Founded in 1983, the Society may have been around for 15 years before we published our first issue, but, in many ways, Whisky Magazine and The Scotch Malt Whisky Society grew up together. As the whisky scene evolved over the past three decades, we’ve championed the Society’s cause and cheered as it took home the title of Independent Bottler of the Year at our annual awards — so many times, in fact, that we’ve lost count!

For more than 40 years, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has invited curious palates and adventurous spirits to explore whisky in its purest form: straight from the cask, unfiltered, undiluted, and unforgettable. From its spiritual home at The Vaults in Leith, Edinburgh, the Society has grown into a global fellowship of flavour explorers, bottling more than a dozen one-off whiskies monthly, chosen by its expert tasting panel from over 150 distilleries to date.

• Choose one of the three whiskies selected by Whisky Magazine (70cl)
• 1 Year of membership to The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
• Access to over a dozen whiskies bottled each month from individual casks, exclusively for Society members
• A Society Welcome Pack including a membership card and pin badge
• Access to all four SMWS UK Members’ Rooms for you and up to three guests
• 12 months of digital access to Whisky Magazine (Lite Membership)
• Subscription to the Society’s Unfiltered magazine

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Please note this member offer is currently only open to UK residents.

The Society was formed with a simple but radical idea at its heart: to let people experience whisky in its purest form. And importantly, it was decided that SMWS would never disclose distillery names on the label, ensuring that preconceptions would never cloud its members’ views of what’s in the bottle. While all this seems very familiar now, this kind of approach was practically unheard of at the time. And importantly, it’s another ideal we share: our tastings are always conducted blind, because it’s flavour that matters most, not names and ages.

Over 40 years later, this idea has grown into a global community of more than 40,000 flavour explorers. And while the Society’s historic home is in Edinburgh, its whiskies are poured and enjoyed by members in every corner of the world — in Members’ Rooms, partner bars, festivals, and living rooms. Today, being a member is less about living in proximity to one of the Society’s venues and more about being part of a truly global community of like-minded whisky enthusiasts. That, and getting access to the famously varied and consistently high-quality bottlings the Society releases for each of its monthly outturns.

Two sides of the same coin, we’re both committed to spreading the good word of whisky around the world, encouraging newcomers to take their first sip, and helping dedicated enthusiasts develop their knowledge and palates. Nonetheless, despite sharing a similar mission, this is the first time we’ve collaborated like this, so we knew we wanted to give our readers something really special.

For £100, you’ll receive a full year of Society membership — plus a bottle of whisky drawn from one of three exceptional casks we’ve tasted and selected for our readers. As a Society member, you’ll also get access to exclusive cask releases, member events, the Society’s brilliant Unfiltered magazine, and all four UK Members’ Rooms in London, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. And finally, we’ll also give you 12 months of digital access to Whisky Magazine (Lite Membership).

Curious? Watch our latest YouTube video, in which our editor-at-large, Christopher Coates, sits down with Society Ambassador Calum Lawson to undertake the enviable task of choosing just three whiskies for our readers from the Society’s incredible selection.

Choose your bottle and sign up for membership here.