SMWS?

@mishu have a look through the reviews and discussions here www.connosr.com/search/smws/ and also check out the video and article from the first issue of Distilled (lower down in the search results).

I love the SMWS's bottlings and the idea of the SMWS. But truth be told even when I lived in Edinburgh and was a member, I only was inside it maybe 12 times. The bottles are good and a fair price for what they are. But would I pay £100 so I can mail order some bottles? No I would not.

I joined the SMWSA this year and I have ordered 3 bottles; enjoyed them all. For me, it's worth the $229 spent for membership and the price of 3 bottles. I am lucky and can afford for now to slurge on my only hobby, whisky. It's a decision only you and your wallet can make.

@mishu OK I'm biased and certainly visiting the venues is a great experience if you are able to. But the whisky is consistently intriguing and excellent. And you can taste the whisky before you buy at MembersTastings around the UK if you live here or at Hotel du Vins exclusively outside the Society venues. Unlike most independent bottlers all whisky goes through a Tasting Panel before it's bottled. Around 50 % is rejected because it doesn't have that extra special quality that the members look for. Something special and different from the experience they might normally expect from that distillery. And remember it's all single cask single malt. Apart from the whisky you get the Society Magazine regularly , Unfiltered, which has won several awards for content and presentation. Full of interesting articles about whisky to broaden your knowledge. And , finally , the £100 is a one -off. Renewal is half that.

@johnmccheyne yea sounds convincing. thanks for that piece of info about the tasting panel, that helps the decision making. i have yet to continue thinking about it..

@mishu if you're ever going to be in london let me know on johnmccheyne@aol.com and i'll intro you to the members venue there and you can find out more, and taste a few ! , to help with your choice. lonvenu

@johnmccheyne awesome! thanks a ton, i should be there in august g-d willing

@mishu great--I'm around most of august except the last weekend when i'm in Edinburgh for the last night of the tattoo preceded by dinner in the SMWS queen St venue. Can't wait. Let me know your dates when you know and we'll fix something up. '

@mishu forgot to say that when you join SMWS you get 4 x 10cl of whisky from around the Scottish regions as a starter pack with a members handbook and a tasting notes book. didn't know if you knew that.

@johnmccheyne yea, thanks though. can i become a member at one of the lounges? or only online?

@mishu either at a venue or online or at a Hotel du Vin. Joining at a venue or HdV will at least save p&p because you could walk away with your pack.

@johnmccheyne whats the point of over seas membership if their still shipping to uk only address? an extra 100 pounds for nothing?

@mishu which teritory are you in ?

@johnmccheyne in israel

@mishu I'll get back to you. If we won't do overseas delivery and you're not in a territory where we have a branch then you've probably got a point. Or you could look ionto starting a branch in Israel , bearing in mind how much people from your land seem to love good whisky! Anyway , i'll make enquiries and get back to you.

@johnmccheyne how would i be able to? lol, would be really cool

I really want to join (I'm here in the USA) but my impression is that there seem to be more perks for those members on the other side of the pond. Good example is the new member deal posted on this site around Christmas, it was for the UK only. Still, the chance to get some bottles that are not available elsewhere is very intriguing.

I never joined, but went to a couple of events in australia as a guest. The events were fun, the people were awesome, but to my mind the SMWS bottlings (I got to try about a dozen) all fell into the catergory of being nice, but double to triple what they are worth. I would join the SMWS, but only for the social aspect. For the $250 - $350 that a lot of their bottlings sell for, I can get more, and better, from any decent liquor shop.

@Peatpete Good to know! Being in the states makes it more difficult to utilize some of the amenities one gets with membership. Guess I will put it on the back burner for awhile longer...

I used to be a member but was mucked about by them when I tried to renew. I get that they have interesting one-off casks, but so do many independent bottlers. If their offering for you to help set up one in Israel that could work out well for all the local whisky heads. Good luck either way.

@Rick As a contrast, when I was looking at SMWS in Australia, the majority of their single cask bottlings fell between $250 and $350 (at least the ones I was made aware of). The Liquor store I use now is th Kensington Wine Cellar in Calgary. They have a few Single cask bottlings of their own on offer. The ones I have tried have been excellent, and I believe they all fall below the $150 mark...

I have been a member since September of 2007 and highly recommend the society. I have owned over 20 different society bottlings and have only had one that I wished I had not purchased. Like anything, it may not be for everyone, but I love it.