List of Independent Whisky Bottlers

What is an independent whisky bottler?

Independent whisky bottlers buy casks of whisky from distilleries and bottle them under their own label. While they don't distil the whisky, they do develop the flavour of the whisky. They do this by choosing how long to mature it for. And sometimes they use cask finishes to add additional layers of flavour.

What do independent whiskey bottlers do?

Independent whisky bottlers look for the best whiskies. They're looking for whiskies that either showcase the very best of a particular distillery, or that are unique examples of bold, different flavours. They carefully taste a range of single casks, before choosing only those that meet their high standards.

They can then choose to either bottle their chosen casks straightaway under their own independent labels. Or, they can choose to further enhance the flavour of the whisky by ageing it in their warehouses for longer. They can also move the whisky to another cask (known as re-racking) to add an additional layer of flavour, for example sherry casks or port casks.

Indy bottlers often, but not always, bottle at higher alcohol strength, including natural cask strength. Generally speaking, they do not use chill filtration, or add caramel colouring, choosing instead to keep their whiskies natural.

List of independent whisky bottlers making the best single cask malt scotch whiskies

Unique whiskies from indy brands

Here at TopWhiskies.com we love independent whisky bottlers (you can read about some of our favourites indies here). We find they're a great source of top quality single malt scotch whiskies at fair prices. There are plenty of unique offerings, single cask whiskies, and interesting maturation techniques. Plus, these independent brands are often run by small teams of passionate individuals. So, in buying their whiskies, you're supporting both them and their families.

We're proud to support some great independent bottlers. You can find the independent whisky bottlers we stock here. But there's a wide world of choice out there, so here's a directory list of independent bottlers.

List of independent whisky bottlers, in alphabetical order.

How to bottle your own whiskies?

Many whisky lovers dream of producing their own whisky. The most realistic way of achieving this dream is to become an independent bottler. While there are still costs involved, and many things to get right, becoming an indie bottler is easier than building your own distillery. If you'd like to find out more, read our guide to making your own whisky here, which looks at five points to consider:

Why do you want to make your own whisky?
How many bottles do you want?
What type of base spirit do you want to use?
What type of cask do you want your whisky matured in, and where will you store it?
Things to think about when bottling your whisky

Get in touch

If you'd like to add an independent whisky bottler to the list (last updated November 2022), or if you yourself are an independent bottler and you're interested in learning more about what we do here at TopWhiskies, do get in touch, you can email Ed here: ed@topwhiskies.com.