‘Members Will Cherish This Spectacular Piece for Years to Come’: Scotch Malt Whisky Society Celebrates 40th Anniversary By Releasing One of Its Oldest Expressions Yet
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society announced the release of a 40-year-old whisky in honor of its 40th anniversary.. (Photo: Scotch Malt Whisky Society)
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society on Monday announced that in honor of its 40th anniversary, the group would release a rare, limited-edition offering: a 40-year-old single malt scotch from a single cask.
Society Cask Number 12.79 is one of the oldest single malt scotch whiskies the society has released. It was aged in an ex-bourbon barrel and dates back to April 1983, right around the time of the society’s inception. According to the brand, the team hand-chose the cask in 2018 and transferred it to a refilled Spanish oak sherry hogshead. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society claims the whisky has a birthday cake spice character from the sherry seasoning — a fitting choice for the society’s 40th birthday.
The whisky was then sampled each year as it matured for five additional years. The brand describes Society Cask Number 12.79 as “the epitome of elegance and good taste” and a good representation of the Society.
Just 130 bottles are available, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society has decided to issue a complementary dram to 40 members chosen at random.
“It seemed only appropriate that we chose it for the 40th anniversary celebrations,” Scotch Malt Whisky Society Head of Whisky Creation Euan Campbell, said in a news release. “We’ve been monitoring this one very closely for a number of years. We knew this was the right time to bottle it and share it with people to enjoy this 40-year-old whisky in our 40th year.”
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society chose not to add any paper labels to the design, keeping it in accordance with a minimalistic theme. This seems to be par for the course for the brand, which claims it likes to let whisky “be the hero.”
The Society Cask Number 12.79 expression bottle hosts a suggested retail price of $3,995.
“We have kept this exceptionally ged, cask matured and flavor curated bottling true to our origins with a nostalgic nod to our celebrated past throughout the creation process. It is also in a beautifully minimalistic bottle that really ensures the whisky itself is the hero,” SMWS Chief Marketing and Experience Officer Rebecca Hamilton said. “We have treated this bottle as we would create a piece of art, with craftspeople working together to do justice to the years in cask. We also wanted to pay homage to our beloved iconic green bottle, collected by many the world over. This bottle has been a passionate collaboration of artists and designers and is also a reflection of how The Society began — from that ‘wow’ epiphany moment to the global single cask whisky fan club we are now. I know that members will cherish this spectacular piece for years to come.”
At the prestigious Distillers’ One of One Auction, The SMWS made the same choice to feature a minimalistic paper decanter for its offering to the prestigious charity auction. Titled “The Only Drop,” the expression sold for $18,253 at the auction.
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