The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, founded in 1983 by Pip Hills, specializes in sourcing, sampling, and bottling exceptional single cask whisky expressions from countries around the world. A valuable source of vintage, cask strength whiskies, old and rare SMWS bottlings have become a holy grail for whisky collectors. Some, though, are becoming increasingly hard to source.
Luckily, we have a small selection of SMWS bottlings available on The Whiskey Wash Shop. Discussing the coding system, the ages, and the distilleries, here are five awesome SMWS bottlings – the perfect gift for a scotch whisky connoisseur.
The Scotch Malt Whiskey Society’s Coding System
As an independent bottler, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society must adhere to strict labeling laws regarding the use of a distillery’s name. Independent bottlers (unless commissioned under licence by a distillery) cannot include the distillery name on their labels. Most circumvent this by stating the geographical location where the whisky was distilled, e.g., “Distilled at The Macallan Distillery.” However, SMWS takes a different approach.
The society has become known for its unique coding system. The code consists of two numbers separated by a point, such as 1.10. The first number represents the distillery, while the second indicates the number of casks from that distillery bottled by SMWS. For example, 1.10 signifies that the whisky is from Glenfarclas (distillery code 1), and it is the 10th cask from Glenfarclas bottled by SMWS.
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This coding system offers insight into the rarity of specific bottlings. Early releases from a distillery (e.g., 1.1) are particularly sought after by collectors.
SMWS Glenlivet 1989 13 Year Old 2.46
BUY NOW: $485
This single malt scotch whisky comes from The Glenlivet, distilled in November 1989 and bottled at an impressive 60.2% ABV after 13 years in the cask.
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The label reveals that Glenlivet’s SMWS code is 2, and this bottle is the 46th cask of Glenlivet whisky bottled by the society.
The bottle is in excellent condition, with a good fill level into the mid-neck—impressive considering it was bottled over 20 years ago.
The Glenlivet is an iconic scotch whisky distillery, so much so that its name became synonymous with quality Speyside whiskies, inspiring other distilleries to append “-Glenlivet” to their names (e.g., Macallan-Glenlivet, Glen Grant-Glenlivet). This practice has since ceased, but The Glenlivet’s legacy endures. For more in-depth information on The Glenlivet suffix, click here.
Despite The Glenlivet’s standing in the industry, single cask, cask strength bottlings at this time were still very rare. SMWS was, no doubt, ahead of its time.
As the society was founded on the principle of flavor over distillery, the brand sometimes included tasting notes of the label, telling a drinker what they could expect. This whisky carries “maple syrup over fondants.”
SMWS Glenturret 1992 10 Year Old 16.26
BUY NOW: $630
Just look at that fill level! Extremely impressive for a bottle over 22 years old.
This whisky hails from The Glenturret Distillery, owned by The Lalique Group and nestled in the Scottish Highlands. The Glenturret Distillery claims to be the oldest distillery in Scotland. In reality, the claim does not hold up to scrutiny. Nevertheless, the claim persists, as does the distillery’s ever-increasing popularity.
For much of its history, The Glenturret was used only for blends, making single malt bottlings extremely hard to come by. That didn’t stop SMWS though. As you can see from the bottle code, this is the 26th cask of The Glenturret bottled by the society.
Distilled in April 1992 and bottled in June 2002 at 57.7% ABV, this whisky boasts notes of “Seville orange marmalade and polished shoes.”
The Glenturret was purchased by The Lalique Group in 2019 and is increasingly presenting itself as a luxury brand. This is bolstered by the presence of The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant; an exclusive fine dining experience located within the distillery.
SMWS Linkwood 1989 10 Year Old 39.27
BUY NOW: $572
Linkwood is a lesser-known distillery in Speyside and is, according to Gordon & Macphail, an “unsung hero in the world of single malts”. Rarely seen as a single malt and most often bottled by Gordon & Macphail, Linkwood is not necessarily a household name. However, Linkwood whisky’s light and floral character has long impressed single malt connoisseurs.
This single malt Linkwood was distilled in May 1989 and bottled in September 1999 at 60.9% ABV. Interestingly, this bottle does not display any tasting notes on the label, inviting adventurous whisky lovers to explore the whisky themselves.
Today, Linkwood continues to be an integral part of Gordon & Macphail’s lineup, with a special 1971 50 Year Old released as part of The Private Collection in 2022.
SMWS Dallas Dhu 1975 12 Year Old 45.1
BUY NOW: $3,426
My personal favorite of this selection is the Dallas Dhu 45.1. As you might have guessed from the bottle code, this is the first cask of Dallas Dhu ever bottled by SMWS.
Distilled all the way back in 1975, the whisky was bottled in 1987, just four years after the society was founded. At the time, SMWS was still very much a small group of friends and acquaintances who gathered to appreciate the undiluted nature of single cask bottlings. Today, of course, the society has over 40,000 members worldwide.
The Dallas Dhu 45.1 is an invaluable look back in time at the beginnings of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and its mission to share single cask scotch whisky with those who would appreciate it.
Based on the deep color of the whisky, we can assume that it was matured in a very active sherry cask (SMWS has a longstanding relationship with sherry casks). It was bottled at 58.5% ABV.
Dallas Dhu Distillery ceased production in 1983 in the midst of The Whisky Loch, and has remained silent ever since. However, in July 2024 it was announced that Dallas Dhu Distillery is set to reopen in 2025.
SMWS Tamdhu 1983 16 Year Old 8.22
BUY NOW: $826
Last but not least we have this Tamdhu distilled in 1983 and bottled at 16 years old, the oldest whisky on this list. Its ABV of 56.3% is impressive considering the extended aging. As you can see, this was the 22nd cask of Tamdhu bottled by SMWS.
Much like Dallas Dhu, Tamdhu was founded in the midst of the Victorian whisky boom in the late 1800s. Another lesser-known Speyside player, Tamdhu has spent most of its life providing whisky for blends including Dunhill.
However, under the ownership of Ian Macleod Distillers, Tamdhu has been looking to the future and releasing increasingly aged whiskies including the recent release of a 43 Year Old as part of The Dedication Collection.
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