1 of an unknown amount of bottles. What a piece of history the .1 SMWS bottles have become. An old fashioned screw top and high ABV of 62.4! and 75cl like it was many times in the 1980s and early 90s. Which government decided that we should have 50mls less? A double less for all of us.
It has a unique code system where the first number refers to the distillery and the second refers to the cask from which the bottle comes. SMWS also offers the largest range of distilleries of any independent bottler. These curiously named drams really do have something for every whisky lover!
The SMWS are one of the Britain's most revered independent bottlers with a worldwide network of partner bars with one mission of getting as much whisky at natural cask strength without water to different nations including USA, Canada, Switzerland, UK, Austria, Germany and many others.
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) was founded in 1983 by a group of friends lead by tax accountant Phillip ‘Pip’ Hills as a private members club. The concept behind the society was to source casks from all over Scotland which would then be bottled and made available exclusively to its members. Perhaps the most famous feature of these bottles are the unique codes. Each distillery is represented by a different number and the following digits indicate that particular release. That same year, the SMWS set up its first location in Leith’s Vault buildings in Edinburgh where it still stands today.
Flowers are more to the fore here, with delicate fruits that gain in weight when matured. Although some older expressions have appeared on occasion, it is most commonly seen as a 12-year-old in the Flora & Fauna range.
Mannochmore is one of the manifestations of the confidence of the 1960s – a situation which is currently being repeated. It was built by DCL in 1971 to cope with increasing demand internationally for blends, and like its sister plant, Glenlossie, it has been closely associated with the Haig and Dimple brands.
For years it worked quietly away until 1996 when its make was used in one of the most controversial single malts of the late 20th century – Loch Dhu, the ‘black whisky’. Although the full tale of how Loch Dhu was created has never been told (and is unlikely ever to be revealed), the enthusiastic use of spirit caramel is seen by most as the most likely candidate for the pitch black hue.
The brand was withdrawn soon after its launch and despite the hostility of the initial response when it first appeared it has now, perhaps inevitably, become a collector’s item.
Production capacity was upped in 2013 to 4.5m litres per annum with new mash tun, more washbacks and a pair of stills – now making eight in total.
