Scotch Malt Whisky Society
WhiskyBrother, your trusted source for all things whisky in South Africa, is excited to introduce you to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) - a haven for the whisky enthusiast that is always looking for something new to discover.
The SMWS Story
Founded over four decades ago in 1983, the SMWS began as a small group of whisky lovers and has evolved into a highly regarded and global, members-only "whisky club" known for its exceptional single cask, independently bottled whiskies. With a focus on single malt whisky, SMWS has bottled whiskies from over 155 different malt producers from across the world, not to mention grains, bourbons, ryes and more.
"With SMWS there is always something new to discover: new distilleries, new approaches to cask maturation, new flavours and new people."
Available in over 20 different countries with nearly 40,000 members globally, WhiskyBrother is proud to partner with the SMWS to offer the society and its whiskies to local enthusiasts.
The Art of Independent Bottling
At the heart of SMWS lies the centuries-old practice of independent bottling. Unlike the majority of official whiskies you find available for retail, independent bottlers like SMWS (and Duncan Taylor, Berry Bros., Adelphi, to name a few others) do not produce the spirit themselves, but rather buy individually selected casks or/and new make spirit that they then mature themselves, from various distilleries.
This offers an ever changing selection of whiskies that vary in age, distillery, cask maturation and ABV - with no two casks being identical. The approach allows for a level of uniqueness and individuality with each release offering an opportunity to try something new for the first time.
SMWS Whiskies
The Society's bottlings are a true representation of whisky in its most natural form: non-chillfiltered, naturally coloured and bottled without dilution at natural cask strength. Full of flavour and character!
Presented in their famous green bottles, each release has a unique code that references the distillery and release number and is matched to one of The Society's flavour profiles with an accompanying descriptive (and usually humourous) release name and official tasting notes. The label also provides full transparency giving details of the date of distillation, number of bottles and cask maturation details.
Member Benefits
Joining SMWS requires a membership, with annual renewal, and allows members to have exclusive access to purchase the unique SMWS whiskies. SMWS South Africa offers on average 10 new releases every 8 weeks; that's at least 65 new releases every year - more than 1 per week!
The benefits are not just limited to the whiskies; members can also join regular tastings (in person and online), access exclusive content, benefit from The Society's partner bars in Joburg and Cape Town, and access global venues.
For those on their whisky journey constantly looking to deepen their knowledge and are always on the hunt for something new, SMWS offers the perfect platform. For more information on how to become a member of this vibrant, global community and access their limited release whiskies, please visit the SMWS SA website.