An article by Susannah Skiver Barton
For almost the entirety of whiskey’s existence, there have been distilleries that make the stuff, and other companies that buy and bottle it. These latter entities might do nothing to the whiskey but proof it down, or they may go to greater lengths by finishing or blending it. They’ve been called by many names: rectifier, merchant bottler, non-distiller producer. And sometimes: independent bottler.
What defines an independent bottler (or IB) is, first, the fact that it’s independent, operating outside the strictures of a big conglomerate. But also essential are certain practices and values—namely, curation and transparency.
Scotch has a long tradition of independent bottlers like Gordon & MacPhail, Cadenhead’s, Adelphi, and Signatory. These companies buy whisky from distilleries and bottle it under their own labels—usually as single barrels—with full information about the source and liquid, including distillery name, age statement, cask type, and other details. Independent bottlers are a great resource for rare scotch hunters as well as drinkers looking for more flavor diversity from their favorite distilleries.
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