Bei der SMWS, der Scotch Malt Whisky Society, begeht man den International Women’s Day 2024, der heute, am 8. März stattfindet, mit einer besonderen Aktion: Ein Tasting-Panel, das nur mit Frauen besetzt war, hat in einer Blindverkostung fünf Whiskys ausgesucht, die nun als Sonderabfüllungen für Mitglieder der SMWS zu haben sind.
Welche diese sind, was die Idee und Motivation dahinter war – das können Sie alles hier nachlesen. Zwei der Abfüllungen sind übrigens in Deutschland und Österreich erhältlich: 35.382 – a humble mountain feast und 30.123 – liquid riches.
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ALL-WOMEN TASTING PANEL SELECTS SPECIAL WHISKIES AS GLOBAL WHISKY CLUB CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has released five special bottlings from all-women Tasting Panel and will donate 5% of profits to the OurWhisky Foundation
As part of its celebrations for International Women’s Day 2024, global whisky club The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) is releasing five special-edition single cask whiskies selected by an all-women Tasting Panel.
The SMWS, which was founded in Leith, Edinburgh in 1983 and now has over 41,000 members worldwide, has announced that 5% of the profits from the total sale of the five bottles will be donated to the OurWhisky Foundation, a non-profit organisation that seeks to support and empower women in the global whisky industry.
The all-women Tasting Panel was hosted at the Society’s headquarters at The Vaults in Leith, Edinburgh, to mark International Women’s Day 2023. The SMWS has a unique whisky selection process, in which members of the Tasting Panel are kept anonymous, and the origin of the whiskies – which are bottled at cask-strength and hand-picked from over 140 distilleries in Scotland and beyond – are not disclosed. Each member of the Tasting Panel had to have been recommended by an existing member and have passed the necessary sensory evaluation test.
Each of the five whiskies has a quirky name chosen by the expert Tasting Panel. The sweet, fruity and mellow “A Toffee-Coated Hay Bale” and the peated “Hebridean Hamper” are for international release, the old and dignified “Liquid Riches” and the rich “A Humble Mountain Feast” for UK & EU only, and the spicy and sweet “Christmas on The Beach” is limited to Members’ Rooms release. The UK & EU release bottles will be available to buy online and in UK Members’ Rooms from 8th of March.
With tasting notes ranging from orange peel and freshly sprung wildflowers to new trainers and chicken chow mein, the whiskies fall into a wide variety of flavour profiles, each offering a unique sensory experience.
Founded in 2018 as a movement to champion inclusion and diversity in the whisky industry, the OurWhisky Foundation was reestablished as a non-profit organisation in March 2022. It offers qualifications and internship schemes as well as a mentorship programme and various workshops, all of which are free resources designed to help women progress within the male-dominated whisky industry.
Founder and CEO Becky Paskin said:
“As a non-profit, we rely on support from the whisky industry to help us achieve our objectives of recognising, supporting and empowering women in whisky. It’s so important that whisky organisations invest in women working in whisky, and this project is a perfect example of that.
“Hosting an all-women tasting panel is a great way to facilitate conversation and challenge the outdated and gendered image of the whisky industry that remains prevalent today. Anyone who tries these exceptional whiskies will be left in no doubt about the importance of highlighting women in whisky!”
The OurWhisky Foundation is partnering with Whisky Auctioneer, the global market leader on the buying and selling of whisky and spirits at auction, to launch the Demeter Collection, the world’s first auction of whiskies celebrating female achievement. The auction will be hosted from the 29th of March to the 8th of April this year, coinciding with Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. SMWS’s Cask no. 44.179 Christmas on the Beach will be included at the auction.
Julie Roberts, Brand Innovation Manager at the SMWS, was one of 50 women to take place in the OurWhisky Foundation Mentorship and Coaching Programme of 2023, and describes the mentorship, workshops, and networking opportunities as a “pivotal chapter” in her career.
She said:
“Our all-women Tasting Panel last year was a huge success, and this special collection of whiskies is a real testament to that. The five exemplary whiskies selected during the tasting are a celebration of women in whisky, and we are proud to contribute a percentage of the sales of the bottles to the OurWhisky Foundation, a brilliant organisation that is helping to pave the way in encouraging women into the whisky industry.
“Women have always played a key role in the evolution of the Society; from our first managing director Anne Dana driving early membership uptake in the 1980s and establishing the first tasting room when the Society was in its infancy, to our growing number of women members, and the many women across our venues, international branches and teams.
“With that in mind, we encourage everyone to join us in raising a dram to women in whisky this International Women’s Day!”
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is holding several International Women’s Day events in their Glasgow and Edinburgh venues, each celebrating the women of the Society with a five-dram tasting of the new special bottlings led by five women who are long-standing and passionate Society members.
The first event took place at The Vaults in Leith on the 7th of March, and further events take place on 8th of March, with tickets available for purchase here: Bath Street and Queen Street.
