Welcome to day 5 and I have another cask for you. Today’s bottle comes from the SMWS who in my option are the masters of finding what a distillery can do  and I think you will agree its good

The Society

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is a club unlike any other.  As well as being a place to connect with other like-minded whisky lovers, we are also internationally renowned for our mission:  to provide our members with an adventurous and fun journey of discovery of the world’s widest selection of single cask whiskies.  As a member, you will join over 25,000 other members in 19 countries and have access to the very best single cask, single malt whisky available anywhere. Only members can purchase The Society’s fantastic and interesting whiskies.

With access to our monthly new bottling list, Outturn, you’ll have plenty of choices from which to find your ideal whisky. Also available exclusively to members is Unfiltered, an award-winning magazine that is guaranteed to provide you with fascinating insights into The Society and its events and the world of single malt whisky.

Members also gain access to Members’ Rooms in Leith, Edinburgh, London and elsewhere – and with the privilege of taking up to three guests with you, you’ll be very popular.

Straight from the cask, to the bottle, to you. Unfiltered. Undiluted. Unrivalled. Capturing rarity and perfection in a glass, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s bottlings attract curious and discerning whisky lovers from all corners of the globe.

History

The origins of the Society lie in Phillip “Pip” Hills’ travels around the Scottish Highlands in the late 1970s, during which he sampled several whiskies drawn straight from the cask.

Hills was so affected by what he tasted that, in 1978, he persuaded several acquaintances to share in the cost of a cask from the Glenfarclas distillery. Over time, the group of friends expanded to become a small syndicate and more casks were purchased, bottled and distributed to subscribing members.

Coinciding with the decision to open membership to the wider public in 1983, the Society purchased its first property, The Vaults, in Leith; a building, whose vaulted wine cellars reputedly stretch back to the 12th century.

The Society created a set of members’ rooms there.

In 1996, the Society launched a share scheme for its members, the proceeds from which were invested in the purchase of a London venue.

2004 saw the Society purchase a second venue in Edinburgh – a Georgian townhouse on Queen Street. In the same year, the Society was acquired by Glenmorangie PLC.

To mark the 25th anniversary of its foundation, the Society redesigned its bottles, to include more information and a full tasting note on the front of the bottle.

In 2015 the Society was sold back to private investors from Glenmorangie PLC.

Tasting Notes

Nose:  That’s sure cask strength, pear, old books, orange, watermelon, pear, baseball glove, honeydew
Taste: dry, medicinal, old leather, green apple, brown sugar, pear, leather
FInish: crumbling boards, leather, hint of brown sugar, leather, leather

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