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Coming in from the Cold: Society founder Pip Hills is marking the 40th anniversary of the club he formed with an updated edition of his book Maverick – The Founder’s Tale, which covers everything from the origins of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, his exile in the mid-1990s and finally returning to the fold five years ago. Unfiltered editor Richard Goslan caught up with Pip at The Vaults to find out more from the Society’s original maverick – includes Whisky Talk podcast + video.

SMWS at 40 – Distillery No.1: We’re taking it back to the origins of the Society this month with a special 40th anniversary bottling, Distillery No.1, complete with our founder’s signature on a bottle label with a difference.

Heresy recapped: We’re keeping tabs on the Society’s small-batch releases and the project we informally called ‘Heresy’. Julien Willems picks up where we left off, with his look at small batch bottlings from #13 Tabanco Time through to #20 Whisky Baba.

SMWS at 40 – Thirst for knowledge: Since we were founded in 1983, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society has played a key role not only in the appreciation for single cask, cask strength whisky, but in our deeper understanding of what we’re drinking, how it’s produced and where its flavours come from. A thirst for knowledge has always been as important to us as a thirst for the whisky itself, as Richard Goslan reports.

Maverick tasting – sauna, swim and Slàinte: As The Scotch Malt Whisky Society continues its 40th anniversary celebrations as a maverick whisky club, we’re on a mission to uncover alternative ways to bring our drams to life. With that in mind, the Society’s Duncan Gorman experimented with some steam, a swim and a campfire to put our adventurous members’ senses to the test. Includes video feature.

Distillery Profile – Reefton: A New Zealand trailblazer: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has signed its first ever deal to bring single cask whisky from New Zealand to our members around the world. Richard Goslan caught up with Reefton Distilling Co. founder and chief executive Patsy Bass to find out more about what’s in the pipeline and how the business came into existence.

Whisky history – Read all about it: This month sees the release of an updated edition of The Founder’s Tale by Pip Hills, which prompted Gavin D Smith to take a look through his library of other influential and enduring whisky books.

The Vaults – meet the manager: As the Society’s spiritual home prepares for a new look, there’s also a new face at the helm. Meet Kyle Gow, the new venue manager at The Vaults, relocating to Leith after almost four years with the SMWS at 28 Queen Street.

New SMWS branch – Korea calling: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is marking its 40th anniversary with the opening of a new branch in South Korea, where it is ready to cater for a growing group of whisky lovers across the country.

Partner Bar – A taste of history in Malta: A neoclassical hotel in the capital of Malta, The Phoenicia is a building enriched with history. Director of sales and marketing Andrew Strickland tells Duncan Gorman about the story of Valletta’s luxury hotel, home to Society partner bar The Club Bar.