vPub Live - How To Pick An Indie
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Күн бұрынWalk into a whisky shop. Ask for advice. Pay, leave, drink. Easy.
But joking aside, we reach a point in whisky exploration and naturally want to move beyond the official bottles, stretch our palates a little, right? Surely, at some point, Independent Bottlers will become of real interest.
It's different for everyone, of course. Some are introduced to independent bottlings immediately, while others wonder why they even exist. Some have a plentiful supply and selection, while others rarely see an indie appear local to them. Yet, someday, we'll all happen across an indie and it'd probably be nice to understand the whats and the whys when we do.
Now, I'm not the person to say what you should and shouldn't choose, but I've had my fair share of scuffs and scratches along the way, as well as some truly memorable delights, purely from taking a gamble on a non-distillery bottling. Very often, especially with evermore illusive single casks, they can often be the pinnacle of that single, laser-focused, one-off and utterly transient experience.
So, what should we be looking out for? Which indies handle transparency well? Who has kept prices fair and selection canny? More than anything, and completely regardless of whose bottling you're holding in your hands; how can you make an informed and mitigated decision in advance of handing over your cash on something that you have little experience of? It’s worse because often your peers and the community around you is likely to be in the dark too.
That'll be the scope of this vPub and, for us flavour chasers in the vPub, it's about time we switched over to celebrating that these bottlers, and bottlings, even exist.
Really hope to welcome you there!
Link to the Dramface session over at The Inverurie Whisky shop: kzfaq.infohkeUfsqE...
0:00 - Opening
2:19 - Brief intro to topic
6:13 - Welcoming in the lounge
12:45 - Intimidating Indies(?)
22:28 - The Pale Whisky in the glass
24:19 - Confessing: why no indies on the vPub?
27:37 - Framing the session & updates
34:15 - The 'Big 4' Indies
44:56 - So many indies!
49:03 - Official vs Indie Definitions
53:45 - Indies & age statements
1:02:38 - Indies & Value (SMWS & Sig Vintage 100º)
1:27:30 - Indies as champions
1:31:18 - ABV Natural CS vs Reduced
1:55:13 - Indies & colour
2:04:00 - Personality and summary
2:12:44 - Quiz at the End (somewhat botched)
1:42:22 - Finishing - too much? Sometimes., yep.
@Aqvavitae 4 ай бұрын
Speedy viewing! Link to the Dramface session over at The Inverurie Whisky shop: kzfaq.infohkeUfsqEcnc?si=reWbc1HmW9UfBRuW 0:00 - Opening 2:19 - Brief intro to topic 6:13 - Welcoming in the lounge 12:45 - Intimidating Indies(?) 22:28 - The Pale Whisky in the glass 24:19 - Confessing: why no indies on the vPub? 27:37 - Framing the session & updates 34:15 - The 'Big 4' Indies 44:56 - So many indies! 49:03 - Official vs Indie Definitions 53:45 - Indies & age statements 1:02:38 - Indies & Value (SMWS & Sig Vintage 100º) 1:27:30 - Indies as champions 1:31:18 - ABV Natural CS vs Reduced 1:55:13 - Indies & colour 2:04:00 - Personality and summary 2:12:44 - Quiz at the End (somewhat botched)
@russell3733 4 ай бұрын
Great vPub, Roy. I found myself nodding in agreement when you commented on the excessive number of IB finishings coming onto the market at the moment. Not my cup of tea. You just have to ask yourself why the quality of the original cask needs to be overridden with a more dominant cask - and what effect that will have on the whisky's balance. Often, the answer to that question is that the market is mad for finishes, so perfectly good ex-bourbon jobbing casks are regarded as a liability. The other possibility is perhaps that the original cask was tired and clapped out, possibly giving off some unpleasant bitterness and course tannins. Whatever the explanation may be, I turn away from these offerings with endless finishings instinctively. Just don't trust them. Cheers.
