Society History
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was founded in 1983 by a gentleman named Pip Hills, an avid whisky fan living in Edinburgh. Just a few years prior in the late 1970’s, Pip embarked on a trip to the Scottish Highlands where he visited a small, family-owned distillery. During his visit, he was given the opportunity to taste several whiskies in the back of a dark, damp warehouse. What happened next would change his life and the lives of many to come. The pure, undiluted and unfiltered whisky drawn from the cask was unlike anything Pip had ever experienced, far more thrilling and delicious than the standard whisky sold in his local shop.
Excited by this epiphany moment, Pip decided to purchase the entire cask from the distillery. He strapped the cask to his car and hauled it back to his home in Edinburgh, where it was shared among his friends. After tasting the whisky straight from the cask, Pip’s friends were equally enthused by just how remarkable the raw, unfiltered spirit was. It was from that moment that they decided to pool their funds together to acquire another cask, and another. This experience of acquiring different casks and exploring the varying flavours that Scotch whisky has to offer served as the foundation for what would soon become The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.
Today, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is an international club made up of nearly 30,000 members from around the world. With private Members’ Rooms in the the United Kingdom and frequent member gatherings in the United States, the club has become a place for whisky lovers to discover new flavours, broaden their knowledge, and share these wonderful experiences in the company of friends.