Time travel is a curious thing. And flickers of it exist outside the realm of science fiction – one such instance is walking up to The Vaults in Leith, the spiritual home of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS). Pace across the cobbles or up the stone stairs to the handsome door, and you’re transported back in time. Once a bonded warehouse, the noble building dates back to 1787, but it was nearly two centuries before it became the space so loved by Society members.
“The Vaults was the first thing that was acquired, even before the casks,” remarks David Ridley, managing director at publicly listed Artisanal Spirits Company. He considers himself a “sort of custodian, a guardian” of what was created from the outset. The business bought SMWS from Glenmorangie in 2015, with Ridley in his role from March 2017. It was back in 1983 that Pip Hills and a group of friends founded the Society, initially as a collective – these pals bought casks to share, occasionally drawing liquid
