The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

A comprehensive back-shelf of pure whisky joy. Whilst the offerings at SMWS might appear daunting to the beginner, the fact it’s a members’ club suggests that there’s a lesser chance the first-time whisky sampler will find themselves plonked in front of the epic selection without anyone to guide them. And if all else fails, the bar staff really know their onions and are happy to make suggestions based on your mood & palate.

In addition to the wall of single-cask whisky, there’s also an excellently formed beer selection, and some grrrrrrrrrrrreat food as well!

Thankfully it’s not all “learn your way as you go” with the whisky – the society also run tutored tastings throughout the year which you can book on to (most are also open to non-members to book), for varying levels of whisky expertise.

Just a quick word of explanation about the spirits: they’re single-cask bottlings, so you won’t see any labels you’d recognise. Each bottle has a unique combination of smell, taste, and finish, and will perhaps conjure up all sorts of personal memories which you might associate with the sensations. It’s lots of fun, especially reading the verbose notes on the bottle and then tasting it and finding “Hey wow, that DOES taste like pickled onion!”, or whatever.

It’s a little quiet in the clubrooms, so it’s not really somewhere to go for a blinding night out, but it’s definitely a nice place to go & meet people for a chat, and to consider a dram or two.

As a rule; I dislike exclusive members clubs, too stuffy and cliched for my egalitarian self. But this place is an exception. It is exclusive, but only in that it excludes those who think whisky is something you mix ginger ale with, but even then, they have a carefully selected range of excellent beer and soft drinks AND Square Mile Coffee made on a beautiful little La Marzocco GS3 (I own a cafe!).

They do have a couple of rules that I do like though: no mobiles (yes!) and although I've never seen it happen, I'm sure that if you ask for a mixer, you'll be politely defenestrated.

Right, the whisky: I have never encountered a place where the staff know their product so well. They HAVE to, as all the labels are generically numbered with weirdly evocative descriptions that, apart from region, give only vague clues as to the distillery. No Johnny Blue label here, no no no! No trends or flashy labels, just excellent, single barrel whisky and staff that know it well enough to suggest one that the father in-law will give you a big pat on the back for choosing!

Oh, and Friday is 'red dram' day. Whiskys are all priced by colour and on Friday they're all at the second-lowest price point (except for the very most expensive ones).

The fact that I went here for a (refined) stag party and its taken me ages to write a review should be taken a massive compliment. I fully intended to write something the next day but the whiskies we were given were so good I had to have quite a few (at least six I think...) and couldn't get move off the sofa.

We chose to go to a scotch whisky and curry tasting. Four drams (large shots) of different whiskies, a tiffin selection from Namaste Spice to compliment them and beer to wash everything down. We went though the classy main bar, up to a special private room - designed to comfortably accommodate 12 and with a special wipe-clean wall so the whisky expert could draw out explanations.

Each of the whiskies were specially chosen for their individual tastes and character. The expert was on hand to explain everything: how they were made, how to taste them and what to look for. All were above 60% abv too - making them very dangerous.

At this stage of the night, my memory begins to get hazy so I can't quite remember the intricacies of the tastings - I know adding a little water to dilute the whiskey makes a massive difference and that all the drams were very different (and all great to drink) but the locations and subtlety was lost on me.

That said, my enjoyment of the night enough that I would definitely come back and sample enough so that I could remember what it was I liked.

Like Groucho Marx, I’m not one for memberships, or exclusive clubs but I make an exception here if only for the fantastic whisky on offer.

If you don’t really enjoy whisky, move along because this place won’t interest you. If you love whisky then this place is as close to nirvana as you’re likely to find in London.

Single malt bottlings from single casks are available here, all with a secretive code to prevent advertising the distillery but the staff will happily inform you of its origins - or you can download a guide after a quick google search. The whiskies are amazing. Every whisky region in Scotland is represented here as well as bourbons from the States and whiskies from Japan.

It all comes down to whether or not you like whisky. If you do, the membership is a no-brainer and it comes with a free bottle. The venue is nice because there is no music and can be a quiet and cozy place to socialise with a friend or two. On occasion it can get more crowded and boisterous when somebody is trying to impress a business colleague or somebody who just doesn’t seem to appreciate the quality a nice, relaxed atmosphere offers. Fortunately that is the rare occasion.

I absolutely love this place. It’s opened my eyes to many great whiskies and I won’t let my membership lapse.

If you visit on Friday it’s 'red ribbon’ day where most drams are a fixed £5.