It’s been a monumental year for The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, and we couldn’t be more grateful to have shared it with all of you.

From retracing our founder Pip Hills’ first steps to breaking records with our incredible tastings, we’ve been on a whirlwind ride. We’ve enjoyed maverick tastings, festival celebrations, and let’s not forget about our revamped Members’ Rooms!

Pour yourself a dram and watch as we take a quick look back some of the highlights from our 40th anniversary year. Trust us when we say it’s a journey you won’t regret. And guess what? We’ll be back for more whisky adventures in the new year.

Wishing you all the very best for 2024 – here’s to another year of amazing whisky experiences. Slainthe!

SMWS: A YEAR IN REVIEW

WATCH THE VIDEO

MEET YOUR DRAM-CIERGE

To help make the most of your SMWS membership, we’ve introduced a whole new level of tailor-made member services and personal guidance. With our members at the heart of everything we do, our DRAM-cierge is here for friendly advice, whether it’s a question about us, your membership or if you’d like us to share some whisky wisdom and recommendations. And if we don’t know the answer – we’ll track it down like a whisky ninja!

GET IN TOUCH

We promise we’re not robots. We’re a small team, all of us members, and would love some chat from kindred spirits – if only to hear what you’ve been doing and what you’re drinking.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

December 2023 Auction ENDS TONIGHT!

Browse our listings to bag a bottle worth bragging about!

Auction closes from 8pm TONIGHT (GMT) Thursday 4th January 2024!

www.speysidewhiskyauctions.co.uk

Gordon & Macphail – Speyside Collection (6 x 70cl)

An exceptional collection chosen with care by Gordon & MacPhail showcases four decades from the 20th century, spanning four generations of the Urquhart family-run business. Introduced to the world by Directors Michael and David, these bottles bear vintages from the lifetimes of their father and grandfather before him. The collection not only traces the history of the Urquhart family, but single malt whisky itself, featuring expressions from some of the best and best kept secret distilleries in Scotland’s most prominent whisky producing region, Speyside.

6 Bottles, 4 decades and over 3 centuries of whisky in this one box.

Interested in Selling Whisky?

   We are already collecting for our next auction
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LOCHSIDE

41 YEAR OLD

1981 | 70cl | 46.7% ABV

The Lochside Distillery was established in 1957 after being converted from a brewery. The distillery closed in 1992 and demolished in 2004. The Whisky is rich with notes of seville orange, baked apple and a hint of aged leather.

£3,999.95

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Colour: gold.

Nose: rich stewed fruit aromas combine with medjool dates and citrus peel . Pressed apple and sultana s develop alongside subtle aniseed.

Taste: smooth flavours of seville orange gives way to baked apple and a hint of aged leather . Toasted almond s lead to herbal influences.

Finish: medium-bodied with lingering mixed nuts and spice.

Silent distilleries are distilleries that are no longer in operation. Some may have been mothballed (closed for a period of time due to financial constraints) while others may have been demolished completely. Either way it means the whiskies produced from these distilleries are in short supply and high demand.

Macallan 18 Year Old “Double Cask” Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) $349.99 View

 Assertive caramel and toffee aromas lead the nose. On the palate, vanilla and creamy caramel are enlivened by a hint of orange peel. Adding water creates an even bigger and richer effect, bringing more caramel center stage, finishing long with a sprinkle of cinnamon and cocoa powder. This easy sipper is a 18-year-old single malt rested in ex-Sherry casks. (KN)  (12/2021)

K&L Notes

Producer tasting notes, “The Macallan Double Cask 18 Years Old, a perfectly balanced single malt whisky matured for 18 years in both American and European sherry seasoned oak casks. Sherry seasoned American oak adds delicate vanilla to the subtle spice of European oak, delivering a whisky with a sweeter, warmer taste and character.”

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

ISLE OF RAASAY DISTILLERY

The Isle of Raasay is located between the Isle of Skye and the mainland. It is home to Raasay Distillery, which produces small batch whisky since it started distilling in 2017. The the whisky ranges from sweet and fruity to lightly peated style.

Raasay Whisky Set

This incredible gift pack includes a bottle of lightly peated Raasay Whisky (R-02.1) and two branded whisky glasses.

£65.00

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Welcome to the first episode of the show for 2024. This week I’ll be reviewing a selection of new releases from The Vintage Malt Whisky Company in their Coopers Choice range.

https://youtu.be/eqE_KunGF_o

KDA Statement

on Delay of Bourbon Tariff Increase

FRANKFORT, Ky. – As the worldwide voice for Bourbon, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association and our 102 distilling and partner member companies welcome the news that the European Union will delay reimposing tariffs on American whiskey and other goods from the United States for another 15 months.

The retaliatory tariffs were set to double to 50% on January 1, 2024, which would have caused a devastating blow to our signature industry and the 22,500 hard-working Kentuckians it employs, as well as the countless wholesalers, retailers, and supply chain partners in E.U. countries that count on its future well-being.

