Since the start of the year, I’ve been trying to drink less. Not in a dramatic, cold-turkey sort of way—just more intentionally. Less impulse buying, more bottle killing. Fewer “just because it’s limited” moments; more “this deserves to be opened” kind of thinking. It’s part health, part wallet, and part burnout from trying to keep up with the constant barrage of new releases (and the inner monologue that follows: “Do I really need another GND, Cooley, or overpriced inaugural release?”). That shift has made me more selective with what I drink: quality over quantity, with a focus on enjoyment and getting more out of every dram.

In our 2024 year-in-review post, I mentioned wanting to broaden my whiskey knowledge, particularly by exploring more Scotch. Irish whiskey will always be home base, but lately, I’ve been feeling the need to branch out, widen the palate, and break out of the sweet spot that I’ve grown comfortable in.

Enter the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS).

If you’re not familiar, SMWS is an independent bottler founded in 1983 in Edinburgh. They’re known for offering single cask, cask strength whiskies from distilleries across Scotland—and, more recently, around the world. Every bottle is unblended, unfiltered, and unconcerned with mass-market norms. The Society doesn’t name the distilleries on their labels; instead, they use a numerical code and give each release a quirky title that’s half poetry, half tasting note.

Whiskey societies aren’t new to me—I’ve been active in several Irish groups—but SMWS is arguably the pinnacle of them globally. Having spent three years volunteering with the Irish Whiskey Society, I know firsthand the amount of work it takes to keep a society running. SMWS operates on a completely different level—more member’s club than volunteer group. The scale, consistency, and attention to detail are leagues beyond.

This isn’t an ad—just me sharing my experience with the Society so far. The sign-up process was quick and straightforward. Depending on your location, you register through either the UK or EU site, fill in your details, and pay the €85 membership fee. Shortly after, I received an email confirmation and set up my account. Within a week, my membership card (complete with member number) arrived in the post. Once you’re in, you get full access to all the member-exclusive benefits and, of course, the ever-tempting bottle shop.

I decided to kick things off by ordering a few bottles. I didn’t overthink it—just picked three that looked interesting, different from each other, and within budget. Their online shop is easy to navigate, with nine helpful filters to narrow things down.

After placing my order, I got a confirmation and then a shipping notification a few days later. I learned the bottles ship from Germany, and while everything went smoothly overall, there was a short delay due to a labour strike—completely out of their hands. I also tried to visit their London venue but had to cancel last minute. Booking a spot is easy through their online system, and their team has been great and responsive.

Back to the bottles. As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t do much research before selecting them—and that was intentional. I wanted to go in with as few preconceptions as possible, avoiding things like knowing the distillery or tasting notes. I even held off reading the labels until I’d tried each one a few times. That said, it’s hard not to notice details like the age and the quirky names, so I won’t pretend my impressions were completely blind. Below, I’ll share my own tasting notes and scores for each bottle, followed by the official SMWS descriptions for comparison.

Heather Honey Cashew Nuts Roasted with Sea Salt – Cask No. 53.490

Nose: Smoky, beach barbecue, lots of salinity similar to when I walk my dog on the beach when the tide is low. A hint of honey and oaky notes.

Palate: Sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, sweet chilli sauce, some type of wood I can’t pinpoint. It’s very peppery that transitions into some oak tones and a bit of barbecue crisps in the end.

Finish: Respectable – it’s medium to long and the sweetness blends well with the smoke, although a bit more dominant. Probably Islay.

Score: 7/10

• Distillery Code: 53 (Caol Ila)
• Region: Islay
• Age: 12 years
• ABV: 57.7%
• Cask Type: Second-fill ex-bourbon hogshead
• Flavor Profile: Lightly Peated
• Tasting Notes: We imagined joining a barbecue on the beach with an array of shellfish just about ready for us to enjoy. What a choice – prawns, shrimps, crabs and lobsters, as well as scallops and octopus. We however took the roasted skate wing prepared with dried chilli flakes, lemon and vinegar. Following reduction, we had seared ahi tuna with a sesame crust and wasabi served on a bed of seaweed salad seasoned with sesame oil, vinegar and honey. As the evening became night, we gazed into the starlit sky while snacking on heather honey cashew nuts roasted with sea salt.

Bramble Ramble – Cask No. 68.106

Nose: Cedar, freshly cracked walnuts, red fruits like in-season strawberries. Woody, nutty, fruity. I read that it’s from an oloroso cask but I don’t get the usual dark fruits.

Palate: Thick and oily. It has a nice mouthfeel coating your tongue and cheeks. Oak tannins, raisins, maraschino cherries with muskiness or fresh honey scraped from the honeycomb.

Finish: Long. The sweetness lingers, then finishes with some applewood and sage

Score: 7.5/10

• Distillery Code: 68 (Blair Athol)
• Region: Highland
• Age: 14 years
• ABV: 55.1%
• Cask Type: Ex-Bourbon Hogshead then First-fill Spanish oak Oloroso hogshead
• Flavor Profile: Spicy & Sweet
• Tasting Notes: Initial nosing suggested aromatic and herbaceous scents such as wintergreen, lemongrass and dried herbs, then citronella waxes, cinnamon sugar, mulling spices and aged ruby ales. In time we also found the richness of brown bread spread with treacle. Some water revealed elegant notes of heather flowers, sultanas, pine cones and blackcurrant cordial. The neat palate opened with rich tones of camphor, heather, shilling beers, waxes and salted liquorice, plus a splash of mineral oil and boot polish. Water brought bramble wine, sugared cashew nuts, lemon bonbons and an earthy hint of turmeric – robust and delicious, we agreed. This matured for 11 years in a bourbon hogshead before being transferred to a first fill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead.

Valderi Valdera – Cask No. 44.188

Nose: Fruity and floral. This smells like spring. Faint lillies, baked apples.

Palate: Mango, lemon drizzle cake, a balance of citrus sweetness and bitterness that almost negates each other like a pomelo, 7-up, dry.

Finish: Nice and long. Drying and makes you want to drink more.

Score: 7/10

• Distillery Code: 44 (Craigellachie)
• Region: Speyside
• Age: 16 years
• ABV: 59.3%
• Cask Type: First-fill ex-bourbon barrel
• Flavor Profile: Juicy, Oak & Vanilla
• Tasting Notes: Yes, Old and Dignified – that’s what we agreed on; the nose wafted honey and elderflower, golden sultanas, perfumed pear and tutti frutti, with deeper aromas of leather satchels and forest walks. The palate, similarly, had lots of delicious sweetness, in the form of heather honey, rum and raisin fudge, Turkish delight and syrup on banana fritters, nicely balanced with subtle notes of soft oak, tobacco and clove. Adding water brought lemon sorbet, tangerines and apricot jam to the nose, while the palate found desiccated coconut, earl grey tea, cask char and pomegranate molasses. A very well-matured, complex and balanced dram.

Conclusion: All three turned out to be solid drams. I always factor in cost and value for money when scoring, and I can honestly say these whiskies are well worth their price tag. There’s still so much more to explore, but SMWS has been a fantastic starting point for broadening my Scotch horizons. I’m looking forward to visiting one of their venues soon—and hopefully meeting a few fellow enthusiasts along the way.