Scotch Malt Whisky Society Sets Guinness World Record
2023 has been a year full of record-breaking whisky feats. From the largest bottle of Scotch whisky to most participants in an online whisky-tasting event. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is celebrating its new Guinness World Record.
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), Edinburgh, has become the latest world record holder after amassing more than 447 people in an online whisky-tasting event. The event which was attended by whisky enthusiasts from over 15 countries worldwide, made the Guinness Book of World Records.
The Online Whisky Tasting Event
There were three drams presented, one from Edinburgh, one from New York, and one from Melbourne during the online session. The 45-minute event was live streamed from The Vaults in Leith, Edinburgh, the home of the society.
Madeleine Schmoll, SMWS Social Media and Community Manager 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 flavor 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.”
During the live session, SMWS members tasted three whiskies. These were:
- What a Spread!, a 13-year-old ‘rich and sweet’ bottling from a Speyside distillery, with tasting notes of ‘spiced toffee, crème brûlée and a touch of fresh oak’;
- Tutti Frutti in a Wooden Bowl, an 11-year-old whisky with an ‘oaky floral fruitiness’; and
- Smokus Fruticosus, a blended malt composed of whiskies from the islands of Islay and Orkney.