Dalmore 1976 SMWS 13.6

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.

This 1976 vintage was bottled in 1993.

Dalmore is undoubtedly the prize single malt in the Whyte & Mackay portfolio. This was not always the case though. The blenders purchased it from the Mackenzie family in 1960, having been long-standing customers. Due to the long-running importance of it to their blends, their distillery bottlings of its single malt were limited to a 12 year old expression. Nowadays however, it is positioned as a luxury brand, rubbing shoulder with the likes of Macallan, and is globally recognised. Independent releases like this are hard to come by.