history

What started out 40 years ago with a few friends sharing a cask into various empty bottles in an Edinburgh flat has now expanded across the world, with almost 40,000 members sharing the Society love for spectacular whisky and good times

1983

Formed in Leith

Purchase of Cask No. 1.1

Purchase of The Vaults

1984

1,000 members

1986

3,000 members

1987

5,000 members

50th distillery bottling

The Vaults Members’ Room opens

1988

10,000 members

First Irish whiskey, Cask No. 51.1

1992

Cask No. 100.1

1993

10th anniversary

SMWS France, SMWS Japan and SMWS United States branches open

1994

SMWS Switzerland and SMWS Austria branches open

1997

Old Masters Collection launches

1998

First Society armagnac bottled

1999

Italian branch opens

London Members’ Room at 19 Greville Street opens

2002

First Japanese whisky, Cask No. 116.1: Coconut peapods and tropical hothouses

SMWS Australia branch opens

2003

First vatted malt

100th cask from Distillery No. 1

2004

SMWS becomes part of Glenmorangie group

28 Queen Street Members’ Room opens

2006

SMWS Taiwan opens

First grain whisky

2008

25th anniversary

New bottle design and label

Unfiltered magazine launches

2010

First Welsh whisky, Cask No. 128.1: A string quartet of flavours

2011

SMWS Canada branch opens

2012

SMWS Denmark branch opens

2015

20,000 members

Acquired by Artisanal Spirits Company

First Feis Ile special release, Cask No. 3.243: Dark, smouldering flamenco gypsy

2017

Flavour profile colours introduced on bottle

Single Cask Spirits collection launched

First blended malt, Exotic Cargo

Vaults Collection launched, with Cask No. 25.70: In a perfumed garden and Cask No. 24.129: Meeting an old master

SMWS China branch opens

First US whisky, Cask No. 133.1: Speakeasy sneaky peeky

First Indian whisky, Cask No. 134.1: Exotic rainforest fruits

2018

35th anniversary

25,000 members

SMWS Hong Kong opens

First English whisky, Cask No. 137.1: An English country Mordor

2019

SMWS New Zealand branch opens

First Taiwan whisky, Cask No. 138.1: All in the game

First Danish whisky, Cask No. 141.1: Dramlet: The dark prince of Denmark

2020

40 Bath Street Glasgow Members’ Room opens

Unfiltered launches as a monthly digital publication

First Swedish whisky, Cask No. 144.1: Searingly sweet purple smoke

2021

30,000 members

Artisanal Spirits Company listed on AIM stock exchange

150th distillery bottling, Cask No. 150.1: Let’s go west!

First Australian whisky, Cask No. 147.1: Jacaranda jam

SMWS South Africa and SMWS Mexico branches open

2022

SMWS Spain branch launches

37,000 members

2023

Masterton Bond warehouse and bottling facility opens

First Canadian whisky, Cask No. 152.1: Vibrant and vigorous

First Israeli whisky, Cask No. 155.1: The rye pretender

SMWS South Korea branch opens