Scotch Malt Whisky Society review

Last week, on a cold and wet February evening we were lucky enough to be treated to a private tasting session at Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s (SMWS) newest establishment in trendy Clapham.  The Venue is brilliantly situated on the bustling Northcote Road, a stone’s throw away from the vibrant heart of Clapham.

The SMWS was founded in historic Edinburgh, 1983.  The Society is a member’s club for whisky aficionados and novices alike with whisky to suit every palate. Primarily the society buys casks of whiskies from a variety of distilleries in Scotland and around the world, they then distributing them.

SMWS, Northcote Road is open to the public and offers 100s of different drams which can be tasted on there own or accompanied by any number of dishes from the menu. The Venue also offers a wide variety of wine, cocktails and beer.

The drams are split into 12 tasting profiles which, with the help of the incredibly attentive staff can be navigated to suit your tastes. Each whisky is given a name to allure to its tastes and allows guests to pick there dram purely on their emotional reaction to the whisky. We tasted a range of different single malts, from the silky 26yr old ‘Salted dark chocolate’ to the sharper ‘Rosy Fingered dawn’ and ‘Triple whammy!’ Each dram was incredibly complex in taste and delicious.

Whilst we tasted our drams we also sampled a delicious cured meats selection and a decadent rump of beef which was paired with a blue cheese and whisky sauce all of which was cooked to perfection.

The venue itself is beautifully decorated with dark blue panelled walls and gold lights. The front dinning room is incredibly elegant and chic with a beautiful reflective gold ceiling. Surrounded by the walls of different whisky, the venue feels incredibly warm and luxurious, ideal for a romantic dinner or group get together.

Overall this new kid on the block is the perfect addition to the area and well worth a visit.