SMWS Marks 40 Years With 40YO Malt
To close out its 40th anniversary year, the biggest whisky fan club in the world, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, unveils a 40 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky from a Single Cask to share the society’s legacy in the best way they know how: with an exceptional whisky for its members.
The Society started with a group of friends who had the opportunity to buy and share a single cask of whisky and were dazzled by the unadulterated beauty of its flavor. At the time, they believed they had discovered the secret to drinking the best whisky on the planet. The philosophy of sharing and savoring single cask bottlings has stayed at the heart of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s maverick ethos ever since. This dedication to truly delicious drams has seen The Scotch Malt Whisky Society extend into 28 countries and boast almost 40,000 members globally.
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s 40th Anniversary release, Society Cask Number 12.79, is one of the oldest Single Malt Scotch whiskies the society has ever released. It follows hot on the heels of the Society’s success at the Distillers One of One Auction where The Only Drop, a bottling adorned with an innovative sustainable art sculpture, reached £15,000 at the prestigious charity auction.
This ex-bourbon barrel was first laid down in April 1983, at the very same time as The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was starting its whisky journey, which makes it even more fitting that this is the final release in a collection of eclectic and wonderful celebratory whiskies that have been launched to celebrate this milestone birthday. In anticipation of 2023, the expert Spirits Team at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society handpicked and curated this cask in 2018 with a transfer to a refill Spanish oak sherry hogshead to deepen the flavor and add a brilliantly fitting birthday cake spice character to the liquid.
Maturing for a further five years, each and every year the liquid was sampled to ensure the whisky was just as intended until it was ready to bottle for the 40th Anniversary. The result is a wonderfully mature and very elegant whisky that you’d be forgiven for spending hours unravelling the deep layers of its flavor and character with a drinking experience that’s enhanced by a beautifully unique, one-of-a-kind bottle. This whisky is the epitome of elegance and good taste and represents The Society legacy and why members around the world savor its whisky.
As such an exquisite and rare whisky – only 130 bottles of this will be available on sale solely to members of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. What’s more is that, as part of the birthday celebrations, 40 members of The Society will be selected at random from all corners of the world and surprised with a complimentary dram of this celebratory expression, ensuring this whisky can be shared across the globe by members on The Society’s journey.
Euan Campbell, Head of Whisky Creation at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society: “This cask was initially laid down to mature in 1983, which just so happens to be the year that the Scotch Malt Whisky Society was founded.
“It seemed only appropriate that we chose it for the 40th anniversary celebrations. We’ve been monitoring this one very closely for a number of years. We knew this was the right time to bottle it and share it with people to enjoy this 40-year-old whisky in our 40th year. After so many years of maturing in an ex-bourbon barrel, we decided to take the flavor in a different direction and moved the whisky into a refill Spanish oak, Oloroso hogshead. The key to it being refill was that it would be quite relaxed and complementary, adding another layer of complexity without being too intense for such an old fragile whisky. It stayed in that cask for a further five years. There are only 130 bottles of this. It’s just one to really savor and appreciate the influence of cask on flavor.”
Rebecca Hamilton, Chief Marketing & Experience Officer for The Scotch Malt Whisky Society: “We are the original pioneers in cask strength, single cask, one-off Scotch whisky. We have kept this exceptionally aged, cask matured and flavor curated bottling true to our origins with a nostalgic nod to our celebrated past throughout the creation process. It is also in a beautifully minimalistic bottle that really ensures the whisky itself is the hero. We have treated this bottle as we would create a piece of art, with craftspeople working together to do justice to the years in cask. We also wanted to pay homage to our beloved iconic green bottle, collected by many the world over. This bottle has been a passionate collaboration of artists and designers and is also a reflection of how The Society began – from that ‘wow’ epiphany moment to the global single cask whisky fan club we are now. I know that members will cherish this spectacular piece for years to come.”
No paper labels are used in the design. Instead, the minimal words are printed directly on glass giving an unrestricted view of the unadulterated whisky within, ensuring it’s the real hero. One third of the bottle has also been hand dipped from cork to collar in dark green wax, which pays homage to the society’s infamous and iconic green bottle. As it has been hand dipped, the wax detail produces a different coating every time, meaning each of the 130 bottles is truly unique. The bottle rests on a handcrafted walnut plinth and a museum quality clear case finishes the piece and allows the member to proudly display it in their collection.
This special bottling will be available in the UK, Europe, US, China, Japan, Australia and Taiwan. Retail price into market will include £3000 GBP (for UK), $3995 USD (for US) and €3480 EUR for European markets.
