The array of whiskies available from independent bottlers in whisky all over the world is of unprecedented importance, no matter what styles you drink.
We all know of the big names such as Gordon & Macphail, Hunter Laing, Douglas Laing, etc. But who are the ones to keep an eye on, especially with such a fast-growing world of independent options?
Below I’ve listed my personal picks to watch out for. Some of them you’ll be really familiar with, some maybe not. Either way, you’re in for quite a selection of styles and flavors to help expand your whisky adventures.
What is an independent bottler?
An independent bottler is a company or individual that purchases casks of whisky from distilleries and bottles it under their own label, rather than the distillery’s brand. Unlike traditional distilleries that control the entire process from distillation to bottling, independent bottlers offer unique expressions by selecting specific casks, often resulting in limited releases with distinct flavors.
Trending Stories
These bottlers may choose to age the whisky further, blend it with other casks, or bottle it at cask strength. Through indie bottlers, whisky lovers can experience a variety of styles and profiles that might not be available from the distillery’s standard offerings.
North Star Spirits
Founded by Iain Croucher and with an aim to find some of the best examples of maturing casks in all of Scotland, Ian has taken to bottling his whiskies under a few different banners within North Star Spirits.
The standard North Star labeling will provide you with interesting single casks from all over Scotland. A few standouts in this range for me have been a 10 Year Old Mannochmore, a 7 Year Old Annandale, and most other wonderful bottlings you can find in The Pot Still in Glasgow.
Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals.
By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
The VEGA range is a collection of blended malt whiskies that Ian and his team are blending themselves. Incredible liquids that, even in blended malt form, are limited to only 400 bottles worldwide. Within that range, there have already been a 23 Year Old, 40 Year Old, and a 41 Year Old.
They then have their blended scotch range named SPICA. This style yields a much higher output of a few thousand bottles.
We’ve written about the Tarot Series of blended whisky before. Whiskies that are just under or over £40 per bottle at a higher strength than most, with some rather unique labels to match up.
Signatory
Signatory, owned by Andrew Symington, is quite the pioneer in the business of independently bottled scotch. The company is the owner of the Edradour Distillery, and bottler of some of the finest whiskies that I’ve ever been able to get my hands on. Throughout all of 2023, Signatory bottled a huge selection of indie Macallan from 2005, all priced very well for cask strength, late teenage liquids that were absolutely incredible.
Outside of that one specific bottling, they’ve released a wide range of well-known and unusual Scottish single malt whiskies for some very affordable prices. These whiskies show off some nice little quirks from lesser-known and well-known distilleries in a more natural format.
Outside of their cask strength decanter range, Signatory also has an interesting line of 46% ABV and 50% ABV single cask releases. They don’t come in as fancy as a bottle, but the liquid is so unbelievable for the price that you’ll barely think about the bottle as you pour another measure into the glass.
There are so many reasons to pay attention to Signatory. With Gordon & Macphail stepping away from independent bottling, Signatory could be the one to step onto the mantle when it comes to range and affordability.
Single Cask Nation
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Jess at Single Cask Nation for a while now, and when she kindly and sometimes surprisingly sends me samples of whiskies they’ve bottled in the post, I’ve never been let down in any way. They’ve just bottled a cask strength Bowmore 9 Year Old which is rather exceptional, and it’s in sherry!
They have a strong foothold in the North American market but are also developing a solid reputation in the UK and Europe. They were recently purchased by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) and as they have just launched themselves onto the stock market, I would
expect to see Single Cask Nation doing the rounds with more very tasty liquids and numerous specialist retailers in the near future.
Little Brown Dog Spirits
Like all good things in life, this story has a dog involved in it. Chris and Andrew set the company up in rural Aberdeenshire with the intention of bottling anything fun, interesting, or just plain strange that they could get their hands on. So far it’s worked absolute wonders for them.
Named after Andrew’s beloved dog, who sadly passed away in 2022, but lives on in spirit, Little Brown Dog has bottled some of the most interesting single malts I’ve tried, most recently a Glenburgie Armagnac cask that was simply delicious.
They also distill their own gin with a goal of having whisky in the future, but for those of you who want even more jaw-dropping stuff, check out their Wee Mongrel Rum Maple Syrup edition. That stuff helped make Christmas even cozier when it came to after-dinner drinks.
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
It would be very silly to talk about all of these bottlers and not mention the one that I’m an active member of. I joined The Scotch Malt Whisky Society last year during their 40th anniversary and was just blown away by the selection of what those folks have. Visiting the Queen Street venue in Edinburgh was also an incredible way to kick-start my journey with them.
Like every indie bottler, they have very expensive things and much more affordable things. I stick to the more affordable side of what is around and I’m yet to be disappointed by some of the gems that I’ve picked up. Two stand-out bottles are a 12 year old Glenlossie and a 19 year old Glen Garioch.
I’m also a fan of SMWS’s numbering system, whereby each distillery bottled has its own corresponding code. It makes every purchase have that little bit more research to it. Do you need a bottle of Ardnamurchan (Code 149) or a new Clynelish (Code 26), or are you still searching for the ever-elusive Scapa (Code 17)?
They were some of the first to ever bottle indie whisky in all of its natural beauty. It makes sense that they will still have this strength and ability when it comes to bottling whisky in the future.
Latest News