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The Scotch
Malt Whisky Society establishes a world
record by orchestrating the largest
global online whisky tasting, with drams
savoured simultaneously across more than
20 countries worldwide.
A whisky club that originated with a
close-knit group of friends in Edinburgh
marked its 40th anniversary by achieving
a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for
hosting the largest online whisky
tasting event. Established in Edinburgh
back in 1983, The Scotch Malt Whisky
Society (SMWS) has since evolved into
the world's largest whisky club,
boasting nearly 40,000 members spanning
over 20 countries worldwide.
On September 30th, in a celebration of
their 40th anniversary, 447 SMWS members
from across 15 countries convened online
to undertake this record-breaking
tasting endeavour. An official
adjudicator from Guinness World Records
presided over the event, which commenced
at 2 pm BST. Participants from around
the globe simultaneously sampled three
distinct drams of whisky.
This remarkable event united whisky
enthusiasts from the United Kingdom,
Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia,
Japan, China, South Africa, Hong Kong,
Denmark, Switzerland, New Zealand,
Mexico, Taiwan, and Korea. The event's
timing led to members in New York
sipping their three drams at 9 am, while
those in Australia were enjoying their
tastings at midnight.
Broadcasted via a live stream, this
45-minute affair emanated from the
freshly renovated The Vaults in Leith,
Edinburgh, widely regarded as the
spiritual home of the Society. The first
dram was introduced by the Society's
Master Ambassador, John McCheyne, who
was situated in Edinburgh. The second
dram was presented from New York by Tom
Smith, Senior Director of SMWS USA, and
the third from Melbourne by Matt Bailey,
Director of SMWS Australia.
For the record to be established, each
of the 447 participants had to attend
the tasting individually, ensuring their
camera was on and no other individual
was visible on the screen with them,
remaining present for the entire
duration of the tasting.
Madeleine Schmoll, event host and Social
Media and Community Manager at The
Scotch Malt Whisky Society UK, said: "We
are delighted to announce that The
Scotch Malt Whisky Society has set the
world record for the most participants
in an online whisky tasting event.
"It’s amazing to see how far the Society
has come since the club was founded in
Edinburgh by Pip Hills and a group of
friends in 1983. With the Society
turning 40 years old, we felt this would
be the perfect way to share in a very
special simultaneous tasting. We are the
pioneers of cask strength, full flavour
whisky that creates conversation –
that’s why people become members – and
the world record tasting worked across
time zones and countries to bring our
members together. It’s a great example
of what we are all about."
The event was witnessed by Christopher
Coates, Director and Editor-at-Large of
Whisky Magazine, and Chair of Judges for
the Icons of Whisky and World Whiskies
Awards, who said: "It has been a joy to
be a part of this momentous event, and
to see people connecting with other
whisky lovers from as far afield as
Japan, or Australia, to celebrate some
truly exceptional drams. This is
something that wouldn’t have been
possible 10 years ago, and it’s a
testament to how technology and whisky
can bring people together."
The trio of Society drams sampled during
the World Record Breaking Tasting
included:
The SMWS Cask No. 55.78 "What a Spread!"
- A 13-year-old lusciously sweet
expression from a Speyside distillery.
This whisky entices with tasting notes
of "spiced toffee, creme brulee, and a
hint of fresh oak."
The SMWS Cask No. 39.244 "Tutti Frutti
in a Wooden Bowl" - An 11-year-old
whisky hailing from the SMWS Juicy Oak &
Vanilla flavor profile, offering a
delightful fruity experience.
The SMWS Batch 15 "Smokus Fruticosus" -
A blended malt artfully composed of malt
whiskies sourced from the captivating
islands of Islay and Orkney.
If you would like to join the world
record breaking whisky club and get
access to their unique range of single
cask whiskies you can join The SMWS here
www.smws.com
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