Essence of Scotland
"The Society is an ambassador for what is best about Scotland" - Decanter
Great whisky and good company are the twin cornerstones of the
Scotch Malt Whisky Society, founded over 20 years ago by a group of friends who clubbed together to buy a cask of fine malt. Today the Society has three superb venues (two in Edinburgh, one in London) and runs to 25,000 members worldwide.
How does the Scotch Malt Whisky Society work?
Each year the Society bottles single casks of whisky from a wide variety of distilleries, using the distinctive Society label. A cask yields between 200 and 700 bottles, thus making all the Society's bottlings genuinely limited editions. Each bottle carries only a number to identify the exact distillery and cask from which the whisky came; so, freed from any preconceptions about the style or age of a whisky, you can appreciate it purely for its colour, aroma and taste - and in the process train your own senses to become more acute. The Society's experts provide lively and creative tasting notes to help; and there is a programme of convivial, tutored tastings - some pairing the whiskies with food, others with music - throughout the year at the Society's and other venues. The Society's bottlings can only be purchased by members.
Other activity
Who says you need to be a malt whisky aficionado to enjoy the Scotch Malt Whisky Society? Good food and company are equally on the agenda here: at the Queen Street property, a light, classically restored building at no 28, there is a restaurant for fine dining, a bar and three relaxed rooms (0131 220 2044). At the atmospheric 18th-century Vaults in Leith (0131 554 3451) there is a fabulous drawing room for dining and drinking with friends; and also more intimate spaces for tastings. Rooms can be taken at either venue for private or corporate parties, which can be organised - along with flowers, speakers, singers and whisky (if you like) - by the Society's events team.
