The Exclusive Benefits of SMWS membership

It’s no surprise to everyone that I now live on the delightful whisky island of Islay. Today, I’ll be sharing how you can keep that love of whisky alive on a regular basis – with a membership to an exclusive, global whisky club – the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. I’ll share the ins and outs of the SMWS membership and what fun things and places you gain access to through your membership. If you’re a fan of single malt whisky, this could be the thing for you!

To say that whisky brings people together is an understatement. Some of my happiest memories in recent years involve a dram, some friends, and usually, lots of laughs. While the Scotch Malt Whisky Society membership gives you access to an international and consistent network for whisky, it also opens the doors to many friendships and warm conversations. One sad fact about the pandemic and our constant lockdowns, is that genuine human contact has been so limited. But now that we are slowly being allowed to socialize indoors again, gathering around a common appreciation of whisky, breaks down any social anxieties quickly.

So, now that I’ve waxed poetic about the benefits of SMWS membership, let’s talk through everything.

I. Main Benefits of a SMWS Membership

First thing’s first. What do you get?

Well, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society is actually an indepedent bottler of scotch whisky. For those whisky newbies like myself, independent bottlers buy casks from distilleries and then age it in their own dunnage warehouse for… as long as they want! In whatever barrel type they want. Members therefore gain access to buy the Scotch Malt Whisky Society exclusive bottlings.

1. You get access to exclusive SMWS bottlings.
There’s a monthly outturn (release) of new whiskies
(and other single cask spirits)

If you’re looking for a little variety, don’t worry. Besides whisky, they bottle other single cask spirits – including cognac, rum, gin and armagnac. Bet ya didn’t know that, did ya!

Their monthly outturn is chosen from a secret panel of whisky experts, who smell and taste the whiskies to their hearts content, decide on the tasting profiles, and decide on the amusing bottle names and hilarious but accurate tasting notes.

Besides buying whiskies from their monthly outturn, you can have tastings and meals in their exquisitely decorated Members’ Rooms at any time! Think of it as a private restaurant and tasting room. Chances are, the staff there will know who you are and will easily use their expertise to guide you to the hundreds of whiskies they have on hand!

2. Access to their exclusive Members’ Rooms
for drinks and meals

I visited the Members’ Room in Glasgow last month for a tasting and dinner, and then again the following night for a wee drink, and they had live music playing on a chill Friday evening. It was perfect for a cocktail and a wind down!

Currently, the SMWS has Members’ Rooms located at:

• 38 Bath Street, Glasgow (the newest! opened… in 2020 right before the pandemic)
• The Vaults, Leith (the original! opened in 1983)
• 28 Queen Street, Edinburgh New Town
• 19 Greyville Street, London’s Farringdon district.

A wee peak at the current menu at the Glasgow Bath Street Member Room! I had the Scotch lamb Navarin, and the whisky chocolate pot (with caramel foam and shortbread). And let me say, it was INCREDIBLE! You know that feeling where you want to try all the things on the menu, but you only have so many meals to spare on your trip? Yep, that was how I felt!

Not only do the members rooms comes with food and drinks, if there’s room, you can even get a personal whisky cabinet to leave at the Members’ Rooms.

3. Attend experimental and fun in-person (or virtual)
tastings and events,
including (ever significant) food pairings!

Besides dinners and drinks, your whisky membership includes access to their events and tastings. Last month, when I visited the Bath Street Members’ Room, it was for an exclusive Society Cask tasting event. Society Casks mean that the local members room, takes an existing SMWS bottling, and then experiment on it for their own devious and creative bottling. The experimental Society Casks, which the barrels actually sit atop the bar at Bath Street, were matured in a previously-beer-filled barrel (super interesting and pretty exciting), as well as a first fill sherry cask (which had a robust, dark amber color).

Not only are they having in-person tastings and events, for those mild introverts or home bodies (like me!), there’s always the option to order tasting packs and do a virtual tasting with SMWS. Or, you could be like me, and do an outdoor tasting adventure with your tasting pack!

Besides strictly whisky tasting events, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society also does food and whisky pairing events, with elaborate dinners held at either the Members’ Rooms or even Scottish castles! I’m salivating as I look at the event calendar for more food and whisky pairings… which you know is my thing!

4. Never feel like a stranger in the world

Whenever you’re traveling, take some comfort in being able to find a Society Partner Bar in 20 countries worldwide. On a business trip to Bangkok? No problem, 8 partner bars there. Holidaying in Italy? Fantastic – stop by the 2 partner bars in Milan following your trip to the Duomo. Visiting the kangaroos and koalas down under? Great, there’s 11 partner bars spread across Australia for you to unwind from your day!