@stevengallery5561 4 ай бұрын
As a weekly regular at SMWS Bath St, I now ignore the new outturn bottlings and search the shelves for those older gems, that have been hiding in plain sight. There's still plenty to be had from 2018/19/20 at the original prices... 🥃👍
@elduderino3120 4 ай бұрын
RE: non-aged statements, Aberlour A’bunadh was the first NAS that I took seriously.
@NZDave 4 ай бұрын
Love my SMWS membership, opens up so many options I'd never get access to, including 112.98 bourbon refill made with wine yeast I'm hoping could be cousin of the barfly Loch Lomond. Plus they're flying me to Scotland in September to represent NZ at their gathering so that's my membership covered for the next 100 years.
@peterlee2279 4 ай бұрын
Great vpub. Indie open a different path for us all.
@deefischer8198 4 ай бұрын
I do enjoy indies, from your description of the SMWS dram you tasted I am going to join, was in two minds but am convinced. What an amazing experience to meet and have a dram with Pip Hill he is one of my whisky hero’s. Txs for a great vPub
@davidowen2834 4 ай бұрын
Hi Roy, awesome vPub. Actually my local specialist shop as got more IB offerings than OB’s. So tend to buy more IB’s . Caught the replay Friday. Slàinte Roy.
@hellswidd4628 4 ай бұрын
Fun Vpub this evening roy thanks, nice to be back in live! Much love as always from the two of us
@chrislawson5754 4 ай бұрын
Great V pub as usual…I would like to see more attention or appreciation for the Master of Malt bottles, some really good stuff and especially with the ever more important price factor. I know you had a bottle in the Six Nations V pub. Just that it never ever seems to get a mention, and I’m not meaning you btw. Great content as usual, just a shame it’s always on catch up and can’t catch it live.
@pedrohcmenezes 4 ай бұрын
Great vPub, as always, Roy!!!! Just finished catching up on this one and Still mad that I lost the ninth question and saw a 10/10 slipping through my fingers 😂😂😂😂 Still happy with a 9/10 though… About indies…IMO it’s nearly impossible to be a whisky enthusiast without digging through their releases and innovation. It’s kind of sad to see what the producers are doing to them with the lack of availability and price hikes. It looks like they chose to forget what indies did in the past, evangelizing, educating and (very important) buying stocks when others wouldn’t.
@DonnerPassWhisky 4 ай бұрын
Great stuff Roy. I am fortunate to have access to a lot of independent bottles. With so many available I routinely go what everything costs and how it is moving. Over time, things that sit on the shelf get reduced in price quite a bit, so great bargains can be had for those who pay attention. Cheers
@bobsander4589 4 ай бұрын
Love picking up independently bottled whisky...such a wide range of excellent quality naturally presented and often distilleries that have been forgotten about. Even if tge odd bottle misses the mark, they are pretty much all better than OBs that often target a different whisky audience.
@carlossanders8427 4 ай бұрын
Spot on the SMWS! My friend says (and I agree)..... a SMWS membership is essentially what you pay for netflix a year. If you think about it that way and stay near a venue, I feel it is a good value proposition.
@stevengallery5561 4 ай бұрын
I wouldn't be without my membership, but it does help that I can access the venues 🥃👍
@whiskyweekenddram 4 ай бұрын
Watched the 100 proof bit on reply. I have bought the Blair Athol, its great, lots of dark sherry notes. The i tasted the Tullibardine, on par with the blair, but not on sherry notes, good balance. I had to buy it too. Then the first batch Ben Nevis came out 4yo peated, no brainer. And from the last outturn the Bunna i just let it set aside by the local whiskystore. And then im done (i think...) Four great value high proof whisky's for only 200,-! Thanks to Signatory for such thing, we are getting spoiled as whisky lovers and that in 2024. Slainte!
@TimHoekstra 4 ай бұрын
You're spot on with regards to finishing. Variety is the spice of life it as with all things it needs to be in balance, as it should be. Having said that finishes often also add sweetness and thus make the whisky easier to sell.
