The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has claimed a third consecutive top award in Whisky Magazine’s Independent Bottlers’ Challenge competition.
The award, which recognises the consistently outstanding quality of their whiskies, is an unprecedented three-in-a-row for the title and a remarkable seventh time they’ve picked up the accolade in the past 10 years.
The Society also won the regional awards for Independent Bottler of the Year for Lowlands, Islay, Speyside and American whiskies.
Their partner bars also picked up several accolades, with Campbeltown’s Ardshiel Hotel winning Hotel Bar of the Year and Dornoch Castle being named Highly-commended, while the Glasgow partner bar the Bon Accord won Bar of the Year.
The Society, which is the world’s leading whisky club, specialises in single cask whisky and takes a unique approach to their bottlings by celebrating the flavours across whisky through 12 flavour profiles.
Kai Ivalo, spirits director at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, said: ‘What a fantastic achievement for the Society, which we’re delighted to share with all of our members.
‘Winning the overall title of Independent Bottler of the Year for the third time in a row is a huge endorsement for our ever-more creative approach to the whiskies we are able to offer our members, whether they are single cask bottlings, whiskies that we’ve additionally matured, or our experimental range of blended malt bottlings.
‘We’re currently offering a wider range of whiskies than ever before, and this accolade demonstrates that we’re serving our membership well – and giving more and more whisky lovers good reason to join our ‘All Together Unique’ Society.
‘Prospective members can look forward to even more amazing offerings in 2020, so it’s the perfect time to sign up and share our love for amazing whisky and good company.’
This Society’s latest award as Independent Bottler of the Year for 2019 comes on the back of a hugely impressive year of accolades, with a ‘best in show’ win in the recent Luxury Masters award as well as the Scotch Whisky Masters, along with top awards in the International Wine and Spirits Competition, the International Spirits Challenge, the Ultimate Spirits Challenge and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
The full list of SMWS winning bottles is:
Campbeltown – 12 Years & Under: Gold medal winner; Cask No. 93.119: Charcoal in a honeypot; 12 Years & Under: Silver medal winner; Cask No. 93.111: Sea through the smoke; 12 Years & Under: Bronze medal winner; Cask No. 93.108: Earthy and masculine.
Islay – Winner, Independent Bottler of the Year; 12 Years & Under: Gold medal winner; Cask No. 33.138: A thigh-slapping dram; 12 Years & Under: Silver medal winner; Cask No. 10.162: Big wave sofa; 12 Years & Under: Bronze medal winner; Cask No. 10.181: Feast of St Columba; 13 to 20 Years: Gold medal winner; Cask No. 29.260: A visceral elemental experience; 21 Years & Over: Silver medal winner; Cask No. 29.258: Remembrance of fruits past; 21 Years & Over: Bronze medal winner; Cask No. 53.308: Let the Tempest tout an’ blaw!
Highlands – 12 Years & Under: Silver medal winner; Cask No. 96.31: Poised and balanced; 12 Years & Under: Bronze medal winner; Cask No. 123.31: Death by florist; 21 Years & Over: Gold medal winner; Cask No. 77.51: Flower shower; 21 Years & Over: Silver medal winner; Cask No. 66.145: Flambe away.
Islands (non-Islay) – 13 to 20 Years: Silver medal winner; Cask No. 4.249: The mermaid’s marmalade.
Lowland – Winner, Independent Bottler of the Year; 12 Years & Under: Gold medal winner; Cask No. 136.2: Paradise in a paradis; 13 to 20 Years: Gold gold medal; Cask No. 5.71: Elbow patches and saucy librarians; 21 Years & Over: Gold medal winner; Cask No. 50.109: Mangroves and marshmallows; 21 Years & Over: Silver medal winner; Cask No 97.22: Emerald-masked triple thrill.
Speyside: Winner, Independent Bottler of the Year; 12 Years & Under: Silver medal winner; Cask No. 35.247: In a tabanco in Jerez; 13 to 20 Years: Gold medal winner; Cask No. 46.84: Velvety complexity; 13 to 20 Years: Silver medal winner; Cask No. 37.128: Big bold and boisterous; 21 Years & Over: Gold medal winner; Cask No. 1.212: Beeswax on barrels; 21 Years & Over: Silver medal winner; Cask No. 9.169: Enthralling and enchanting.
Irish: 13 to 20 Years: Silver medal winner; Cask No. 51.11: Irish danger juice; 13 to 20 Years: Bronze medal winner; Cask No. 51.13: Fifty shades of lemon.
Grain: 21 Years & Over: Gold medal winner; Cask No. G1.18: Pyjamas for the soul; 21 Years & Over: Bronze medal winner; Cask No. G7.15: Mind-altering hugs.
Non-Scotch – No Age Statement: Gold medal winner; Cask No. 139.2: A tropical affair; No Age Statement: Bronze medal winner; Cask No. 139.1: Chomping on a herbal cigar; 12 Years & Under: Bronze medal winner; Cask No. 140.1: Cornography.
American: Winner, Independent Bottler of the Year; 12 Years & Under: Gold medal winner; Cask No. 140.2: Shotgun whirligig; 12 Years & Under: Silver medal winner; Cask No. 140.3: Nik nak woody.
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