Single malt releases curated by all-women tasting panel will donate 5% of profits to OurWhisky Foundation as part of wider celebration honouring female whisky pioneers across generations.
For the second consecutive year, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) will mark International Women’s Day with the release of five special-edition single malt whiskies selected by an all-women Tasting Panel. The Society will again donate 5% of profits from these bottlings to the OurWhisky Foundation, continuing their partnership to support women in the global whisky industry.
The OurWhisky Foundation, established as a non-profit in 2022, offers qualifications, internship schemes, mentorship programmes and various workshops to help women progress within the industry. The Foundation’s work includes the Modern Face of Whisky stock image library and industry-changing research such as the “Do You Even Like Whisky?” report.
All events are open to everyone who supports and celebrates women in the whisky industry.
The five exceptional whiskies selected by the all-women panel showcase the diverse range of flavours across Scotland’s whisky regions. Cask 122.78: Divide And Conker is an 8-year-old Lightly Peated whisky with notes of autumnal barbecue, tuna, mackerel and vanilla pods. Cask 10.282: Sweetness & Darkness offers an 11-year-old Spicy & Sweet dram featuring toasted coconut, balsamic glaze and bourbon biscuits.
The panel also selected Cask 53.496: A Mouth-Drying Sauna, a 16-year-old whisky with Deep, Rich & Dried Fruit flavours of popcorn, blackcurrant and sweet liquorice. Rounding out the selection are Cask 71.109: A Nordic Cranachan, a 15-year-old Sweet, Fruity & and Mellow expression with notes of sea buckthorn, cloudberries and summer trifle, and Cask 93.222: Smokehouse on the beach, an 8-year-old Oily & Coastal whisky featuring smokehouse aromas, wild strawberries and a sea breeze.
Following last year’s successful International Women’s Day events, the Society will also host a series of celebrations across its venues highlighting pioneering women in the whisky world.
One highlight of this year’s celebrations will be the “Women in Whisky” event at Bath Street, Glasgow on 7 March. This special tasting will showcase three distilleries with remarkable women pioneers who have shaped the industry’s history.
The event will celebrate Laphroaig’s Elizabeth ‘Bessie’ Williamson, the second woman to own a Scottish distillery, who not only pioneered the appreciation for single malt but famously fought against the military during World War II to prevent her stills from being melted down for weapons.
George Dickel Distillery will also be featured to represent the legacy of Augusta Dickel, the only female distillery owner in America in the 1800s. Completing the trio is Nc’nean, one of Scotland’s newest distilleries, founded by Annabel Thomas, which began with an entirely women-led team and is making significant strides in sustainability. The event will offer attendees three carefully selected drams and a one-course supper for £35, celebrating these trailblazing women who broke barriers in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
The Society will also host complementary events at its other venues. Queen Street, Edinburgh will feature an “Industry Panel: International Women’s Day” on 6 March with four prominent women from various sectors of the whisky industry, including influencers and culinary experts, offering a whisky cocktail on arrival, four drams and a one-course supper. The Vaults in Leith will host “Women of Whisky” on 8 March (International Women’s Day) with a special three-dram tasting hosted by women of the Society.
“Women have always played a key role in the evolution of the Society and the wider whisky industry,” said Madeleine Schmoll, European Content Manager at SMWS. “From distillery owners who fought against the odds to modern innovators leading the way in sustainability, we’re proud to celebrate their contributions and inspire the next generation of women in whisky.”
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and now has over 40,000 members worldwide. It bottles rare single cask and single malt whisky from more than 180 distilleries from Scotland and beyond, offering a new batch of around 20 different single malt whiskies every month. The Society provides members with access to four exclusive SMWS Members’ Rooms in Leith, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, along with a global network of 100 partner bars.
For more information about the Society, visit: https://smws.com/
