What on earth possessed us to take a cask of whisky at 10 years old and throw in a tray of Scotch bonnet chilli peppers? The story goes back to a previous Society experiment, when we matured whisky in casks which had been used to ferment and age Tabasco® pepper sauce.
Julien Willems reports on the spark of maverick inspiration behind the release of our Exp.01 that dates back more than two decades.
Who better to collaborate with on the release of our Exp.01 chilli-infused spirit drink than a ‘Thrill Engineer’? Brendan Walker brings a heady mix of art and science to his work, from engineering the euphoric rush of a roller coaster ride to the psychotropic thrill of combining Scotch whisky and Scotch bonnet chilli peppers.
We don’t expect members to sit and savour Exp.01 as a dram on its own – although it’s definitely worth a try to see what your palate makes of it. Like its predecessor Hotscotch, our chilli-infused spirit drink can be enjoyed in various ways, whether you want to sip, mix or cook with it.
Society chef James Freeman has been around long enough to remember working with the original Hotscotch sauce more than 20 years ago. We asked him to work with Exp.01 in his kitchen to see how it could work as a condiment.
We have non-member tasting events around Europe that are the perfect introduction if you’re interested in becoming a member and would like to discover what the Society is all about.
It’s one thing to enjoy a dram in your own home. But Society whisky really comes to life when it’s shared with fellow members, guests and our expert and entertaining SMWS ambassadors.
It's not always easy to get to our venues so we’re always out and about in your part of the country. Events open to non-members are a perfect introduction to the Society and our single cask whisky.