@marclambert8596 4 ай бұрын
Watching tonight on the replay, I’m really hoping you explore a topic that I’ve recently become much more affected by. Having moved from the Northern to the Southern hemisphere I’m now exposed to an entirely unfamiliar group of IBs, so am incredibly curious to know more about how/why that happens. How do regional variations in distribution get established and then affect availability over time would be a fascinating topic to learn more about.
@stephendoherty3919 4 ай бұрын
I’d just like to thank whoever it was that gifted me a membership. I only saw the email notification this morning. I’m assuming it was during this livestream.
@Kevin_K23 4 ай бұрын
Watching on replay, I recently bought a Gordon & MacPhail 17yo Ledaig (closest thing to the 18yo I could find in the states) and love it! Great topic Roy, cheers 🥃
@Oooooo-xi2mx 4 ай бұрын
The K&L bottle? Were you tempted by any of the others?
@Kevin_K23 4 ай бұрын
@@Oooooo-xi2mx oh yeah for sure, there was also a Clynelish 16 and Bunna 14. Other interesting indies too outside of G&M at K&L. Highly recommend checking out
@bobsander4589 4 ай бұрын
Great to see you and the other Dramfacers on the blether with Inverurie Whisky shop last week.
@edfriday7709 4 ай бұрын
I love having all these different finishes available. Part of the great variety we have today. I like a lot of virgin oaks finishes.
@SimonneNZ 4 ай бұрын
Another fun vPub Roy. Missed a few bits at the start and had to catch up on replay. Thank you Wook for the gifted membership. I've started exploring IBs with Signatory's unchillfiltered 12-year-old Mortlach and 11-year-old Ardmore. Both are excellent and good value for what I paid, cheaper than the OBs. I am keen to try Cadenhead at some stage too. Cheers!
@michaelwood3203 4 ай бұрын
IB’s have captured my interest, and blends too. I do not understand whisky chemistry but it seems to me that this is the skill and art of the IB’s and blenders. Bad quiz night for me. Monkey 6, me 2!
@GavFYI 4 ай бұрын
Great vPub. I’m a recent convert to indies. In fact, the last 4 bottles of scotch I purchased were MoM indies. Glad to see them make an appearance in the OSWAs this year too.
@leejaybrown5567 3 ай бұрын
Caught up finally, thank you Roy, really enjoyed this one, as it hit on the nose, Indies at the moment are what I'm discovering. Cheers Roy.
@elduderino3120 4 ай бұрын
Re: spending too much, I just bought a Bunnahabien cask strength 2022: I spent ‘23 telling myself that I wasn’t going to give in to FOMO and would, month-by-month, work my way through bottles I already had open and through my wish-list of purchases as-and-when I could afford them. Didn’t expect I’d still be able to find the ‘22 available now. £80 is a lot for a 12yr old, but botherers are unanimous that this one is worth a bit extra. I’ll wait until the summer to open it 😀
@JustAnotherWhiskyCouple 4 ай бұрын
Another great V-Pub Roy and really would like to hear more about indie bottles in the future. True, the specific indie bottle displayed on your show will be one that we will never get, but that’s ok; there will be many flavor-adjacent indie bottles out there that we all have get our mitts on.
@PierreMoisan-vf2ze 4 ай бұрын
Roy nice VPub Watching on replay Concerning finishing stuff you talked I understand well that a distiller would « add » finishing flavor to a average cask and selling at a markup price (recasting is not business wise) To stop buying NAS finishing version is not logical either if it’s tasty, but it is if it’s overpriced. Cheers
@Grievsey 4 ай бұрын
Watching on the replay in chunks 👍. Loads of fantastic indies out there 🥃
@NoteworthyWhisky 4 ай бұрын
Very enjoyable vPub as usual, Roy! Muscle Sprouts was my first SMWS bottle, and it was a great one. I’m lucky enough to have a partner store just a short drive away, so I’m happy to pay the $120 CAN a year to belong. On the topic of finishing, I’m generally ok with it. However, I have seen 20+ year old whisky finished in a first fill sherry cask and that’s a real shame. Cheers!
