To some people, ‘Chimney sweep's romantic barbeque’ ‘Sticky blossom and spice’ and ‘Two-wheeled beach cruiser’ might read like lines from a bad romance novel (or Belinda Blumenthal’s latest Christmas escapade). They are, however, different expressions of single cask whiskies bottled by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), which held its soft launch event The Whisky Bar KL on December 13.
Now you might be wondering: what’s the difference between a single cask and single malt whiskey? To put it simply, a single malt whiskey is a malt whisky sourced from a single distillery, and is often a blended product made from different casks. This explains why, for example, one bottle of Lagavulin 16 tastes the same year after year.
A single cask whiskey, on the other hand, is sourced from only one cask, resulting in a unique-tasting whiskey that you won’t find anywhere else. Furthermore, the SMWS bottles their whiskies at cask strength (i.e., without diluting it down to the usual 40% ABV) and without filtration, so it’s as if the whiskies were drank straight from the cask. Basically, it’s a whisky aficionado’s dream of never-ending variety.
Adding to the mystique of the society’s whiskies are the labels, which are distinguished by a two-number code that represents the distillery and cask number; for instance, the 42.30 (‘Chimney sweep's romantic barbeque’) is code for 30th cask of whiskey sourced from Ledaig (No 42). You don’t need an Enigma machine to decipher them – The Whisky Portal has a full list of the coded distilleries – but SMWS would argue that you’re better off not having preconceived notions of the whisky before it’s tasted.
While anyone can buy selected drams and bottles from The Whisky Bar KL, members of the SMWS will get extra benefits such as tasting events, discounts and access to the Society’s four Members’ Rooms in Edinburgh and London. Membership is priced from RM436 per year. Find out more at smws.com or head to The Whisky Bar KL to sign up.