Four Indies Summer 2024 Outturn | Various% ABV

Indies in 2024

It’s been a while, but back in the summer of 2022 I wrote a feature piece for Dramface where I asked some folk in the business about the state of indie bottlers and how they see their future.

The general tenor was one of careful optimism – with most of the folk I talked with consenting that there would indeed be challenges ahead that needed dealing with, but all things considered everyone I spoke with agreed that there was, and likely always would be, a place for independent bottlers within the greater spectrum of whisky.

By and large, I feel that’s still very much the case and as relevant today as it was two years ago. But there’s no denying things have changed since.

There are writings on the wall a-plenty that what the industry is currently facing is more than just a few bumps in the road. The Asian market, particularly China, has come to a near standstill – a basket where quite a few companies were willing to place a lot of eggs (and investments), banking on an idea that the growth in these regions would be a safe bet to secure their future.

Now it seems almost the opposite might happen: the Chinese seemingly copy-pasting from everywhere else to make their own product, only to flood other markets with their whisky. I’m not saying it will happen tomorrow, but it’s definitely not something we can rule out.

Closer to home, we’re witnessing the first cracks in the ceiling of the whisky firmament, and they are cause for concern indeed. Mackmyra going bust (despite a rescue plan it continues to garner controversy), Penderyn shutting down one of its distilleries, and Bushmill’s second plant all but mothballed; all consequences of an oversaturated market. Where there was previously excitement and buzz in the air - before and during the pandemic - about all things new happening in whisky, there seems to now be fatigue - or at least some indifference amongst many enthusiasts.

Inevitably, we’re already witnessing the impact and, as so often, it’s the smaller players taking the first blows. When taking indie bottlers, it’s more or less the same. Na Bràithrean called it quits and recently, The Single Cask also announced that they’re dropping their independent bottling range to again focus fully and solely on their brokering activities. As mentioned these are, relatively speaking, smaller players in the field but bigger players are also affected. Indirectly, but possibly (likely?) related, Gordon & Macphail also made the decision to stop buying casks for the sake of indie releases. The official explanation being that they want to focus on their two distilleries (Benromach and The Cairn), but I’m willing to bet that Diageo and other’s changes in policy on making casks and fillings available to indie bottlers will have had an impact on this.

I’ve already talked at length about me having a personal connection with Kenny and Viktorija Macdonald, the people running Dràm Mòr and how I feel I‘m able to work around any possible biases on my behalf. Despite the future seeming significantly less rosy compared to a few years ago, Dràm Mòr and several other smaller indie bottlers seem well prepared for whatever comes their way. Years, sometimes decades, of experience in the whisky industry resulting in connections and enough knowledge to avoid (or at least prepare for) obstacles great and small make for a solid foundation and business model, as they are well equipped to ’read’ the market.

Combine that with a strong work ethic (is there any festival across Europe and beyond where the impressive, talkative and good humoured figure of Kenny hasn’t been spotted, I wonder?) and their hands-on mentality. Focussing on single cask releases implies the outturn will be limited to a few hundred bottles at any given time. If you release maybe five or six different whiskies in each ‘batch’, three to four times a year, not only do you have to make sure that what you’re offering is up to snuff, but also that you’ll need to put in the hours (and the airmiles) if you want to convince people to spend their cash on your products. So far, they’ve managed to do just that.

I was sent four samples (of their latest summer release of six different bottlings), so let’s see what they have in store for us.

Review 1/4

Invergordon 27yo, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Refill bourbon cask, 218 bottle outturn, 52.2% ABV
£85 RRP

Score: 6/10

**Good stuff.**
***TL;DR***
*A classic single grain with a pleasant twist*

Nose

Some classic single grain action here: gentle cereal notes, mixed in with a good dose of sugary sweetness. Gently floral and a soft, almost delicate astringency which evolves towards notes of garden herbs – parsley and basil. Classic, as said, but it delivers.

Palate

Fatty, viscous-oily and sweet. Quite different from the nose. Frankly, I’m a bit thrown off guard here, and in a good way. A pleasant surprise matching the overall very pleasant experience here. Thick and syrupy – caramel like, with gentle orchard notes and a popcorn like sweetness. After adding some water (it doesn’t need it per se, but it can take it) that grassy-herbal element reemerges before it goes into a clinging, sweet finish.

The Dregs

A single grain left quietly to do its thing in a refill bourbon cask for nearly three decades, making for a classic nose and a surprisingly dense and viscous tasting experience. Nothing to argue about in my book!

