Bespoke Post is a monthly membership club that delivers high-quality lifestyle products from up-and-coming brands. It’s voted as one of the best men’s subscription boxes of 2023 by our readers and it’s a great box for women and couples as well.
When you sign up, there’s a quiz to determine your preferences and interests, then you’re matched with a new themed box every month. For $49 per month, each box promises at least $70 in retail value with items ranging from outdoor gear, barware, home, and kitchen goods, clothing, and more. If you're not into the boxes selected for you, there are many others to choose from.
Unlike most subscription boxes, you get to preview your Bespoke Post box before it ships and you can easily swap for a different box or skip the month for no charge. You only pay for the months that interest you.
This is a review of the "Energized" box.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
First Impressions
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Bespoke Post almost always has a good presentation. I like this design with the red sticker. Everything was well wrapped.
Inside the Bespoke Post "Energized" Box
EXPLORER COLD BREW CO. Cold Brew Concentrate (16 fl. oz.) - Retail Price $21 each
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This smooth, bold concentrate is made with single-origin washed coffee from Ethiopia. One bottle is good for a full 10 cups of coffee. Just pour 1 to 2 oz. of concentrate into a glass and add 6 to 8 oz. of cold or hot water or milk. (I don't see how that comes to 10 cups, but I'm just going by what the bottle says.) It comes in four levels of caffeine: none, low (50 mg), regular (100 mg), and extra (150 mg). This box includes the regular and extra.
I tried many mixtures, but was not able to find one that wowed me. Two ounces in 8 oz. of iced water – like the bottle suggests – tasted like I let my iced coffee sit in the sun too long. I tried 2 oz. in 6 oz. of hot water and it didn't taste right either. So I tried 4 oz. in 4 oz. of iced water and that was too much concentrate. So I gave it a spritz of more water and that was about as close as I got to what I expect an iced coffee to taste like and it still wasn't great. I even tried to drink it straight like an espresso and that wasn't very pleasant. Perhaps it's also worth mentioning that I don't drink milk, so the concentrate may be excellent with that. Maybe my expectations are a little high, but this experience was enough to make me sure I don't want to mess with coffee concentrate again. Best for me to just make or buy my iced coffee.
EXPLORER COLD BREW CO. Cold Brew Concentrate (2 fl. oz.) - Estimated Price $5 each
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These are the same 1:4 concentrate as the stuff above, just in little to-go bottles. They would be great to throw in your purse, desk, backpack, glove box ... you get the idea. One of the bottles is extra caffeine (150 mg per oz.) and the other is low caffeine (50 mg per oz.).
Note: These 2 fl. oz. bottles are sold as 4 for $20. So I estimated them at $5 each. You can buy a set of no, low, regular, and extra caffeine or four bottles of regular caffeine.
Verdict
I admit I chose this Bespoke Post box on one of those hot April days. The thought of instant iced coffee was too much to deny. However, I must admit I was a little disappointed with this box. Not only did the product not meet my expectations, but the value was among the lowest I've received. (See below.) Again, I may have had high expectations, but I did the math and I'm not even sure I'd save that much money compared to going to the café. Especially considering I needed more than the recommended dosage. I'll definitely use the rest of the concentrate, but I think I'll go back to buying my iced coffee a gallon at a time from the grocery store. All in all, a fun experiment, but I think I will stick to non-consumable items from Bespoke Post.
Let's Talk About Value
I'm estimating this box at $52. The website site says the original price for a 16 oz bottle is $35, but is on sale for $20. And the set was $25, but is now $21. I suspect Bespoke Post is going by the former prices, but I'm going with the latter prices, since that's what I think you'd pay. That $52 value is far below the promised $70 value. In fact, it is LESS than the cost of this sub ($54 with shipping), although it would likely be more if you consider the shipping. That is a disappointing value. They could have easily added some more coffee or maybe a mug or glass to pump up the value. The product was OK, but subscribers want value, too. If you can make around 20 cups of iced coffee with this box, that's around $2.50 per cup, which is not that much lower than you would pay at Starbucks.
To Wrap Up
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, the "Energized" is available at the time of this post.
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist.
What do you think of the "Energized" Bespoke Post box? Let us know in the comments below.
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