail or an inspiring seasoning for a savory summer dish.
Hank Sauce Cilanktro Hot Sauce, 8 fl. oz. - Retail Value $14.00
This was another item featured in the "En Fuego" box, which according to the booklet, was brought back by popular demand. After one taste, I can totally see why. Can we talk about how GOOD this sauce is??? I'm not even a hot sauce person, but I could see myself slathering all kinds of foods in this stuff. The secret ingredient is fresh cilantro, which adds a delicious herbiness to the flavor. But my first thought upon tasting the sauce was "oh my gosh there's so much garlic in here." I'm a the-more-garlic-the-better person, so I. Am. Thrilled. Seriously. I just bookmarked the retail site so I can buy more later. I have a favorite avocado and tomato scramble I like to make that NEEDS this sauce!!!
Verdict: I was really impressed with the items in this month's box. I thought it was wise that the flavors all related—you could feature all of these items in one meal, or use them separately in different culinary concoctions. The products felt unique, too. It wasn't just tequila, but rose tequila. It wasn't just nice cooking salt, but an artisanal, spicy salt blend. That kind of thing makes each item feel more special, and thus more valuable. (They're not products I'd think to go pick up at my local grocery store.) I'd be interested whether people who have subscribed for awhile feel underwhelmed by getting a back-by-popular-demand product and a repeated brand (though this Melissa's product was different than the one previously featured). Since I didn't get that last box, I'm really happy, mostly because I otherwise wouldn't have learned about this super tasty hot sauce. But I could see someone else saying "Oh noooo not that hot sauce again!"
Okay, let's talk value. The box costs $112.90 to purchase and ship to me in Pennsylvania. I could only find reliable prices for two of the items in the box, and those prices totaled $73.99. That means that the remaining items in the box—the hibiscus, the salt cellar, the artisanal salt blend, and the agave nectar—would need to be worth $38.91 to make the box worth it. In other words, they'd be worth about $9.73 each. That value feels a little bit high to me, but not by so much that it seems unfair. For instance, similar-sized bottles of agave nectar online tend to go for under $10.00, but then again, they might not all be as "artisanal" as this version. I also am willing to spend a few extra dollars than I might for retail just for the sake of curation. (Part of the fun of this box was all the product discovery.) But it is pricey, so I can see wanting to get plenty of bang for your buck and feeling underwhelmed by this being more just-as-much-bang-as-you-paid-for. What do you think?
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No. Sign up by the 1st of the month to receive that month's box.
Value Breakdown: This box cost $112.90 (cost + shipping to us in PA). The two products that have retail values totaled $73.99, meaning the remaining items must have a retail value of at least $9.73 to make up the remaining cost of the box. Another way to look at it is that, going by the cost of the box, each of the 6 items has an average value of about $18.82.
Check out all of our Robb Vices Reviews and find other specialty boxes in the Artisan Subscription Box Directory!
Keep track of your subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription box list or wishlist!
What do you think of the April 2018 box from Robb Vices?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.