The Scotch Malt Whisky Society now in India!
at Indigo
Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), the world’s leading specialist in single cask, single malt whiskies, has established a chapter in India. The society is a members-only club that bottles the world’s widest selection of exceptional and rare single cask, single malts whiskies at Cask strengths from around the world. Established in 1983, SMWS has become the most respected whisky society with a presence in 19 countries with over 26,000 members. The Association has completed 30 years of bottling whiskies, which are extraordinary and of excellent quality. With access to 129 distilleries, Scotch Whisky enthusiasts can savour an incredible range of whiskies that capture rarity and perfection! And since these are all single cask whiskies, the average bottling per whisky is approximately 300 bottles only. And once the cask is finished, the whisky is gone forever.
The India chapter of SMWS will engage whisky enthusiast initially in Mumbai and Pune, and thereafter expand its presence across the country to cities like Bangalore, Delhi, Calcutta, Hyderabad and Chandigarh to involve the whisky aficionados’.
Indigo – Society Home
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) had its debut at the Indigo, Colaba on March 19 where the members explored the first out turn of 16 incredible whiskies ranging from 9-year-old to 39-year-old whiskies.
The Society invites you to Indigo to experience a world that will add words like Luscious, Scrumptious, and Toothsome to your whisky drinking vocabulary. From dyed-in-wool whisky drinkers to curious newcomers it has something to titillate every palate and leave you wanting more.
SMWS will present approximately 10-16 whiskies every quarter to their members. Society whiskies are not commercially available to the general public; they are only available at partner venues, to members only.
Indigo at Colaba, recently ranked #28 on San Pellegrino Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, is one of the partner restaurants in the city for SMWS the designated ‘Society Home’ in Mumbai, for members to enjoy the whiskies. Indigo will host monthly promotions revolving around whisky flights to attract even non-members to try the whiskies by the dram.
The membership to the club is at a commercial fee and valid not just in India but across the 19 countries.Membership of the SMWS allows members to access the entire network of the society as well as its entire bottling list. Members get an opportunity to purchase the finest and widest selection of single cask single malt whiskies. These whiskies are carefully selected and bottled from individual casks. The whisky is pure, undiluted, and each bottle is drawn directly from a single cask. Each cask only yields a few hundred bottles – once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.The members will also receive regular information about new whiskies and invitations to events. They will also getsubscription to ‘Unfiltered’, the award-winning magazine of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.
Known to attract curious and discerning whisky lovers in other parts of the globe, Paul Miles, Managing Director, SMWS commented, “We have already secured interest in membership from Mumbai, Pune and Delhi and a lot more are expected to join post launch our society in other cities of India. We aim to accept 400-500 members in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi and Bangalore this year.”
Ashwin Deo, Founder & Managing Director, Trinity Vintners Private Limited, which has the franchise of SMWS for India, will manage the affairs of the society in India. Speaking on managing this prestigious franchise, Mr. Deo said, “I am delighted to introduce SMWS and grow the society’s presence in India. SMWS is the perfect destination for whisky aficionados who would like to experience exceptional whiskies.”
Many events and promotions, such as outturn launches, whisky dinners, members dinners, etc. along with whisky flights will mark the journey of the Society in India. Special thematic evenings will also be organised at partner venues. Importantly, a fair amount of training for the staff at partner hotels will also be undertaken to educate the staff about the society as well as the whiskies, regularly.
In India to host the launch of SMWS, the Society Ambassador, Georgina Bell, will take the guests through the tasting of the whiskies. She said “SMWS really focuses on the journey rather than the destination. The Society scours distilleries to unearth unique casks and has a special tasting panel that selects whisky based on its quality and how interesting it will be for its members. The tasting panel meets regularly to taste samples and only those whiskies, which intrigue, entertain and delight the nose and palateare chosen for bottling. Many samples are known to fail their strict standards, as only the very best have to be approved for bottling.”
Rahul Akerkar, MD & Director de Cuisine Indigo, said, “As a 14-year-old dining establishment, we at Indigo have always been known for our penchant for the finer things and to have SMWS launch their operations and partner with us in the same month when we received the prestigious accolade of being ranked #28 on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants continues to reinforce our take on great food, great drinks, in this case whisky, and great hospitality. We look forward to playing a role in shaping the passion of whisky aficionados in the city at the Burgundy Room in Indigo.”
The Society in associated with three partners at present – two in Mumbai and one in Pune. Our partners in Mumbai include Indigo, Colaba and JW Marriot in Mumbai and in Pune our partner is the JW Marriott, Pune. The society is in discussions with other partners too.
About SMWS:
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is a society where members around the world unite in their enjoyment of exceptional single cask, single malt whisky. Capturing rarity and perfection in a glass, the Society’s malt whisky attracts curious and discerning whisky lovers from all corners of the globe. Only ever bottled from a single cask, selected from a range of over 120 whisky distilleries every Society whisky bottling is exceptional. Visit us at www.smws.co.in and discover why the Society is the world’s premier destination for the true malt whisky lover.
About Trinity Vintners Private Limited:
Trinity Vintners Pvt. Ltd was established in 2010. Its flagship label Turning Point wines, was launched in April 2011 and comprises five varieties – Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Cabernet Shiraz and Zinfandel Rose (to be launched shortly). It is also the sole representative of Michel Rolland’s wines from 4 countries as well as Champagne Jacquart. Turning point wines have also introduced ‘JLT’ which is a new young fun wine brand.
Founder and Managing Director Ashwin Deo has 27 years of multi faceted experience in the wines and spirits sector in India, having held key positions with alcohol majors such as Asia-Pacific Breweries, Moet Hennessy, the UB Group and Foster’s.
In addition, Trinity Vintners have also recently acquired the franchise for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society for India.To learn more about Turning Point wines visit: www.turningpointwines.com
About Indigo
Indigo is one of India’s premier restaurants. Indigo is a labor of love for Rahul and Malini Akerkar who share a pure passion for food, a relaxed atmosphere and an eye for detail. A “back-to-basics” address that serves up an eclectic European-Asian cuisine coupled with an expansive bar and banqueting facility, it opened its doors in April 1999 and is housed in a restored turn-of-the-century bungalow off the busy Colaba Causeway in South Mumbai. It boasts a clientele of the who’s who from India and has played host to such international celebrities as Chelsea Clinton, the Sultan of Brunei, the Prince of Denmark, Jane Fonda, Marissa Tomei, The Rolling Stones, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, more recently British PM David Cameron, to name a few. For more information visit www.foodindigo.com or follow us on Twitter @Indigo_Colaba
