Independent whisky bottler, One Cask at a Time, launched its debut collection on 4 September with six single malt whiskies, all bottled at cask strength. This follows the relaunch in July of spirits retailer Master of Malt’s in-house independent bottlings range as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations.
‘We have definitely seen a lot of new independent bottlers entering the market and I believe this can be a good thing,’ says Racheal Vaughan-Jones, chief marketing officer at Compass Box Whisky, another independent bottler that is well-established in this corner of the whisky world.
Racheal Vaughan-Jones of Compass Box
Tides in the market
This rise in independent bottling follows a long period of industry speculation about a ‘second whisky loch’. Vaughan-Jones notes that whisky’s long history has always featured ‘ebbs and flows’. With this new ebb, independent bottlers are able to offer drinkers aged whiskies at keen prices.
The selection from One Cask at a Time ranges from a Ben Nevis 2012 for £89 up to a 1996 Highland Park for £699. ‘Only casks of exceptional quality have been chosen for bottling under the One Cask at a Time label,’ explains Russell Bradley, head of brand development.
One Cask at a Time Auchentoshan 26-year-old
Value for whisky lovers
Master of Malt, meanwhile, uses its established buying power and industry relationships to offer aged whiskies at prices that smaller retailers would struggle to match. They start at £34.95 for the unnamed A Secret Speyside Distillery 10-year-old. Other offerings include a Blended Grain 37-year-old 1987 at £99.99 and Tobermory 29-year-old 1996 at £199.99.
‘This isn’t whisky for vaults or portfolios. It’s whisky for drinking,’ says head of whisky Sam Simmons.
Master of Malt’s range of independent bottlings
Curious drinkers
Newer entrants such as The Heart Cut, founded in 2023 by industry veterans Georgie Bell and Fabrizio Leoni, are finding plenty of opportunity. ‘Independent bottlings are seeing a resurgence because drinkers are increasingly curious,’ says Bell.
The company focuses on world whiskies, though the range does also include Scottish malts. The Heart Cut bottles include #01, a heather-smoked Danish single malt from Stauning Distillery finished in Madeira casks at £68.50, as well as #17, a Lochlea single malt Scotch whisky at £58.
‘We’ve had no challenges sourcing so far,’ Bell adds. ‘In fact, the opposite.’
Georgie Bell of The Heart Cut Credit: Addie Chinn
Sourcing strategies
These bottlers employ various approaches to secure aged stock. Some, like Cut Your Wolf Loose founder Seb Woolf, have been ‘laying down stocks for years’ and can ‘price effectively rather than against high prices of the liquid in recent years’.
This strategy shows in releases like the Caol Ila 17-year-old X Ricky Also Release 14 at £70 and Tamnavulin 13-year-old X Zombiesqueegee Release 13 at £55.
Cut Your Wolf Loose Tamnavulin 13-year-old X Zombiesqueegee Release 1
Beyond the brands
For drinkers, this means the chance to savour whiskies that just a few years ago may have been out of their reach – as long as they’re willing to look beyond the distillery-branded bottles. And for the wider whisky industry, it means a long-established pressure valve will help the distillers weather any coming storm.
As Vaughan-Jones puts it: ‘Whisky blending was built on a long tradition of trading casks, and I don’t see any signs of that generosity and collaboration going away.’