Score: 6/10

Review 2/4

Auchroisk 15yo, Single Malt Scotch Whisky, First-fill bourbon cask finish, 231 bottle outturn, 54.1% ABV
£70-75 RRP

Score: 7/10

**Very good indeed.**
***TL;DR***
*Pleased to make your acquaintance. Can I have some more?*

Nose

A mixture of floral elements and some tropical fruit (mango, papaya and kiwi) and rye bread. There’s a slight funkiness, dark honey with chestnut and walnut moving into an Indian summer/ autumnal vibe as it has this ‘wet forest’ thing going on.

Palate

Pleasant arrival of mild, warming spices and dried fruits, with again that cereal/bready element. Leather books and varnish notes alongside manuka honey add to the overall richness. The full body makes for a dense, filling mouthfeel.

The Dregs

I have simply no idea if this is representative of the Auchroisk character as this is only the second time ever I tasted one and I remember very little of my previous encounter. Based on this, I wouldn’t mind trying some more.

Score: 7/10

Review 3/4

Dalmunach 7yo, Single Malt Scotch Whisky, First-fill Buffalo Trace Barrel, 254 bottle outturn, 58.4% ABV
£60-65 RRP

Score: 7/10

**Very good indeed**
***TL;DR***
*My pick of the lot – a spot on combo of spirit character and wood influence*

Nose

A bit ‘soapy’ (in a good way) and grassy-herbaceous. Immediately it also brings a very viscous and oily element – somewhat sweet and dirty at the same time, from both vanilla and from something more industrial/ workshop – like. A gentle astringency as well, countering notes from caramel and orchard sweetness. Young, yet layered and above all quite active and busy. Very nice!

Palate

Yep, that industrial, somewhat dirty oily element immediately manifests itself on the tongue. I absolutely love this. Again there’s this dense, vanilla, caramelised butter - like sweetness to it as well. With a few drops of water, the workshop vibe remains, while also making room for that herbaceous element I picked up on the nose.

The Dregs

Very busy, very layered, with plenty of depth and considerable complexity given its age, making for a good combo of spirit and cask influence. So far, I’ve liked what I tasted from Dalmunach quite a bit, but this one is downright excellent.

Score: 7/10

Review 4/4

Glen Moray 13yo, Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Tokaji hogshead finish, 229 bottle outturn, 56% ABV
£70-80 RRP

Score: 6/10

**Good stuff.**
***TL;DR***
*A strong case for the combo of wine casks and whisky*

Nose

Sweetness, mainly from vanilla and notes from both grapes and orchard fruit, going into something slightly confectionary. Surprisingly, there’s a (subtle) whiff of something charred/smoky/ashy here. Sappy wood with a gentle funk. Overall quite inviting and suggesting there’s more to be discovered here than meets the eye. Or rather, nose.

Palate

Dense, sweet and viscous, with again that combo of vanilla, orchard fruit and grapes. I now know what that funky touch on the nose was: it’s coming from that sweet-funky mould you sometimes find in grapes. A few drops of water and everything becomes brighter and fresher.

The Dregs

Glen Moray: the Caol Ila of Speyside? In the sense that you can throw just about anything at it in terms of casks and chances are it’ll come out just fine? This one certainly delivers. I know there are people out there who are convinced that under no circumstances you should allow for a whisky to come even near a wine cask, and Tokaji casks in particular seem to take the cake, but in this case everything refrains itself and stays well in check. Yes, the wine cask adds sweetness and transfers some of its character, but the result is pretty flawless. Accessible and pleasant but also with some depth and complexity.

The Final Dregs

While all 4 of these are getting a nod of approval on my behalf, it’s clear which of these is my favourite. That 7yo Dalmunach knocked it out of the park. Again a reminder (if not in general, then certainly to myself) how youthful, young whiskies can have a lot to offer.

That said, each of these have got some perks that would make me happy to have them in the cabinet. That surprising ‘twist’ the Invergordon has to offer on the palate, the richness of the Auchroisk or the well-integrated way the Tokaji wine cask worked with the Glen Moray spirit. Companies and brands like Dràm Mòr, Watt Whisky, Little Brown Dog, North Star and dozens of other small-to-medium scale indie bottlers will have their work cut out for them in the foreseeable future. This on top of all the other stuff they have to monitor and check pretty much 24/7.

In a way, they may seem a bit ‘out of fashion’, much like yesteryear’s local, family owned grocery store having to compete with a big supermarket chain. But, almost despite the odds, they are here, delivering quality, giving it their all to put a name and a face to a brand as they very much rely on word of mouth and the one-on-one interaction with their customers. As far as I’m concerned, long may that continue.

Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. EA

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