Meticulously Mesmerising
Cask No: 35.381

Regardless of whether you’re treating yourself or as a gift, there’s nothing better than hearing about the latest offerings from The Society.

New drams are very regular indeed and are always of limited supply so it’s best to get your order in early to avoid disappointing those taste buds!

Below is one new particular dram of note – especially as it has flavours of Christmas spices – Yes, that time of the year is fast approaching!

The subtle scent of a nutty sponge cake moistened in a light lemony syrup, topped with pastry cream, walnuts and cinnamon combined with a glass of orange muscat, wafted through the air to mesmerising effect.

The taste was that of a Waldorf salad made with rocket for a peppery bite and topped with toasted walnuts and juicy grapes enveloped in a creamy lemony dressing. Following reduction, we found Christmas spices, stem ginger, walnut cake and a sweet espresso on the nose.

On the palate, marzipan and apple tart with caramel sauce. Following 27 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a second fill oloroso hogshead.
– Society Tasting Notes

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Other New Arrivals From The Scotch Malt Whisky Society!

Guinness World Record

As part of their 40th Anniversary celebrations, the society is attempting to achieve a Guinness World Record for the largest online whisky tasting!

The 45-minute, three dram tasting (50mls each) will be held on Saturday 30 September 2023 at 2pm BST.

Sadly, all the Tasting Packs are now sold out but confidence is high that they can achieve their goal!

Peat smoke carried on a coastal breeze
Cask No: 53.438

New Arrivals From The Scotch Malt Whisky Society!

Dram fine sorbet turns up the heat!

Joelato’s experimental fusion of sorbet with The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s new chilli-infused spirit drink offers a taste sensation for fans of the unexpected!

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has teamed up with cult Edinburgh gelateria Joelato to create an experimental sorbet inspired by the Society’s fiery new spirit drink, Exp.01, as part of the maverick whisky club’s ongoing 40th anniversary celebrations.

The sorbet invention is one of many unique collaborations and creations taking place to mark the SMWS 40th anniversary!

The chilli-infused spirit drink is an unorthodox, limited edition bottling and forms the base of a unique cocktail-inspired sorbet, Pink Grapefruit Derby, which gelato wizard Joe Sykes magicked up after experimenting with flavours at the gelateria’s test kitchens in Perthshire.

The delectable iced creation, with its accompanying notes of black pepper, pink grapefruit and fresh mint, had its first public outing at The Vaults in Leith, the Society’s spiritual home and quickly proved a sell-out sensation with ice cream aficionados at Joelato’s Bonnie & Wild branch in Edinburgh’s St James Quarter this summer.

Exp.01 was created with the addition of around 100 Scotch bonnet chilli peppers to a cask of 10 year old single malt whisky, which was then left to infuse for 17 years. The result of this bold experiment packs a peppery punch, with a sweet paprika flavour profile and a smooth finish. At 55.6% abv and bottled in 10cl hot-sauce sized miniatures, it is made for the most spirited adventurers among us to sip, mix, and cook with.

Plans are afoot for Joelato to whip up another batch of their punchy Pink Grapefruit Derby sorbet to serve up to Scotch Malt Whisky Society members late next month at The Vaults, as part of The Gathering – a feast of celebrations to mark four decades since its inception.

The sorbet invention is one of many unique collaborations and creations taking place to mark the 40th anniversary, as the Society approaches 40,000 members across the globe. This unconventional approach is inspired by the maverick attitude of Pip Hills, the founder of SMWS.

As part of the 40th anniversary celebrations, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is turning the heat up, offering new joiners a free bottle of the experimental chilli-infused liquid with each new purchase of 12 months of membership with mystery malt bottle!

Joelato’s lively sorbet creation is a really exciting new way for people to explore one of the Society’s more experimental bottlings. At SMWS we are passionate about promoting new ideas and collaborating to create unique sensory experiences for adventurous whisky and spirit lovers seeking something unconventional.
– Helen Stewart: SMWS Head of Brand Marketing & Membership

Grapefruit, fresh mint and black pepper makes up the collaborative sorbet!

We were delighted to partner with The Scotch Whisky Society on the launch of Exp.01. Exp.01 is downright delicious, and the complexity and spice of the spirit lends itself wonderfully to a punchy, citrus sorbet, which our Pink Grapefruit Derby certainly is. We couldn’t be happier with the result.

At Joelato we’re big fans of basing gelato and sorbets on cocktails, but it can be a challenge to do justice to a wonderful cocktail in frozen form. For starters, too much alcohol and the gelato won’t freeze. With that in mind, we aim to recreate the authentic flavour and depth of a Margarita, for example, with a little less of the alcoholic punch.
– Joe Sykes: founder of cult Edinburgh gelateria Joelato

Joelato was founded in May 2019 by Joe Sykes and his wife Lucie, with its branch in the Bonnie & Wild Food Hall within the Edinburgh St James Quarter joined by a stand-alone store in North West Circus Place, Stockbridge at the end of 2022.

