THE VAULTS COLLECTION
A taste of Society history
What is The Vaults Collection? While the ribbon on the bottle neck might identify these releases visually, the liquid inside is the true badge of excellence. But what makes one of these bottlings so special when all of our whisky is already unique? Mads Schmoll has the answer to that one
The Society launched The Vaults Collection in 2017, just before our 35th anniversary. The goal was to highlight exceptionally rare releases of liquids even more finite than our core range of single casks. They could be an example of whisky from a different time, a cask from a closed distillery or a rare maturation journey. While the tales behind these incredible casks have varied over the years, they all have one thing in common: perfect timing.
At the time Kai Ivalo, then-Spirits Director, (now Whisky & Supply Chain Director) said: “The Vaults Collection encompasses the finest and rarest casks from our treasure trove of single cask whiskies. These casks have been stored over decades and nurtured through their maturation as the ultimate expressions of their kind – these are once-in-a-lifetime bottlings of liquid history.”
The first release, Cask No. 25.70: In a perfumed garden. was a whisky from a then-shuttered distillery that closed in 1993. It was matured in a refill barrel before undergoing further maturation in a second-fill Sauternes hogshead followed by a second fill bourbon barrel. Whisky writer and former SMWS Tasting Panel chair Charlie MacLean spoke to the unique nature of the whisky: “This is an exceptional example of this closed distillery’s remaining stock, which is rare and diminishing with every passing day. Its freshness and vibrant character shine through in a classic example of what was considered the Lowland region’s leading distillery. You’ll never see its like again.”
The second Vaults Collection release was Cask No. 24.129: Meeting an old master. At 27-years-old, it had been matured in an ex-oloroso sherry cask before spending the remainder of its time in a first fill Pedro Ximenez sherry butt. “An absolutely gorgeous dram and a wonderful example of this distillery’s traditional style of classic sherried whisky, as it was made in a previous era,” said Charlie. “It is big, voluptuous and stimulating, with a deeply complex texture.”
Later that year around Christmas, we released a third bottling, Cask No. 29.234: Smoked and salted toffee apples, a 27-year-old whisky which had been maturing in a refill oloroso butt since 1989. With 368 bottles, it was another moment in whisky history. Hans Offringa, whisky expert, author and honorary SMWS ambassador, described the bottling as “…a love letter in liquid form, its gentle smokiness leaving me staring dreamily into the dying embers of a beach bonfire”.
In 2019, more bottlings joined the Vaults Collection. Three were Speyside releases but with completely different journeys and flavours. Two of them had additional maturation, showing off the careful work of our Whisky Team. The whiskies weren’t just old and rare in this instance either – they had achieved exceptionally high scores from the Tasting Panel, taking them into another level of whisky excellence.
The first release revisited Distillery 24 but with a different maturation journey. Cask No. 24.137: The French polisher’s delight spent a full 30 years in first fill bourbon. It yielded only 169 bottles and landed in the Spicy & Sweet flavour profile. The second release Cask No. 76.143: Wherefore art thou rancio? came from a Speyside distillery renowned for its unique distillation process. It was distilled on 22 October 1987, making it 31-years-old. It was matured for 28 years in a bourbon hogshead before being transferred to a second-fill Moscatel barrique that offered 231 bottles.
Last but not least, Cask No. 41.118: Memory lane came from a Speyside distillery rarely seen as a single malt and known for its rich sweetness. It was 30-years-old, and it matured for 27 years in a bourbon hogshead before being transferred to a first fill American oak Pedro Ximenez hogshead. With 244 bottles it was placed in the Old & Dignified flavour profile.
As the number of Vaults Collection releases began to increase, there were even more examples of unique cask tales. Cask No. 20.25: My God, it’s full of stars! came from a closed Lowland distillery. There were only 128 bottles of the 30-year-old whisky which spent its full lifetime in a refill ex-bourbon barrel.
Or you could look at Cask No. 53.431: The stuff that dreams are made of and Cask No. 53.432: Take a step back in time. Both of these whiskies spent 27 years in the same oloroso sherry butt before being split into separate bourbon and rye casks for four years for additional maturation. The result: two distinct personalities from the same Islay spirit. These bottlings demonstrate an experience that you are unlikely to find regularly – even from us.
Most of our Vaults Collection releases are now also part of the Society’s history, but there are still some bottles available from more recent offerings. If you’re in the UK, you can check what treasures are still on our shelves here. Elsewhere in the world, check you local website for availability – and don’t miss your opportunity to own and taste a drop of real liquid history.