What are Independent Bottlers?

Scotch Whisky Independent Bottlers. 🥃 Many are revered names and have been in existence for far longer than the distilleries that supply them. But what exactly is an independent bottler?

What is an independent bottler?

In simple terms, an independent bottler buys casks from distilleries and then bottles them under their own label.

They buy either new make spirit and mature it themselves or buy fully matured casks.

Why?

Freedom. Independent bottlers have an element of freedom to do what they like with the cask so can be much more experimental than the single malt distillery that has to keep up with demand, producing whisky with a particular taste profile.

Independent bottlers are often innovators. They can experiment with different wood finishes, cask maturation and ABV and if something doesn’t work, they have the flexibility to quickly move on to the next. ⏭️

Do the distilleries mind their casks being used in this way?

Some do, some don’t. The independent bottlers are necessary for the distilleries at times. Distilleries often have excess stock, so the independent bottlers provide a valuable service in buying up casks in order to make room or to provide an injection of cash.

However…

Often larger, well-established distilleries do not want their name used on any subsequent bottlings that come from the sale of the cask, so seek to protect it in a practice known as ’teaspooning’. By adding a teaspoon (6ml) of another distillery’s whisky into the cask, they alter the identity of that cask forever as it can no longer be referred to as a single malt whisky and is now officially a blended malt whisky. 🥄

Who are the independent bottlers?

There are over 100 independent bottlers in the UK. Famous brands include Douglas Laing, Gordon & McPhail, Compass Box, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

How long have independent bottlers been around?

Sometimes much longer than the distilleries that supply them. WM Cadenhead, for example, has been in operation since 1842, making it Scotland’s oldest independent bottler.

Should I try whisky from an independent bottler?

Yes. Many whisky drinkers stick only to distillery releases, but the truth is in doing that they can miss out on some TRULY EXCEPTIONAL WHISKIES. Most independent bottlers bottle at cask strength too so is a good opportunity to try a whisky delivered to you as the cask intended.

Also, many distilleries only make whisky destined for blends and don’t produce their own single malt whisky, so it gives the consumer a chance to try whisky that they may not normally have access to.

Do you drink whisky from independent bottlers, or do you tend to stick to distillery releases? Let me know in the comments.

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