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

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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

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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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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Rare Opportunity at a Coveted Japanese Collector’s Trophy
Nikka “From The Barrel” Blended Whisky (750ml) ($74.99)
“…this high-proof rarity is the consummate expression of Nikka … pure magic.”
— Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer

We couldn’t think of a better way to ring in the new year than by featuring one of the most coveted whiskies on the market, a former Whisky Advocate Whisky of the Year winner, no less. Ever since its 2018 release in the U.S. market, Nikka’s From The Barrel blended whisky has been very tough to acquire. But thanks to our relationship with the importer, we just secured some additional cases that we’re thrilled to offer.

Nikka “Miyagikyo” Japanese Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $102) $79.99 View

Nikka “Taketsuru” White Label Pure Malt Japanese Whisky (750ml) $79.99 View

Nikka “Yoichi” Japanese Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (Elsewhere $102) $89.99 View

Nikka Discovery: The Grain 2023 Limited Release Japanese Grain Whisky (750ml) $149.99 View

Nikka “From The Barrel” Blended Whisky (750ml) ($74.99)

94 points Whisky Advocate: “For Nikka From the Barrel, its been a long road to Whisky of the Year. This Japanese blend made its U.S. debut in 2018, but its inception dates back more than 30 years. In 1985, Nikka Whisky Distilling Company’s blending team, led by Shigeo Sato, designed this whisky using both malt and grain whiskies produced at Nikka’s Yoichi and Miyagikyo Distilleries. When taking into account the full array of casks—bourbon barrels, sherry butts, refill hogsheads, and more—over 100 different constituent whiskies are enlisted. From the Barrel suggests barrel proof, but that’s not the case. The blenders made a conscious decision to bottle at 51.4% (derived from 90 British Proof) to deliver maximum flavor impact. They succeeded. Notably balanced and elegant, the colorful palette of whiskies combines for tremendous depth of flavor. Soft, sweet butterscotch and orange peel meet poached pears and stone fruits. Earthiness appears as dried autumn leaves, coffee, old oak, and tobacco. Among the tangle of spices, tasters identified chili pepper, allspice, cloves, and universally adored its ginger note. Finally, wisps of smoke and sea salt. Overall, it feels generously malty, with the grain whisky lending broad sweetness and supple mouthfeel across the long finish. Beyond its delightful flavors, Nikka From the Barrel presents some paradoxes worthy of contemplation over a glass. It is a classic, yet new to the U.S. It is typically Japanese, yet singularly magnificent. (JL, Winter 2018)”

K&L Notes: The #1 Whisky of the Year on Whisky Advocate‘s Top 20 list in 2018 is now being offered without an allocation limit for the first time thanks to our special relationship with the importer. The wonderful Nikka From the Barrel has been one of the most sought-after offerings from this special distiller based outside of Sapporo. It’s previously not been available in the US due to the USA restriction on the 500ml bottle size, but thankfully the owners designed a 750ml version for the US market. This is a blend of many of the Nikka whiskies we know and love dumped and mingled for further marrying in a large vat at the distillery, hence “from the barrel.” It’s one of the few higher-proof offerings available from any Japanese distiller and has a unique character. While the Hibiki Harmony might be the most popular blended Japanese whisky available in the U.S., From The Barrel is easily the most flavorful. This is nicely aged Yoichi, Miyagikyo, Coffey Grain and Imported Malt further aged post-blending and bottled at 102.8 proof. No wonder people are going rabid for the stuff, it’s absolutely delicious!