As a reminder, the trade dispute that provoked these retaliatory tariffs has nothing to do with the Kentucky Bourbon or American whiskey industry. U.S. and E.U. spirits exporters had enjoyed duty-free access to each other’s markets for more than two decades, which had greatly benefited both spirits producers and consumers, and resulted in increased exports, jobs and consumer choice.

To that end, we strongly urge E.U. and U.S. officials to permanently end the tariffs sooner than later. Our signature industry has worked hard to recover and regain footing from the last short-term suspension of tariffs. As Bourbon takes years of aging to perfect, a permanent solution will bring certainty to our distillers as they look to continued growth and investments in international markets.

We appreciate and applaud the efforts of the Biden administration and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to secure the extended suspension of the tariffs. We look forward to the day when we can return to free and fair trade and our main business of making the world’s finest whiskey.

KDA President Eric Gregory

E.U. statement here

 Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA) is the worldwide voice of Bourbon

About the Kentucky Distillers’ Association:

Founded in 1880, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association is the legendary voice for Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. Its diverse and growing membership produces the overwhelming majority of the world’s Bourbon, from historic, global brands to emerging micro distilleries that are fostering the next generation of the Commonwealth’s landmark economic engine and its thriving, timeless craft. Member benefits include media relations, international trade development, private sampling events, technical assistance, economic development support, networking, legal defense, marketing strategies, governmental and regulatory advocacy and innovative tourism experiences through the KDA’s world-famous Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® adventures. A 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, the KDA maintains an open membership policy, champions a strong commitment to the responsible and moderate consumption of spirits, and fights to curb underage drinking and drunk driving. Learn more at www.kybourbon.com and www.kybourbontrail.com.

The Nth Bermuda

The Nth Bermuda Experience where you taste an impressive selection of rare and premium whiskies and spirits in exquisite luxury.

Highlights of Nth Bermuda

Exclusive MacAllan Welcome Reception and Dinner tasting featuring Rare old Expressions like the ‘M’ decanter and ‘Fine n Rare’

Rare expressions from Macallan, The Glenlivet, Dewars, Glenturret (Scotland’s oldest distillery) and Royal Salute. Presenters including  Peter Prentice Luxury global ambassador from Chivas Brother, and Brian Cox From Dewars. Executive Chef Lourence Godinhos and his team curate menus of expertly crafted dishes to enhance and complement the flavor profiles of the whiskies and spirits.

Reserve Your Spot

GLENDRONACH

CASK STRENGTH BATCH #12

70cl | 58.2% ABV

The GlenDronach Cask Strength offers a great insight into the distillery’s signature rich and fruity character. Luxuriantly sherried, the Whisky is matured in the finest Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks before being bottled at natural cask strength.

£74.95

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2010 Williamson (Laphroaig) 12 Year Old “Redacted Bros.” (Thompson/Dornoch) Single Refill Sherry Butt Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) ($109.99)

K&L Notes: This exceptional single cask was sold to this bottler as the “Williamson” blended malt and therefore cannot include the source on the label. But we have no problem telling you that this excellent whisky was distilled on the famous little stills located just outside the little seaside town of Port Ellen. Adorned in the throwback label, the Thompson Brothers are clearly giving the old “nudge nudge, wink wink” to the famous old bottling from nearly a century ago, with block letters and cursive writing. Filled into a used sherry butt in 2010, this excellent cask was transferred to Dornoch and bottled at a cool 100 proof without the use of coloring or chill-filtration. This is meaty old-school Laphroaig with big herbal notes and wild tropical fruit aromas balancing the savory smoke and oceanic zestiness. An absolute treat for lovers of quality peat.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: October 18, 2023

This badass barrel of Laphroaig has it all. I’m sort of grateful we can’t sell it as single malt because at this price it likely would have all sold out on pre-arrival and I just love selling this bottle. The labels are fashioned after the old style of Laphroaig labels, and indeed this has so little to do with what is going on with modern Laphroaig bottlings that it’s almost laughable. This is gorgeous, rugged, oceanic Laphroaig of the highest order. Here we go! The color is deep copper. The first nosing is big sulphur! Oh no!!! But wait, just a moment later that’s not sulphur, no no, it’s sizzling pancetta! It’s mesquite bacon and salted fruit. It’s big green fields of peat. It’s engine oil, sticky and greasy. It’s an old shipyard—old, brittle halyards and weather-beaten wooden hulls. It’s bitter barks and aged black tea. It’s frangipani and polished sandalwood. It’s a freshly rolled Galois hanging from your lips, match struck, but yet to be ignited. It’s burnt Seville orange peel being dipped into your Sazerac. It’s utterly drinkable and yet wildly challenging. One of the most exciting malts of the year in my humble opinion. They don’t make them like this at Laphroaig any longer. So I guess I like this a lot. Can you tell?

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA