For nearly two years, Chris Rickert (owner of Hansemalt and organizer of Hanse Spirit) was the official brand ambassador for The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in my hometown of Hamburg. Sadly, the two parties went separate ways at the end of 2018. (more…)
SMWS
BarleyMania Birthday Bash ’18: My 2nd big Whisky Raffle (Give-Away)
On this day in 2016, I published the very first article on this wee blog o’ mine. It is hard to believe that two full years have passed since then. But looking at the calendar, it does indeed seem as if BarleyMania is celebrating its second anniversary today. (more…)
The SMWS 35th Anniversary Tasting in Hamburg (Tasting)
When a club as illustrious and rich in tradition as The Scotch Malt Whisky Society turns 35, they don’t just bring a box of chocolate to the office and tell their colleagues “Help yourselves.” They celebrate with a whole lotta hoo-ha! (more…)
Balmenach 9yo “48.98 – Bubblegum church candle” by SMWS (Review)
My girlfriend and I bought this Balmenach 9yo at The Vaults, the spiritual home of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, on the first day of our latest trip to Scotland. To be honest, we predominantly picked it because it was one of the cheapest whiskies they had on sale. (more…)
Osaka Whisky Festival 2018 (Fair)
When I saw on a flyer that Osaka Whisky Festival 2018 took place last Sunday (June 3), I thought to myself: “Well, this looks like a much better way to end the week than sitting at home and watching Netflix!”. So I ordered myself a ticket. (more…)
SMWS Tasting & Pulled Pork BBQ by The Whisky Jack (Event)
If you are a regular visitor of this wee blog o’ mine, you might have noticed that The Scotch Malt Whisky Society got featured quite prominently on BarleyMania in the recent past. There are two reasons for this: First, I am tremendously enjoying my membership (more…)
“SMWS X ÜberQuell” Whisky & Craft Beer Tasting (Event)
Upon first glimpse, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society and ÜberQuell Brauwerkstätten do not seem to have too many similarities. One is a traditional independent bottler and high-profile whisky club from Edinburgh, Scotland. The other other is a young brewpub (more…)
An Evening at The Vaults in Edinburgh (Visit)
With members all around the globe, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has many homes in many countries. Its spiritual home, however, is a former wine warehouse called The Vaults in Edinburgh. In these mythic premises, the Society was founded way back in 1983. (more…)
Laphroaig 27yo “29.234 – Smoked & salted toffee apples” by SMWS (Review)
The Vaults. That mythical place in the north of Edinburgh, where 35 years ago the world’s most illustrious whisky club – the Scotch Malt Whisky Society – was founded. Today, the former wine warehouse still serves as a high-class bar and meeting room for the Society’s members. (more…)
3 helpful Tools by SMWS, The TWO Staves and Whisky & Vinyl (Gadgets)
With ingenuity being quite a magical trait, it often takes no more than a bright idea to make our lives a little easier. Luckily, the fine lassies and lads of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The TWO Staves and Whisky & Vinyl had such bright ideas (more…)









