Introducing distillery 139
Land of the Rising Malts On the 11th of March 2006 at precisely 3:30pm, the first spirit was produced at Kavalan distillery. This is a young world whisky distillery that has properly placed itself on [...]
Think Tank: Floor Maltings
There’s something beautifully self-contained about a distillery that still malts its own barley – taking the grain direct from the farm, steeping it in water and then spreading it over a stone floor, to be [...]
Archie Rose Dramside Chat: Dave Withers & Matt Bailey in conversation
Harriet Leigh, Head of Hospitality, or affectionately known to her friends as 'drinkface', took an hour out of her busy schedule to interview two guys who's friendship through shared experiences and the SMWS has grown [...]
The Lowlands whisky region revival
Scotland’s Lowlands have been somewhat overshadowed as a whisky region by the bigger, bolder counterparts of Speyside, Islay, Campbeltown and the Highlands and Islands. That could all be about to change through a combination of [...]
How do the SMWS flavour profiles work?
Ask any member about their first experience of walking into a Society partner bar or Members Rooms and you will inevitably hear about the bewildering choice offered by those seemingly inscrutable green bottles. Indeed, even [...]
Introducing BenRiach!
This month's Malt of the Month is a delightful deconstructed salad, so let's make it Malt of the Month! Founded in 1897, BenRiach has a distillery history story not too unlike many Scottish distilleries throughout [...]
What do whisky brand names and age statements have to do with it, anyway?
Some will scour their Outturns for the oldest whiskies available, with the most recognisable distilleries they can find. But let’s entertain a new approach. Let me tell you the story of the evening I fell [...]
Kingsbarns Distillery Profile
In case you missed it in Unfiltered March, SMWS UK Ambassador Phoebe Brookes visited Kingsbarns Distillery to meet its Founder Douglas Clement. Here she discovers why the former pro golf caddy decided to open a distillery. As home to [...]
A Year of Firsts: Announcing B4.1
A Year of Firsts! Hard to believe it’s almost October, and what a year we’ve had so far with some absolutely incredible events and casks still in the pipeline for this year. This year, for [...]
The Magic of Youth
Age statements and youthful maturity are a funny mix. I thought about writing an epic-length essay on age statements while looking at the industry as a whole, but realised that not only has that been [...]