Scotch Malt Whisky Society facts for kids
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) is a special club started in Edinburgh in 1983. It's for people who enjoy unique kinds of single malt whisky. The Society buys whisky directly from individual barrels (called "casks") from over 170 distilleries around the world. They then bottle this whisky and sell it only to their members. They also have private club rooms in the United Kingdom and other countries where members can visit.
History of the Society
The idea for the Society began in the late 1970s. A man named Phillip "Pip" Hills was traveling in the Scottish Highlands. He tried different whiskies directly from their barrels and really liked them.
In 1978, Pip convinced some friends to share the cost of a barrel from the Glenfarclas distillery. This small group of friends grew over time. They bought more barrels, bottled the whisky, and shared it among themselves.
In 1983, the group decided to let more people join. They bought their first building, called The Vaults, in Leith. This old building had wine cellars that were said to be very old, going back to the 12th century. The Society created special rooms for its members there.
Later, in 1996, the Society offered shares to its members. They used the money to buy a new club location in London. In 2004, they opened another club in Edinburgh. That same year, a company called Glenmorangie plc bought the Society.
To celebrate their 25th birthday, the Society changed the design of their whisky bottles. The new bottles had more information and a full description of the whisky's taste. In 2015, the Society was sold back to private investors. In 2021, the company that owns the Society became a public company on the London Stock Exchange.
Becoming a Member
To buy whisky from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, you need to be a member. In the UK, it costs £85 for the first year. You can also choose extra things to add to your membership. After the first year, members pay a smaller fee each year to stay in the club. The cost can change depending on where you live and what type of membership you have.
New members get a special welcome pack. This pack usually includes three small sample bottles of Society whisky. It also has a Members' Handbook, a notebook, a small pin, and a membership card.
Being a member means you can buy the Society's unique whiskies. You also get to visit their private club rooms. Members can bring up to three non-member guests with them. Members can also buy tickets for special whisky tasting events. These events happen at the Society's clubs and other places around the country.
Members also receive a magazine four times a year called Unfiltered. This magazine shares news about the Society and articles about the wider world of whisky.
Society Locations
The Society has four special club rooms in the UK. In these rooms, members can buy bottles of whisky or try small amounts (called "drams") on site. These locations are:
- The Vaults in Leith
- 28 Queen Street in Edinburgh
- 38 Bath Street in Glasgow
- 19 Greville Street in London
The Society also has bars called Kaleidoscope that are open to everyone, not just members. There is a Kaleidoscope bar at 28 Queen Street in Edinburgh, right next to the members-only bar. Another Kaleidoscope bar used to be in London but is now closed.
The Society also has branches in many other countries. These include Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the U.S.A., and many more.
How They Bottle Whisky
The Society only buys whisky barrels after they are approved by a special "Tasting Panel." This panel includes experts from the Society and the whisky industry.
The Tasting Panel also creates fun and imaginative descriptions for each whisky. These notes help members know what flavors and textures to expect.
Each bottled whisky gets a unique number with two parts. The first number tells you which distillery the whisky came from. The second number tells you which specific barrel it was. For example, "2.35" means it's the 35th barrel bought from distillery number two. The Society always uses these numbers instead of the distillery name. This is because each barrel is unique, and its whisky might taste different from other whiskies from the same distillery.
The number of bottles from each barrel can vary. Since whisky comes from single barrels, there is only a limited amount. This makes each release rare and special. The Society releases new whiskies for its members once or twice a month.
The Society has also bottled other types of spirits. These include grain whisky (with a 'G' in its number), gin, rum, and cognac. Each type has its own special number prefix.
Sometimes, the Society releases bottles with unique labels. For example, the "Far Flung Flavours" collection had three bottles with fun designs. One, called 'Wasabi Wipe-out,' had a picture of a sumo wrestler surfing on the label!
By September 2010, the Society had bottled about 3,597 different single barrels since 1983.
