Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) Bottle Codes Explained

Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) Bottles

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, or SMWS, is an independent bottler of single cask whisky and other spirits. For those unfamiliar with the term, an independent bottler is an entity that purchases spirit from third parties and bottles it under their own label. Individuals must pay an annual fee to join the SMWS, which grants members the ability to purchase society bottlings, invitation to exclusive tastings, and other perks.

Unlike most independent bottlers, SMWS’ bottles don’t display the names of distilleries from which the whisky was sourced. There are two reasons for this, both having to do with the off-profile nature of single cask spirits. First, the SMWS doesn’t want members to disregard a whisky based on experiences with official bottlings and preconceived notions of distillery taste profiles. Second, in order to retain control over their brand, some distilleries won’t sell casks of their spirit to independent bottlers or blenders unless the purchaser agrees not to name the distillery on the packaging.

To get around that, the SMWS uses a numbering convention comprised of two sets of digits. The first set of digits represents the distillery from which the whisky was sourced, while the second set of digits represents the number of single casks that the SMWS have bottled from that respective distillery. For example, 73.78 would be the SMWS’ 78th single cask bottling of an Aultmore (73), while 73.79 would be their 79th single cask bottling of an Aultmore.

If the SMWS doesn’t disclose their source, how do we know that 73 is the distillery code for Aultmore? The SMWS releases official tasting notes with every bottle, and these tasting notes include hints that can help identify the distillery from which a whisky was sourced. Below is a list of all SMWS codes and the distilleries they represent, pieced together from various sources.

Single Malt Whisky

Distillery Code Origin
Glenfarclas 1 Scotland
Glenlivet 2 Scotland
Bowmore 3 Scotland
Highland Park 4 Scotland
Auchentoshan 5 Scotland
Glen Deveron (Macduff Distillery) 6 Scotland
Longmorn 7 Scotland
Tamdhu 8 Scotland
Glen Grant 9 Scotland
Bunnahabhain 10 Scotland
Tomatin 11 Scotland
Benriach 12 Scotland
Dalmore 13 Scotland
Talisker 14 Scotland
Glenfiddich 15 Scotland
Glenturret 16 Scotland
Scapa 17 Scotland
Inchgower 18 Scotland
Glen Garioch 19 Scotland
Inverleven 20 Scotland
Glenglassaugh 21 Scotland
Glenkinchie 22 Scotland
Bruichladdich 23 Scotland
Macallan 24 Scotland
Rosebank 25 Scotland
Clynelish 26 Scotland
Springbank 27 Scotland
Tullibardine 28 Scotland
Laphroaig 29 Scotland
Glenrothes 30 Scotland
Isle of Jura 31 Scotland
Edradour 32 Scotland
Ardbeg 33 Scotland
Tamnavulin 34 Scotland
Glen Moray 35 Scotland
Benrinnes 36 Scotland
Cragganmore 37 Scotland
Caperdonich 38 Scotland
Linkwood 39 Scotland
Balvenie 40 Scotland
Dailuaine 41 Scotland
Tobermory / Ledaig 42 Scotland
Port Ellen 43 Scotland
Craigellachie 44 Scotland
Dallas Dhu 45 Scotland
Glenlossie 46 Scotland
Benromach 47 Scotland
Balmenach 48 Scotland
Linlithgow / St. Magdalene 49 Scotland
Bladnoch 50 Scotland
Bushmills 51 Ireland
Old Pulteney 52 Scotland
Caol Ila 53 Scotland
Aberlour 54 Scotland
Royal Brackla 55 Scotland
Coleburn 56 Scotland
Glen Mhor 57 Scotland
Strathisla 58 Scotland
Teaninich 59 Scotland
Aberfeldy 60 Scotland
Brora 61 Scotland
Glenlochy 62 Scotland
Glentauchers 63 Scotland
Mannochmore 64 Scotland
Imperial 65 Scotland
Ardmore 66 Scotland
Banff 67 Scotland
Blair Athol 68 Scotland
Glen Albyn 69 Scotland
Balblair 70 Scotland
Glenburgie 71 Scotland
Miltonduff 72 Scotland
Aultmore 73 Scotland
North Port 74 Scotland
Glenury / Glenury Royal 75 Scotland
Mortlach 76 Scotland
Glen Ord / Glenordie 77 Scotland
Ben Nevis 78 Scotland
Deanston 79 Scotland
Glen Spey 80 Scotland
Glen Keith 81 Scotland
Glencadam 82 Scotland
Convalmore 83 Scotland
Glendullan 84 Scotland
Glen Elgin 85 Scotland
Glenesk 86 Scotland
Millburn 87 Scotland
Speyburn 88 Scotland
Tomintoul 89 Scotland
Pittyvaich 90 Scotland
Dufftown 91 Scotland
Lochside 92 Scotland
Glen Scotia 93 Scotland
Fettercairn 94 Scotland
Auchroisk / Singleton 95 Scotland
Glendronach 96 Scotland
Littlemill 97 Scotland
Lomond (Inverleven Distillery) 98 Scotland
Glenugie 99 Scotland
Strathmill 100 Scotland
Knockando 101 Scotland
Dalwhinnie 102 Scotland
Royal Lochnagar 103 Scotland
Glencraig (Glenburgie Distillery) 104 Scotland
Tormore 105 Scotland
Cardhu 106 Scotland
Glenallachie 107 Scotland
Allt-a-Bhainne 108 Scotland
Mosstowie (Miltonduff Distillery) 109 Scotland
Oban 110 Scotland
Lagavulin 111 Scotland
Inchmurrin (Loch Lomond Distillery) 112 Scotland
Braes of Glenlivet (Braeval Distillery) 113 Scotland
Longrow (Springbank Distillery) 114 Scotland
AnCnoc (Knockdhu Distillery) 115 Scotland
Yoichi 116 Japan
Cooley (Unpeated) 117 Ireland
Cooley / Connemara (Peated) 118 Ireland
Yamazaki 119 Japan
Hakushu 120 Japan
Isle of Arran 121 Scotland
Croftengea (Loch Lomond Distillery) 122 Scotland
Glengoyne 123 Scotland
Miyagikyo 124 Japan
Glenmorangie 125 Scotland
Hazelburn (Springbank Distillery) 126 Scotland
Port Charlotte (Bruichladdich Distillery) 127 Scotland
Penderyn 128 Wales
Kilchoman 129 Scotland
Chichibu 130 Japan
Hanyu 131 Japan
Karuizawa 132 Japan
Westland 133 Seattle (USA)
Paul John 134 India
Inchmoan (Loch Lomond Distillery) 135 Scotland
Eden Mill 136 Scotland
English Whisky Company (St. George’s Distillery) 137 England
Omar (Nantou Distillery) 138 Taiwan
Kavalan 139 Taiwan
Balcones 140 Texas (USA)
Fary Lochan 141 Denmark
Breuckelen Distilling 142 New York (USA)
Copperworks Distilling Company 143 Seattle (USA)
High Coast Distillery 144 Sweden
Smögen Whisky 145 Sweden
Cotswolds Distillery 146 England
Archie Rose Distilling 147 Australia
Starward (New World Whisky Distillery) 148 Australia
Ardnamurchan 149 Scotland
West Cork Distillers 150 Ireland
Mackmyra 151 Sweden
Shelter Point Distillery 152 Canada
Thy Whisky 153 Denmark
Mosgaard 154 Denmark
Milk & Honey 155 Israel
The Glasgow Distillery Company 156 Scotland
Armorik (Warenghem Distillery) 157 France

