A Memorable Accident at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society Vaults BY HARRY BRENNAN
Ever sit by the fire and reminisce about some of your past escapades? Sometimes it’s not about the whisky but rather the memories we laugh at in the aftermath that make for unforgettable moments.
Back in 2022, I was working at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society Vaults in Leith. For those of you who are not in the know but should be, it’s their headquarters and where members of the world’s biggest whisky society can go to enjoy the exclusive Members’ Room. I was about to leave for my big move to the Netherlands - a bittersweet one given how much I enjoyed life in Edinburgh and, arguably, working with the best whiskies in Scotland. The following incident stands out more than any other in my final days working there. To set the scene, the Members’ Room bar occupied one small corner and its back wall was a long counter covered in bottles, which is unlike what visitors see today as it has all been renovated for the better. But in 2022, that back wall also held a few small casks, pre- seasoned and filled with SMWS whiskies that members could have bottled for themselves. Keep in mind that all SMWS whiskies are Cask Strength. One of the casks that day was port-seasoned, from SMWS distillery number 39 (rhymes with Think-Good) and when a customer asked for a bottle, as usual, I went to fill it up. I placed the thin, high-necked bottle under the spigot and it began to slowly fill. As it approached the top of the bottle I turned the tap but this time… the wrong way!? In my panic, I turned it even harder in that direction and only succeeded to jam it open. The bottle immediately overfilled - and I watched in horror as precious cask strength single malt began spilling out onto the floor. I can’t stress how much incredible tension
there was knowing that I couldn’t exactly scream and make a scene and because I couldn’t move while I was still firmly holding this bottle under the spigot - no-one noticed anything amiss in the crowded Members’ Room. Meanwhile, my brain was hollering GET SOMEONE’S ATTENTION NOW! As calmly as possible I called whoever else was working on the bar that night. I do remember it was fairly quiet but I must have blocked out some of the details in my panic, because I did my best to try and convey urgency while simultaneously trying to stay quiet and relaxed. Meanwhile, the tap was still jammed wide open. Finally, my manager Dean noticed what was happening and placed a water jug underneath my hands and the now-soaked bottle. Red-faced, I kept mopping up the whisky as I apologized to both Dean and the customer. Before he topped up the little cask, Dean decided to make a lovely gesture by filling another bottle from the water jug then handing it to me before pouring the rest back into the cask. This incredible generosity has stuck with me ever since, and I shared that bottle with new whisky loving friends in Eindhoven that July. What an ice-breaker! I made sure to keep a sample dram of that whisky, and it’s still on my shelf today. Maybe I’ll never drink it (unlike everything else on my shelves), but then again maybe I will. It will likely be an occasion worthy of the moment, and probably just as unexpected, amusing and memorable!
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the whisky explorer magazine
the whisky explorer magazine
SUMMER 2024
SUMMER 2024
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