Their handmade gelatos and sorbets are made from only the best natural ingredients, using traditional techniques. Ingredients are locally sourced wherever possible, and everything is made in-house.

Strudel doodle doo
Cask No: 71.97

New Arrivals From The Scotch Malt Whisky Society!

Some like it hot! Thrill Engineer, Professor Brendan Walker

Professor Brendan Walker helps The Scotch Malt Whisky Society explore extraordinary new chilli-infused spirit that you can mix in cocktails, sip if you’re brave enough or even cook with!

This summer, a maverick whisky club is turning up the heat with the release of Exp.01, a limited-edition new chilli-infused drink resulting from an experiment that saw 100 fresh red Scotch Bonnet chillies matured in a cask of Scotch whisky for 17 years.

For the experiment, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) added around 100 sliced chillies to a cask of 10-year-old single malt – in doing so, stripping it of its title as a Scotch whisky. The curious concoction was then left to mature for a further 17 years before being bottled as the spicy spirit it is today.

An experiment that saw 100 fresh red Scotch Bonnet chillies matured in a cask of Scotch whisky for 17 years!

At 55.6% abv and bottled in 10cl hot-sauce sized miniatures, Exp.01 packs a peppery punch with hints of ‘sweet paprika’. The Society is encouraging adventurous flavour explorers to continue the experiment at home, by adding the spicy spirit to summer cocktails, cooking with it like a hot sauce or marinade, or sipping it neat.

The SMWS, which is based in Edinburgh but has members all over the world, created the experimental spirit as part of its 40th-anniversary year celebrations, during which it is staging various events and releasing special editions, all inspired by the maverick attitude of its founder Pip Hills.

Professor Brendan Walker, the world’s only ‘Thrill Engineer’ – who focuses on examining and constructing emotional experiences (his previous work has included designing theme park rides such as Th13teen at Alton Towers) – was called upon to investigate the Society’s unusual experiment and the tasting experience.

After around 17 years of infusion, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society asked me to investigate their experiment. What could be more exciting than being asked to explore two components of known high quality – a Scotch-in-the-making plus 100 fresh red Scotch Bonnet chillies?

The methanol and aromatic higher alcohols found in whisky immediately trigger the release of dopamine. Chilli contains capsaicin and in small amounts, capsaicin has a pleasurable, warming, peppery effect. Capsaicin can also trigger the release of endorphins for endurance, and dopamine to reward surviving such an ordeal.

This concoction of whisky and chilli has the most psychotropic thrilling potential. My initial tasting made me say ‘wow!’, and then smile – a genuine mini-euphoric moment for any connoisseur of thrill. There’s a whole roller coaster of experience being played out on a micro scale, over milliseconds, right there on your tongue.

It’s not just the resulting liquid of Exp.01 that I find amazing – with its smooth, sweet consistency and initial peppery chilli kick. What’s most exciting for me is the Society’s spirit of experimentation. This captures my imagination. Try it in a cocktail, splash it into a creamy sauce for haggis, or pipette a single drop onto your tongue, then feel your mind and body explode with excitement.
– Professor Brendan Walker: ‘Thrill Engineer’

James Freeman, the Society’s Executive Chef, has also created special recipes that showcase the spirit’s culinary potential, including mussels with tomato, anchovies and Exp.01, a teriyaki salmon dish and an incredible chocolate and Exp.01 tart. Meanwhile, SMWS ambassador Logan Shaw recommends mixing the spirit with tonic water, ice, lime and sea salt to create a fiery highball cocktail.

No stranger to the Society, Professor Brendan Walker collaborated with the SMWS in 2022 for their Memory Box campaign, in which tasting Society whisky evoked fond memories and happy moments. The campaign was unveiled to wide-eyed whisky fans at London and Glasgow whisky festivals, with Walker present to guide guests through their journey of nostalgia.

SMWS Ambassador Logan Shaw mixes an Exp.01 cocktail!

In our 40th and most adventurous year yet, this kind of cask experiment is a great example of the fun we have with whisky. We did this simply for the thrill of it to discover what would happen – and we’re excited to share the results of the experiment with everyone and we’d encourage people to have fun with it whether using it in cocktails, cooking recipes or simply sipping it.

Brendan’s expert knowledge of how people react to thrills and excitement was key to this experiment. His investigations have helped explore the tasting experience and explain what’s happening in the mouth when people taste it.
– Helen Stewart: Head of Brand Marketing & Membership

Founded in Edinburgh in 1983 by maverick whisky-lover Pip Hills, the SMWS is now the world’s largest whisky club, with close to 40,000 adventurous and discerning members across the globe, all united by a passion for flavour and exquisitely crafted liquid.

Exp.01 is available while stocks last as part of a special new Society membership offer!