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: January 03, 2023It is an absolute thrill whenever we get to take the time to write up what are otherwise instant sell-out items. Nikka From The Barrel was one of those secret treats for those with insider knowledge who visited Japan long before the massive Japanese whisky boom of the last decade. With the intro of the 750ml version for the U.S. market and the subsequent Whisky Of the Year award from Whisky Advocate in 2018, the secret was out. As a consequence, it has been all but impossible to get our hands on a decent quantity of stock since its domestic debut. In production since 1985, this high-proof rarity is the consummate expression of Nikka—after all, blending for complexity, harmony, and completeness is the hallmark of most great Japanese whisky—even the single malts are typically built upon many different lots of varied distillate from the single distiller that produces them. When all of Nikka’s whisky sources come together thoughtfully and are allowed to marry over a long period with the slightest and slowest reduction in proof, the result is pure magic. It is robust and yet elegant in every stage of tasting. The nose is soft and sweet, but powerful, helped by the higher ABV. Orange zest, orchard fruit, candied ginger snaps, sweet cooked grains, and loads of butterscotch, vanilla, and oak that will instantly satisfy jaded bourbon drinkers but also offer something new. On the palate, more of the same but deftly combined with a savory edge and the smoky flavors of toasted oak. A little more raisined fruit than on the nose and a sultry mix of dark chocolate and pink salt. While the flavors border on perfect, it is the texture that really sets this whisky apart. It’s so much fuller than one would expect, as it has that textural je ne sais quoi of vintage whisky that is so rare to see in contemporary offerings. The finish is cool, long, and sweetly spiced. While this whisky defies easy categorization, it is safe to say that any lover of brown water will find it an enjoyable and flavorful pour at a very fair price point.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: January 03, 2023It’s been a long time since we’ve had a chance to sit down and enjoy a bit of “From The Barrel.” That’s because this product has been next to impossible to lock down since its award-winning release, which included the 2018 Whisky of the Year crown. But since long before that, I’ve coveted this little bottle and its odd square shape, not for its rarity but rather for its incredible character. While the whisky does not meet the criteria for “Japanese Whisky” per the new voluntary labeling system that the large Japanese producers have developed, the reason why makes it even more desirable in my book. This is almost certainly a blend of the well-known single malts and grain whiskies made at Nikka’s two distilleries (the Yoichi, Miyagiko, and Coffey grain & malt bottlings), with the addition of juice from their exceptional Scottish distillery, Ben Nevis. These whiskies are all carefully blended into a marrying vat and slowly lowered to a hefty 51.4% ABV for bottling. It remains one of the most characterful and charming Japanese-made whiskies on the market and I think, along with Hibiki, it should be considered a benchmark in the category, despite not qualifying technically as such. Here we go! The nose starts rich with vanilla and oak, almost bordering on bourbon levels of vanilla and caramel, but pointed with rich roasted espresso bean and tiny wisps of smoke and green earthy tones. The palate is full-bodied with plenty of sweet cream, butterscotch, and powerful barrel spice. This doesn’t need any water, but loves to play on the rocks if you choose. It’s also my absolute go-to in a high ball these days, adding richness and character that many other lesser options lack. It’s difficult to deny how damned appealing and drinkable it is—full of character without being challenging—and I also love that the price hasn’t exploded exponentially like so many other hard-to-get Japanese whiskies. This is one of those whiskies I always buy in back-up quantity, since I know it’s going to get consumed.

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

As we reach the end of another remarkable year for Laphroaig, I wanted to reflect on the journey we’ve shared throughout 2023. And special acknowledgement is owed to the dedicated team members whose tireless efforts and commitment to peaty whisky have been the backbone of our success.

First and foremost, let’s raise a glass (filled with Laphroaig, of course) to our new production team members. DJ and Andy started on our malt floors, Cat is now running the stills, and with our new warehouses needing filled, we have welcomed Robert, James, Brian, Robbie and Katie to our expanding warehouse team. You’ve all embraced the spirit, both literally and figuratively. Welcome to the family!

Now, let’s talk about our visitor centre. The only place where even non-whisky drinkers leave with a newfound respect for the amber nectar. I want to thank our wonderful team for their passion, knowledge, and unwavering patience when dealing with tourists who pronounce our name in a dozen imaginative ways. You’ve made Laphroaig an immersive experience for all who venture onto our shores. Keep spreading the whisky love, one sip at a time!

But wait, there’s more! We have a brand-new addition to our clan: our very own Islay Brand Ambassador Kayla embodies the essence of Laphroaig, with a charm that could turn an enemy of peat into a loyal follower. Kayla brings the magic of our distillery to whisky enthusiasts worldwide, converting hearts, minds, and taste buds along the way.

Now, let’s talk about those lovely liquid gems we’ve released over the past year. From the bold and peaty expressions that make your taste buds dance a merry jig to limited editions that we have enjoyed sharing. Each bottle has been crafted with care, passion, and a touch of mischief. Let’s raise another glass to the masterminds behind these divine creations.

As we bid adieu to 2023 and leap into the excitement of 2024, I want to wish each and every one of you a year filled with laughter, joy, and an ever-deepening appreciation for the water of life. May you discover new flavours, share memorable drams with old and new friends, and continue to support our beloved Laphroaig team.

So, my fellow Friends of Laphroaig, let’s clink our glasses, set off fireworks with our peaty explosions, and create a New Year’s toast that will echo through time. Because when it comes to Laphroaig, we know how to celebrate like no other!

Yours in peaty revelry,
Barry MacAffer

visit Laphroaig.com

Laphroaig Distillery, Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, Argyll & Bute Scotland, PA42 7DU, United Kingdom

As we welcome the New Year, the greatest joy lies in the moments shared with friends and loved ones, no matter the distance between us.

A Night on Earth – The Journey is the latest edition in our exclusive series. It captures the essence of new beginnings and the unforgettable moments when we gather from every corner of the globe.

Elevate these moments with an extraordinary single malt from our curated collection and make this celebration truly exceptional.

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MacNairs Lum Reek
10 Year Old
Cask Strength Batch 2

£62.99

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Bottling Notes:

Taking inspiration from MacNair’s discovery of the delights of a dram beside a smoky peat fireplace, Master Blender Billy Walker has drawn upon his half century’s experience in blending to develop a recipe fit for a traditional Scottish toast to long life: “Lang may yer Lum Reek”

In Batch Two Billy has created a sublime Blended Malt where the smoke of Islay is blended with the finest Speyside and GlenAllachie whiskies. The spirit was then rested in Spanish sherry casks.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Waves of grilled honeycomb, ginger and vanilla with cinnamon, campfire smoke and treacle

Palate: Bursting with dark chocolate, burnt orange peel and honeycomb.

Finish: Smoked spices, butterscotch and roasted coffee beans.