New Whisky Blog Series – Indy Scotch Whisky

Independent Scotch Whisky. The whisky industry’s worst kept, non secret. Big brands and distillery marketing dominate the whisky world. But one of the best and most interesting aspects of the Scotch Whisky industry, are the wonderful array of independent bottlers.

Here at The Whisky Barrel we are passionate in supporting the Indy Whisky scene. For more than 10 years we have been stocking and selling the wares of Scotland’s most renowned and established bottling companies, such as Gordon & MacPhail ​, Hunter Laing​, Signatory Vintage, Wemyss Malts, Morrison and MacKay, Cadenheads and more​. Even more recently, we have started working with new lines such as North Star Spirits, Creative Whisky Co​. Indy Scotch Whisky can offer a journey of discovery to enjoy a range of whisky characters or flavour profiles that offer something entirely different.  So, in this series of blogs we will take a closer look at gems that are Indy Scotch Whisky (#IndyScotchWhisky).

Independent Bottlings (IB) of whisky offers the enthusiast something far beyond the official distillery releases. Most notably, variety and a very keen price. With multiple new releases through the year, IB whiskies are often bottled from distilleries whose whisky rarely sees single malt status. They offer single casks, rare releases and experimental casks. But most of all they are some of Scotland’s finest scotch whisky.

The indy bottlers are free from the limitations and drive for absolute consistency of their core products that the distilleries need to adhere to. They give the customer access to a wider range of whiskies, styles and characters. And best of all, they tend to be excellent value. The warehouses of some of the indy bottlers are simply an Alladin’s Whisky Cave. Big hitters such Macallan, Highland Park, Springbank and Blair Athol. Lost Distilleries such as Littlemill, Imperial, Rosebank and Dumbarton. And unsung heroes such as Craigellachie, Clynelish and Ben Nevis.

But don’t be fooled by any misinformation that Indy Whisky is just bad casks cast aside by the distilleries. The wood policy of the likes of Morrison and MacKay is second to none. Gordon & MacPhail source new make spirit and nurture it themselves. Signatory Vintage run their operations alongside the fantastic Edradour Distillery. Each Indy bottler has its own exceptional pedigree in the whisky industry and serve only to release the best scotch whisky they can. We love them all.

Indy Scotch Whisky – Part 1.1 – Morrison & MacKay

This year we are taking a closer look at some of our Indy whisky bottlers. We’ll be starting with the wonderful Morrison & MacKay Ltd​ and their new venture with Aberargie Distillery. Keep an eye out next week for Parts 1.1 and 1.2 when we delve into the warehouses and distillery.