Grain Whisky

Distillery Code Origin
North British G1 Scotland
Carsebridge G2 Scotland
Caledonian G3 Scotland
Cameronbridge G4 Scotland
Invergordon G5 Scotland
Port Dundas G6 Scotland
Girvan G7 Scotland
Cambus G8 Scotland
Loch Lomond G9 Scotland
Strathclyde G10 Scotland
Nikka Coffey Grain G11 Japan
Nikka Coffey Malt G12 Japan
Chita G13 Japan
Dumbarton G14 Scotland
Rhosdhu (Loch Lomond Distillery) G15 Scotland
The Glasgow Distillery Company G16 Scotland

Bourbon

Distillery Code Origin
Heaven Hill B1 Kentucky (USA)
Bernheim B2 Kentucky (USA)
Rock Town B3 Arkansas (USA)
F.E.W B4 Illinois (USA)
George Dickel (Cascade Hollow) B5 Tennessee (USA)
Finger Lakes Distilling B6 New York (USA)
MGP B7 Indiana (USA)
Woodinville Whiskey Co. B8 Washington (USA)

Rye

Distillery Code Origin
F.E.W RW1 Illinois (USA)
Finger Lakes Distilling RW2 New York (USA)
New York Distilling Company RW3 New York (USA)
Peerless Distilling Co. RW4 Kentucky (USA)
MGP RW5 Indiana (USA)
Kyrö Distillery Company RW6 Finland
Journeyman Distillery RW7 Michigan (USA)

Corn Whiskey

Distillery Code Origin
Heaven Hill CW1 Kentucky (USA)
Balcones CW2 Texas (USA)

Armagnac

Distillery Code Origin
Chateau de Lacaze A1 France
Domaine Laguille A2 France
J. Goudoulin A3 France
Domaine d’Espérance A4 France
Chateau de Laubade A5 France
Domaine Lasalle A6 France
Domaine de Cavaillon A8 France

Cognac

Distillery Code Origin
Camus C1 France
Domaine de Chez Guérive C2 France
Louis Royer C3 France
Distillery D’Aumagne C4 France
Tiffon Cognac C5 France
M & H Bonneau C6 France
Guy Rateau PC C7 France
Marie C Bodit GC C8 France
Robert Audebeau PC C9 France

Gin

Distillery Code Origin
Makar (The Glasgow Distillery Company) GN1 Scotland
Strathearn Distillery GN2 Scotland
Borders Distillery GN3 Scotland
Boatyard Distillery GN4 Ireland
Glenrinnes Distillery GN5 Scotland
Holyrood Distillery GN6 Scotland

Rum

Distillery Code Origin
Monymusk R1 Jamaica
El Dorado (Demerara Distillers) R2 Guyana
West Indies Rum Distillery R3 Barbados
Angostura (Trinidad Distillers) R4 Trinidad
Long Pond Distillery R5 Jamaica
Foursquare R6 Barbados
Hampden Distillery R7 Jamaica
Compañía Licorera de Nicaragua (Flor de Caña) R8 Nicaragua
Varela Hermanos (Ron Abuelo) R9 Panama
Trinidad Distiller’s R10 Trinidad
Worthy Park R11 Jamaica
Travellers R12 Belize
Caroni R13 Trinidad
Uitvlugt R14 Guyana

Spot an error? Missing a distillery code? Please contact us or leave a comment below and we’ll update the list.

Last updated March 4, 2024.

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