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The Water of Life - A Whisky Film

The craftsmen, chemists, and renegades who saved scotch whisky and ignited a single malt revolution

Decoding the SMWS

Blog - by Nate Barlow

14 Mar

At 27,000 members and 28 years old, with branches across the globe, SMWS—the Scotch Malt Whisky Society—is one of the largest and oldest whisky clubs in the world. Each month SMWS outturns numerous single cask bottlings from across the gamut of scotch malt whisky and even a few other whiskies, each with its own whimsical name, a unique Society Cask Number…and absolutely no verbiage about which distillery produced the whisky.

SMWS bottlings stretch across the gamut of scotch malt whisky, as well as some other whiskies (grain, bourbon, rye) and even other spirits (armagnac, cognac, rum, gin). And the labels are loaded with information, just not the distillery. Two official reasons exist for this anomaly, since many if not most independent bottlers do list the distillery. Firstly, SMWS does not want drinkers to prejudge a bottle based on official bottlings, prior experiences, and established distillery profiles. Secondly, some distilleries simply won’t let them; to avoid marketplace confusion, they only agree to sell casks if the independent bottler agrees not to put the distillery name on the bottle.

But of course whisky aficionados want to know who produced what they are drinking. So how does one learn a SMWS bottls’s provenance?

For that, one must turn to the Society Cask Number, which is in the format XXX.XXX. The digits after the “.” are the easy ones, indicating how many casks from that particular distillery SMWS has bottled. For example, if the Cask Number is 16.50, that means that bottle comes from the 50th cask SMWS has turned from distillery…#16.

As to the distillery itself, one must turn to the SMWS code list, available across the web—although not on the Society’s own site—and included here below. Even the source of these codes is somewhat shrouded in mystery, although their ready availability pretty much makes them the In-N-Out secret menu of the whisky world. The commonly stated reasoning is that the tasting notes and region printed on the bottle help pinpoint the source distillery…although I know many people who believe that the code list has been unofficially leaked by SMWS and that the consistency of such lists over a wide range of sources confirms such beliefs.

Regardless of the source, the accepted SMWS are as follows:

DistilleryCode
Single Malt
Glenfarclas1
Glenlivet2
Bowmore3
Highland Park4
Auchentoshan5
Glen Deveron / Macduff Distillery6
Longmorn7
Tamdhu8
Glen Grant9
Bunnahabhain10
Tomatin11
Benriach12
Dalmore13
Talisker14
Glenfiddich15
Glenturret16
Scapa17
Inchgower18
Glen Garioch19
Inverleven20
Glenglassaugh21
Glenkinchie22
Bruichladdich23
Macallan24
Rosebank25
Clynelish26
Springbank27
Tullibardine28
Laphroaig29
Glenrothes30
Isle of Jura31
Edradour32
Ardbeg33
Tamnavulin34
Glen Moray35
Benrinnes36
Cragganmore37
Caperdonich38
Linkwood39
Balvenie40
Dailuaine41
Ledaig / Tobermory Distillery42
Port Ellen43
Craigellachie44
Dallas Dhu45
Glenlossie46
Benromach47
Balmenach48
Linlithgow / St. Magdalene49
Bladnoch50
Bushmills51
Old Pulteney52
Caol Ila53
Aberlour54
Royal Brackla55
Coleburn56
Glen Mhor57
Strathisla58
Teaninich59
Aberfeldy60
Brora61
Glenlochy62
Glentauchers63
Mannochmore64
Imperial65
Ardmore66
Banff67
Blair Athol68
Glen Albyn69
Balblair70
Glenburgie71
Miltonduff72
Aultmore73
North Port74
Glenury / Glenury Royal75
Mortlach76
Glen Ord / Glenordie77
Ben Nevis78
Deanston79
Glen Spey80
Glen Keith81
Glencadam82
Convalmore83
Glendullan84
Glen Elgin85
Glenesk86
Millburn87
Speyburn88
Tomintoul89
Pittyvaich90
Dufftown91
Lochside92
Glen Scotia93
Fettercairn94
Auchroisk / Singleton95
Glendronach96
Littlemill97
Lomond / Inverleven Distillery98
Glenugie99
Strathmill100
Knockando101
Dalwhinnie102
Royal Lochnagar103
Glencraig / Glenburgie Distillery104
Tormore105
Cardhu106
Glenallachie107
Allt-a-Bhainne108
Mosstowie / Miltonduff Distillery109
Oban110
Lagavulin111
Inchmurrin / Loch Lomond Distillery112
Braes of Glenlivet / Braeval Distillery113
Longrow / Springbank Distillery114
AnCnoc / Knockdhu Distillery 115
Yoichi116
Cooley (Unpeated)117 – Ireland
Cooley / Connemara (Peated)118 – Ireland
Yamazaki119 – Japan
Hakushu120 – Japan
Isle of Arran121
Croftengea / Loch Lomond Distillery122
Glengoyne123
Miyagikyo124 – Japan
Glenmorangie125
Hazelburn / Springbank Distillery126
Port Charlotte / Bruichladdich Distillery127
Penderyn128 – Wales
Kilchoman129
Chichibu130
Hanyu131
Karuizawa132
Westland133 – Seattle, WA, USA
Paul John134 – India
Inchmoan / Loch Lomond Distillery135
Eden Mill136
English Whisky Company / St. George’s Distillery 137 – England
Omar / Nantou Distillery138 – Taiwan
Kavalan139 – Taiwan
Balcones140 – Waco, TX, USA
Fary Lochan141 – Denmark
Breuckelen Distilling142 – Brooklyn, NY, USA
Copperworks Distilling Company143 – Seattle, WA, USA
High Coast Distillery144 – Sweden
Smögen Whisky145 – Sweden
Cotswolds Distillery146 – England
Grain
North BritishG1
CarsebridgeG2
CaledonianG3
CameronbridgeG4
InvergordonG5
Port DundasG6
GirvanG7
CambusG8
Loch LomondG9
StrathclydeG10
Nikka Coffey GrainG11
Nikka Coffey MaltG12
ChitaG13
DumbartonG14
Rhosdhu / Loch Lomond DistilleryG15
Bourbon
Heaven HillB1
BernheimB2
Rock TownB3
FEWB4
George Dickel / Cascade HollowB5
Finger Lakes DistillingB6
Rye
FEWRW1
Finger Lakes DistillingRW2
New York Distilling CompanyRW3
Armagnac
Chateau de LacazeA1
Domaine LaguilleA2
J. Goudoulin / Veuve GoudoulinA3
Domaine d’EspéranceA4
Chateau de LaubadeA5
Domaine LasalleA6
Cognac
CamusC1
Domaine de Chez GuériveC2
Louis RoyerC3
Distillery D’AumagneC4
Tiffon CognacC5
M & H BonneauC6
Guy Rateau PCC7
Marie C Bodit GCC8
Robert Audebeau PCC9
Gin
Makar / The Glasgow Distillery CompanyGN1
Strathearn DistilleryGN2
Borders DistilleryGN3
Boatyard DistilleryGN4
Rum
MonymuskR1
El Dorado / Demerara DistillersR2
West Indies Rum DistilleryR3
Angostura / Trinidad DistillersR4
Long Pond DistilleryR5
FoursquareR6
Hampden DistilleryR7
Compañía Licorera de Nicaragua / Flor de CañaR8
Varela Hermanos (Ron Abuelo)R9
Trinidad Distiller’sR10
Worthy ParkR11
TravellersR12
CaroniR13
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