The world’s biggest whisky club launches 50th Anniversary Cask Club

The world’s biggest whisky club, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, was established in Edinburgh in 1983 by a group of friends who clubbed together to buy a single cask of whisky. 40 years on, the Society has around 40,000 members around the world.

Now, for the first time in its 40-year history, the Society is coming full circle and offering those who appreciate the finer things in life the opportunity to own the entire contents of a cask of single malt Scotch whisky.

The Society has launched a 50th Anniversary Cask Club, which will see participants—individuals or groups of friends—enjoying the ultimate whisky experience of following a cask’s 10-year journey from cask to bottle.

The cask club is aimed at discerning whisky lovers, friends looking to share a fun experience and also those with a milestone to celebrate in 2033 – such as a 50th birthday.

Tasting samples will be drawn and shared at key points throughout the decade, building to the casks being bottled in 2033 when the whisky turns 10 years old, and the Society hits its half century.Batches of new-make spirit have been hand-selected from two Scottish whisky distilleries, each renowned for its unwavering commitment to quality, and laid down into casks.

Two types of casks are available. One is peated from an island distillery, the other is unpeated from a Speyside distillery established in the late 19th century.

Whisky lovers who join the Society’s 50th Anniversary Cask Club will also receive a gift box including a certificate of ownership in a frame made of cask staves, an invitation (with a plus one) to the Society’s 50th Anniversary VIP party in Edinburgh, and one year’s membership to the Society that can be gifted to a friend or loved one.

Prices range from £4,000 to £5,500, depending on cask type. In 2033, the contents of your cask will be bottled and decorated with a unique 50th Anniversary Cask Club celebratory label design, personalised with the owner’s name and signature.

“If you join us for this special 10-year journey, you are not just purchasing whisky inside the cask,” explains the Society’s brilliantly named Head of Whisky Creation, Euan Campbell. “You’re acquiring a work of art that will be aged to perfection. You will have a front-row seat to see how the whisky inside the cask matures over time, and be able to savour samples throughout the experience.”

Find out more at smws.com