Independent Bottlers
Encyclopedia
It has become customary for distilleries to sell barrels of whisky
to blenders and independent bottlers as a means of making additional income. In fact, some distilleries exist solely to serve independent bottlers, and do not market any brands themselves.
Distilleries also pass on barrels of whisky to ensure consistency. When blending whisky, they ensure consistency by using barrels with similar flavours. If a particular flavour is notably different, it may be deemed uncharacteristic of the distillery and as such cannot be used in “official” product bottlings.
Whiskies bottled by independent bottlers may or may not be labelled with the distillery of origin, but tend not to use the distillery's trademarks such as logos, fonts and images as they may not have the authorization to do so.
Independently bottled whisky is sometimes bottled at Natural Cask Strength
, which means it is not diluted from the strength that comes out of the barrel. This often results in a more full-flavoured whisky, because lowering the strength by dilution also dilutes the flavour. Independent Bottlers may also not chill filter
the whisky, a process which involves removing fatty acids, proteins and esters to give the whisky a clearer appearance. Chill filtering can affect flavour, however, because these compounds account for a lot of the taste (the esters, for example, have a fruit-like aroma). One further measure often not taken when independently bottling whisky is the addition of spirit caramel for colouring.
Due to the long history and marketing campaigns undergone by some distilleries, their brands may be associated with a great deal of prestige. As such, proprietary bottlings can sometimes command a higher price than an independently bottled whisky from the same distillery. Because of this, independently bottled whisky is often much cheaper, which can enable connoisseurs and whisky drinkers to try “rarer”, older whisky without paying quite so much. However, as distilleries often strive for consistency, and are careful not to tarnish their reputations, their branded bottlings can sometimes be more reliable.
This type of secrecy is not always absolute. An example of a semi-secret bottling is the “Tactical Selection” from Douglas Laing & Co
’s Old Malt Cask range. The bottlers have not stated the distillery, but in the style of many secret bottlings, they give clues as to its origins. In this case a geographical location; Tactical Selection was distilled on the Isle of Skye – which is home to only one whisky distillery, Talisker
. The name “Tactical” also bares marked phonetic semblance to Talisker, thus giving an additional clue to its source.
Tactics such as these may allow bottlers to indicate their source without breaching trademark or contract agreements.
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
to blenders and independent bottlers as a means of making additional income. In fact, some distilleries exist solely to serve independent bottlers, and do not market any brands themselves.
Distilleries also pass on barrels of whisky to ensure consistency. When blending whisky, they ensure consistency by using barrels with similar flavours. If a particular flavour is notably different, it may be deemed uncharacteristic of the distillery and as such cannot be used in “official” product bottlings.
Whiskies bottled by independent bottlers may or may not be labelled with the distillery of origin, but tend not to use the distillery's trademarks such as logos, fonts and images as they may not have the authorization to do so.
Quality
In general, the fact that a whisky was produced by an independent bottler does not, by itself, provide any indication of quality. Independently-bottled whisky ranges from "bottom shelf" products of low price and quality to the finest classes of whiskies. However, an independent bottler can sometimes provide more niche-style products due to the nature of their business model.Independently bottled whisky is sometimes bottled at Natural Cask Strength
Cask strength
Cask strength is a term used in whisky-making to describe the level of alcohol-by-volume strength that is used for a whisky during its storage in a cask for maturation – typically in the range of 60–65% abv....
, which means it is not diluted from the strength that comes out of the barrel. This often results in a more full-flavoured whisky, because lowering the strength by dilution also dilutes the flavour. Independent Bottlers may also not chill filter
Chill filtering
Chill filtering is a method in whisky making for removing residue. In chill filtering, whisky is cooled to between -10 and 4 degrees Celsius and passed through a fine adsorption filter...
the whisky, a process which involves removing fatty acids, proteins and esters to give the whisky a clearer appearance. Chill filtering can affect flavour, however, because these compounds account for a lot of the taste (the esters, for example, have a fruit-like aroma). One further measure often not taken when independently bottling whisky is the addition of spirit caramel for colouring.
Due to the long history and marketing campaigns undergone by some distilleries, their brands may be associated with a great deal of prestige. As such, proprietary bottlings can sometimes command a higher price than an independently bottled whisky from the same distillery. Because of this, independently bottled whisky is often much cheaper, which can enable connoisseurs and whisky drinkers to try “rarer”, older whisky without paying quite so much. However, as distilleries often strive for consistency, and are careful not to tarnish their reputations, their branded bottlings can sometimes be more reliable.
Secret Bottlings
Some whiskies that are bottled by independent bottlers are marketed without identification of the source distillery. These are often referred to as “secret bottlings”. The distiller may be unnamed because the distilleries that produce them only want their name associated with whisky released by themselves, or because the bottler wants to have the ability to buy from various distilleries without changing their label or revealing their trade secrets.This type of secrecy is not always absolute. An example of a semi-secret bottling is the “Tactical Selection” from Douglas Laing & Co
Douglas Laing & Co
Douglas Laing & Co is a Glasgow-based independent bottler and blender of Scotch whisky. The company was founded in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing, and it has remained in Laing family control ever since. Today the company is run by brothers Fred and Stewart Laing....
’s Old Malt Cask range. The bottlers have not stated the distillery, but in the style of many secret bottlings, they give clues as to its origins. In this case a geographical location; Tactical Selection was distilled on the Isle of Skye – which is home to only one whisky distillery, Talisker
Talisker
Talisker is an Island Single Malt Scotch whisky produced by the Talisker Distillery, Carbost, Scotland; the only distillery on the Isle of Skye. The distillery is operated by United Distillers and Vintners for Diageo, and is marketed as part of their Classic Malts series...
. The name “Tactical” also bares marked phonetic semblance to Talisker, thus giving an additional clue to its source.
Tactics such as these may allow bottlers to indicate their source without breaching trademark or contract agreements.
See also
- WhiskyWhiskyWhisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
- Cask strengthCask strengthCask strength is a term used in whisky-making to describe the level of alcohol-by-volume strength that is used for a whisky during its storage in a cask for maturation – typically in the range of 60–65% abv....
- Chill filteringChill filteringChill filtering is a method in whisky making for removing residue. In chill filtering, whisky is cooled to between -10 and 4 degrees Celsius and passed through a fine adsorption filter...
- Kentucky Bourbon DistillersKentucky Bourbon DistillersKentucky Bourbon Distillers , Ltd., also known as the Willett Distilling Company, is a private family-owned and -operated company that markets bourbon and rye whiskey. The company is located on the outskirts of Bardstown, Kentucky on a site that began as a farm owned by the family...
– a Bardstown (Kentucky)Bardstown, KentuckyAs of the census of 2010, there were 11,700 people, 4,712 households, and 2,949 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,113 housing units at an average density of...
based independent bottler of BourbonBourbon whiskeyBourbon is a type of American whiskey – a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn. The name of the spirit derives from its historical association with an area known as Old Bourbon, around what is now Bourbon County, Kentucky . It has been produced since the 18th century...
and RyeRye whiskyRye whiskey can refer to either of two types of whiskey: 1) American rye whiskey, which must be distilled from at least 51 percent rye; 2) Canadian whisky, which is often referred to rye whisky for historical reasons, although it may or may not actually include any rye in its production...
whiskies - Douglas Laing & CoDouglas Laing & CoDouglas Laing & Co is a Glasgow-based independent bottler and blender of Scotch whisky. The company was founded in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing, and it has remained in Laing family control ever since. Today the company is run by brothers Fred and Stewart Laing....
– a Glasgow (Scotland) based independent bottler of Scotch whiskyScotch whiskyScotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...