SWEDISH WHISKY FANS IN FOR A TREAT WITH EXCLUSIVE RELEASE FROM THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY 

Special release of 10-year-old peated whisky follows news of Society partner bar in Stockholm and increased activity in Sweden 

Whisky fans in Sweden are in for a treat this month as The Scotch Malt Whisky Society [www.smws.com/] (SMWS) releases an exclusive single cask malt available only to Swedish spirits enthusiasts.

The 10-year-old ‘Burning scarecrows by the sea’, from the Society’s Peated flavour profile, goes on sale on Thursday 12 October on the Society’s online shop (https://www.smws.com/burning-scarecrows-by-the-sea) and will only be available in Sweden.

As with all Society bottlings of single cask whiskies and other spirits, it is a limited edition, with only 234 bottles available. The Society’s expert Tasting Panel describe the whisky, which was matured in a refill hogshead ex-Bourbon cask, as having notes of “pebble beach, seaweed, sun-dried driftwood, bonfire, smoked mackerel and cigar boxes” on the nose, with “blow-torched pineapple and toasted marshmallows” on the palate.

The news comes on the back of exciting times for the SMWS and whisky fans in Sweden.

In August, the SMWS launched its first official partner bar at The Ardbeg Embassy in Stockholm. This relationship sees the world-renowned bar offering an array of Society whiskies and holding monthly Society tasting events.

The tastings take place on the last Wednesday of each month and are hosted by local SMWS ambassador Patrik Axelsson. The next three events are:

• Wed 25^th October: Preview tasting of November’s SMWS releases
• Wed 29 November: SMWS Single Cask Spirits tasting featuring rum, bourbon and armagnac.
• Old & rare whisky tasting – sampling old and hard-to-find SMWS whiskies.

The SMWS, which releases around 20 new whiskies and other spirits each month in Sweden, is also staging a tasting at the SPIS restaurant in Kiruna on Saturday 18 November with local SM9WS ambassador Tommy Calner.

In the coming months, the SMWS will announce plans to stage more tasting events in other locations across Sweden, such as Gothenburg.

SMWS is registered for distance selling in Sweden, so members can order from over 90 bottlings online which are delivered with DHL direct to their door, inclusive of all local taxes – as opposed to ordering and collecting from Systembolaget.

Local SMWS ambassador Patrik Axelsson said: “The release of ‘Burning scarecrows by the sea’ exclusively in Sweden is a great opportunity for our existing members and other like-minded spirits enthusiasts to enjoy a classic example of the single cask whisky that makes the Society unique.

“Through our tasting events at our partner bar the Ardbeg Embassy and the new selection of whiskies and other spirits we release each month, this is a really exciting time to be a member of the Society in Sweden.” 

More information:

https://www.smws.com/burning-scarecrows-by-the-sea

https://www.smws.com/events/locations/sweden

www.smws.com

www.facebook.com/SMWSSweden

Full tasting notes & bottle information:

‘Burning scarecrows by the sea’

Cask number: 10.127

Distilled: 01-Dec-06

Age: 10

Cask: Refill hogshead ex-bourbon

ABV: 62%

Outturn: 234 bottles

Region: Islay

Flavour profile: Peated

Bottle – £69

Bottle + membership – £110

Bottle + membership + welcome pack – £160 

Full tasting note:

The nose engulfed us in waves of comforting familiarity and reassuring island peat smoke – the evocation of Hebridean place was enormous – pebble beach, seaweed, sun-dried driftwood, bonfire, smoked mackerel and cigar boxes. The palate was mouth-filling and deeply satisfying – lively peat smoke and plenty of sweetness – blow-torched pineapple and toasted marshmallows, with aniseed balls and a little sherbet and balsamic acidity. The reduced nose brought us peated barley in hessian sacks, coconut, banana and burning scarecrows by the seaside. The palate now had vanilla pod, lemon and chewy, substantial, almost savoury smoke. Punches above its weight for the age. 

Bottle tasting note:

The nose carries island peat smoke, seaweed, driftwood and burning scarecrows. The palate; blow-torched pineapple and toasted marshmallows.

Notes to editors:

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is an international whisky club that bottles rare single cask, single malt whisky, and a range of other spirits
• The Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and now has more than 26,000 members and branches around the world
• The Society only ever bottles single casks – each cask is unique, making every Society bottling a limited edition
• The Society has bottled whisky from more than 134 distilleries in its history
• The Society releases a new batch of around 20 single cask, single malt whiskies every month
• The Society offers different levels of membership
  • Membership Pioneer with welcome pack containing three samples – £122
  • Membership (without welcome pack) – £61.50
  • Visit https://www.smws.com/whisky-club-membership
• For more information about the Society, visit www.smws.com