If the country has whisky fans, chances are there is a partner bar for you to visit!

The partner bars have been hand-picked to have the same high quality experience that you can expect at the Members’ Rooms. At the partner bars, you’ll get to enjoy a selection of the Society’s single cask whiskies, and maybe with a wee discount on the dram too!

In addition to the partner bars, as with all membership clubs, you’ll be a part of the 26,000+ strong, global, whisky-loving community. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, though based in the UK, has international branches located in 20 different countries too! Be a member in your home country and join them locally for a dram and a tasting!

Also, if you’re a member at one of the international branches, and just happen to be holidaying in Scotland or England, feel free to waltz into the Members’ Room locations and enjoy all the perks of membership! You are a global member, after all.

5. Other benefits of a SMWS membership,
including a whisky concierge!

Of course, I was only listing the fun benefits earlier. Let’s not forget a super cool membership card and lapel pin. Not only that, you’ll get a monthly online version of Unfiltered Magazine, a members-only magazine all about whisky!

This last benefit, I think could be the most useful for those indecisive folks out there! (100% ME) Not know what whisky you’d like to try? With 12 different flavour profiles identified by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, it’s easy to stick to what you know and like. With the SMWS’s whisky concierge, get expert advice to help you navigate the choices of thousands of bottles! And when I say thousands, that is no exaggeration. Just as an example, Glasgow’s Bath Street Members Room literally has over 1,000 bottles in the bar for your choosing.

II. A special thank you to the team at the Bath Street Glasgow Member Room!

All of the above photos were taken at the Bath Street Member Room in Glasgow. I was there last month for an exciting Society Cask tasting, and had the pleasure of chatting with Callum (Venue Manager) and Alan (Ambassador and resident tasting expert).

When you arrive to Bath Street, you go see a small exterior sign, with a staircase leading downstairs. I heard that they could have taken the space on the ground floor, with large corinthian columns and a more grandeur feel, but the Scotch Malt Whisky Society intentionally chose the below ground option. More speak-easy feel. More hidden. More exclusive.

The Bath Street location only opened in 2020 for literally a matter of seconds before the first covid-lockdown. Throughout lockdown, they remained open for people to come purchase bottles, as well as for the SMWS’ Dinner at Home experiences (UK mainland only). I wanted to try their Dinner at Homes so badly but us islanders will just have to make our way to the Bath Street location to eat their delicious food in person!

The Bath Street location has over 1,000 bottles of whisky and other single cask spirits at the bar to choose from. Give them the bottle number or the fun name, and they’ll dig it out for you! Or, even give them a whisky region and ask for their recommendations. The choices are endless! For me, I had to choose an Islay spirit (obviously) – Pirates of the Hebridean (cask number 3.322). And yes, I know which distillery it comes from. But, if I told you, wouldn’t it be less fun?

Non-members can swing through the Bath Street location on Tuesdays, when its open for everyone. Fridays have some lounge, speak-easy approved live music. It’s honestly the perfect place for a little break from city life, or a little wind down for your evening!

Thank you to the guys at Bath Street, who were absolutely incredible! They made me feel so at home, so comfortable, and picked all the right drams for me!

III. Details about joining the Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Now that you have all the fun stuff, let’s get down to the details of joining.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is an annual membership, which normally runs for 85£ a year. You can even gift a membership to the whisky lovers in your life!

Membership in the US is $99 USD per year. Each international branch will have its own membership price, but it’s roughly about the same price when converted.

Companies can join too! Man, would I love to be part of a company that has this membership! For business memberships, contact [email protected].

IV. Parting Thoughts on Scotch Malt Whisky Society Membership

For whisky newbies and aficionados alike, the SMWS membership is the whisky club for you! As with all hobbies, it comes with a pricetag, but I think the exclusive bottlings and events (and the wealth of knowledge and information from whisky concierges!) you get is pretty incredible!

If you’re thinking about joining, the Members’ Rooms also have specific, non-member days of the week, for you to test it out and see if you like it! But having been to two Members’ Rooms in the past, let me just say, you’ll love it!

If you need a little mild persuasion, check out my previous tasting posts with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society:

• an outdoor tasting adventure on the Three Distilleries Path on Islay!
• a night at Bath Street in Glasgow, for the “It’s Alive” Society Cask Tasting!

And with that, I bid you adieu, and slainte mhath! Drink responsibly, stay safe, and have a fabulous dram for me!

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Any links in green included in this post that lead you to a purchase of membership or bottles, would result in me earning a small commission. Though I’m an affiliate, opinions contained within this post are my own.

Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

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