Throughout May, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society has been hosting several events on- and offline as part of their Flavour Hunters Festival. The idea was to explore the range of flavours from each Scottish whisky region.
As a part of the celebrations, the Society has hosted a range of events at their members’ venues in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and they will also be attending the Islay Festival on 27th May and 1st June. There will be tasting sessions, pop-up bars and BBQ, and the Society’s presence can also be found at several international whisky festivals.
To connect their members across the globe, the Flavour Hunters Festival finale will be hosted online.
Virtual Tasting Event
When: Tuesday 31st May 2022, 8pm (UK)
Where: SMWS UK Facebook page or on SMWSSilverscreen YouTube channel
Flavour Hunters Festival virtual tasting is the grand finale of a month-long whisky celebration. The tasting will include five festival bottles from this year’s Rare Releases. You will taste and explore these unique drams together with the SMWS master brand ambassador John McCheyne, the SMWS Benelux country manager Bob Wenting and society host Mads Schmoll.
The tasting will be streamed live, but if you can’t make it on the night, the session will be recorded, allowing you to view it at your convenience.
You can order the special tasting pack (£35) from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society website while stocks last. If you aren’t member yet, you can purchase membership with the tasting pack for only £89 (annual membership fee is usually £65).
The tasting pack includes five 25ml bottles:
Cask No. 39 A reward for patience
Flavour profile: Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits
Region: Speyside; Age: 10 years
Cask No. 5 Lime and thyme
Flavour profile: Sweet, Fruity & Mellow
Region: Lowland; Age: 18 years
Cask No. 19 Hazelnut and bubblegum
Flavour profile: Spicy & Dry
Region: Highland; Age: 18 years
Cask No. 93 Changes faster than a chameleon
Flavour profile: Oily & Coastal
Region: Campbeltown; Age: 8 years
Cask No. 53 Throw the cork away!
Flavour profile: Lightly Peated
Region: Islay; Age: 8 years
Other events
Below I have listed a few of the events taking place this month in various locations in the UK. The Society has several venues worldwide, so if you are based elsewhere, you can check what’s happening near you from here.
Glasgow
Welcome to the Weekend with Music and Whisky, Friday 27th May
Start the weekend with a three-dram tasting and Society supper. Only £25.
Saturday Lunch and Whisky Tasting, every Saturday
Enjoy three drams, served with a hearty lunch. £30.
Sunday Roast and Whisky Tasting, every Sunday
What better way to finish the weekend than with a three-dram tasting served alongside a delicious Sunday Roast? £30.
Young & Spritely Flavour Profile of the Month Tasting, Wednesday 1st June
Throughout the year, the Bath Street venue will host a special tasting featuring one of their 12 flavour profiles. Includes four drams and the Society supper. £30.
Edinburgh
Steak and Whisky, Saturday 28th May
Lunch in style. Three drams will be served with a delicious steak lunch. £35.
SMWS Masterclass, Saturday 28th May
This is an immersive masterclass of swirling, nosing and tasting. Over the course of this 90-minute session your taste buds will be tantalised by SMWS whiskies, grains, and other spirits. Includes a Society supper. £40.
Sunday Sesh, 29th May
This tasting will include three drams and three paired beer samples, along with a Society supper. £30.
Music and Malts Live at the Vaults, every Tuesday night
Enjoy live acoustic music while sipping drams with friends. Free event.
Meat and Malt, Wednesday 1st June
This tasting includes three Society whiskies, followed by the famous mouth-watering SMWS burger meal! Veggie burgers also available. £30.
London
Cheese and Whisky, Saturday 4th June
Five drams paired with fine artisan cheeses. £39.
Outturn Preview Tasting, Thursday 2nd June
Taste up to five drams from the latest outturn. £38.
Islay
Flavour Hunter Exploration, Friday 27th May
Taste five rare releases at this tasting hosted at Islay House. £35
Memorable Malts: Old & Rare, Friday 27th May
Another fabulous whisky tasting hosted as part of the Islay Festival. £50.
Interested in a membership?
The SMWS annual membership includes:
- Member-only access to around 20 new single cask whiskies and other spirits each month
- Access to exciting tasting events
- Expert advice and personal guidance about all whiskies from the Dram-cierge team
- Exclusive access to Unfiltered magazine online every month
- Bring up to three guests to four Members’ Rooms in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leith and London
- Discounts on drams in around 100 SMWS partner bars around the UK and worldwide (see the list here)
- Free postage and packaging to most UK addresses
- Discounted bottles
You can get 10% off* with code OTSA10.
*This is valid until 31 May and will provide 10% off new memberships and gift memberships (excluding add-ons). This includes gift memberships purchased by members.
The code works on both our EU and UK sites.
Are you already a member? Have you taken part in the SMWS virtual tasting before?
Disclaimer: This post has been created in collaboration with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and includes affiliate links.
