I’ve once again signed up to be a member of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and decided to share my experience with you and review a fantastic new bottling that they released while I’m at it. The SMWS has been around since 1983 and have been releasing single cask whiskies ever since. Through the years, I’ve sampled and purchased many of their bottlings and have never been disappointed, with their selections so I’m confident you will be as well. To gain access to these bottles, you first must become a member of the society by going to their website and selecting a membership option. These include a standard membership for $100 or if you want your first bottle with it, pricing fluctuates between $150-$200. My personal favorite is their Tasting Kit membership for $175 which allows you to experience 3 casks (100ml of each) when you join up. Once you’re a member you’ll need to pay attention on the first and third Tuesday of every month at 1pm ET. That’s when they have their Outturns (releases), and you’ll want to act fast if you have your eye on a certain bottle. Of course, they email you ahead of time to let you know what’s coming up and even have Outturn preview tastings on their SMWS YouTube channel to give you an idea of their flavor profiles.

As for the bottle, it’s from cask #36.168 and was named “Fruity, Earthy & Exciting.” They don’t list the distillery name since they want you to focus on the whisky and not the distillery’s lore (or lack thereof). But a quick Google search for “SMWS Codes” and you would know that this is a 19-year-old Benrinnes single malt. To break down the code, “36” means it’s from Benrinnes, and “.168” means it’s the 168th cask selected from that distillery. From the label we know it was aged in an ex-Bourbon cask prior to being finished in a 1st fill ex-Moscatel hogshead. Moscatel is a sweet fortified wine made from the Muscat grape, so I was expecting a sweet kick to this whisky. Thankfully, it was pulled from the cask prior to this becoming an issue and still allows the Benrinnes distillery profile to shine through. It was distilled on May 31, 2000 and was released this past May (2020) at a price of $150. It’s bottled at a solid 56.6% abv but doesn’t drink its strength. I found it to be complex with a nice transition (flavor-change) at the mid-palate.

As of June 2020, my current bottle count is over 2,500. I am a Certified Specialist of Spirits and have also been accredited by the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT). I've been actively collecting for more than two decades and what started as a small basic home bar has transformed (with the help and understanding of my wonderful wife) into what I think is a pretty nice collection. If you enjoy this content and would like even more, please join us at my Patreon channel www.patreon.com/LiquorHound. There you can check out the private review library, get some secret tips, and receive a new review every Thursday. Thanks for watching and remember to please drink responsibly. Cheers!

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