(When bottled at cask strength)
Every distillery that you have ever heard of has its own unique style of producing whisky.
Many of these methods have been handed down through the generations for hundreds of years in Scotland and are still to this day, closely guarded secrets.
Distillery Bottlings
Distilleries tend to produce whisky in their signature style and as a result, their bottlings are usually consistent, no matter the cask type used or the length of maturation.
Independent Bottlings
These are different since they seek one-off casks or small batches.
Independent bottlers have the option to purchase a cask from a distillery and put it under their own label. Therefore, they can customise its personality (apart from its base notes) by choosing the cask used, deciding on the time for maturation and the place of storage.
Independent bottlings also provide something niche and unusual to present to drinkers, creating opportunities for exploration.
The uniqueness of independent bottlings is the main reason why buyers are willing to pay more for them, compared to distillery bottlings.
Independent bottlers can choose to bottle the cask immediately OR allow for it to age longer - this often leads to independent bottlings being made at cask strength with a higher ABV (alcohol by volume).
This is a favoured trait that whisky lovers frequently look for since it is more concentrated, unadulterated and often, in their opinion, more intensely flavourful.