@edfriday7709 4 ай бұрын
Not long finished a wonderful Duncan Taylor Octave Bunnahabhain. I’ve also purchased their Campbeltown blended malt. Looking forward to that immensely!
@edfriday7709 4 ай бұрын
I’ve just purchased one of their blends, the new Kyloe sherry cask prompted by Alisdair Gray. Also signed up for their next in person tasting at ‘The Bank’…. Important business in this small town and surrounding area.
@DominikK45 4 ай бұрын
The blend's a tad pricey
@edfriday7709 4 ай бұрын
Well it was single cask and also malt of the month last month so a bit cheaper then…
@edfriday7709 4 ай бұрын
The Campbeltown I mean. The Kyloe is about £30ish and is 50% abv which is not bad for the quality imho.
@agrainofmalt 3 ай бұрын
SMWS distillery 46 is Glenlossie. Guessing at that age a finishing period could be longer, but typically the 2nd cask finishing period is 3 years. The website usually specifies the split / when it was re-barrelled.
@alyamaut 4 ай бұрын
Dear Roy, muchas,muchas gracias always for the vpubs and all their content all the best amigo, learning little by little from you 🤘🤘🤘
@majornut9728 4 ай бұрын
Some of the best whiskies I have had, have been very light in coulor. One which have stuck to my mind, and I had years ago in my pre-geek years, was a Hepburn's Choice. Faboulus stuff. But I don't know the destillery. In Sweden we could only get a 350ml bottle.
@murduk88 4 ай бұрын
I love finishings and the wide range of flavor hooks different casks offer (see Edradour's single-cask cask-strength series from every kind of barrel on the planet). I also get where you're coming from on companies marketing variety for variety's sake, but a lot of producers can finish well (Balcones here in Texas may be the best I've tried), and if all we ever could find at the bottle shop is is ex-bourbon cask malt whisky, that would be awfully boring, no? Great vPub and please ... more banter on independents anytime the spirit moves you. Cheers!
@timpowles7514 4 ай бұрын
Great episode Roy. Fascinating. Cheers..
@baka3489 4 ай бұрын
Adelphi is my favourite ❤
@WhiskyTopia 2 ай бұрын
@Aqvavitae - Roy - thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience on the topic of Indies - really enjoyed listening to this on my long drives in the car! I had heard of SMWS & Gordon & McPhail, but not so much of the others. Indies are so pivotal in why we are all enjoying Single Malts today! BTW are there any complimentary BarFly memberships still left from recent donations? Slanj (Tony) :-)
@elduderino3120 4 ай бұрын
I missed this live but wondering what your thoughts are on the pricing of the Port Charlotte 18yr old…
@elduderino3120 4 ай бұрын
…and your reaction mirrors my own. :/
@baka3489 4 ай бұрын
I need another payrise and national insurance cut to afford 😂
@davidm_shaw 4 ай бұрын
Curious to know how one claims a gift membership like what Wook offered here. (So generous!).
@Watchman999 4 ай бұрын
I think you click on “Join” and then click on the three dot menu and then click on “Gift Settings” and then allow gifts. But I have never tried it.
@leojudkins2040 3 ай бұрын
"Volvos - boxy, but good'
@paulgibbs3624 4 ай бұрын
8/10 for the quiz this week. Going well until half time
@escofies 4 ай бұрын
nice to have a session where we only talk about independent bottlers. just started watching your show and will soon enjoy a dram from james eaddie. glenlossie 10. thanks for a fine program. unfortunately not seeing it live this time.
@Grievsey 4 ай бұрын
Thank you very much for the Barfly Membership whoever sent it
@agrainofmalt 3 ай бұрын
Looking forward to sharing some drams with some barflies at Queen St SMWS when back in Glasgow at the end of September again didn't quite squeeze it in last time, but this time we're staying within walking distance to the Bon Accord! 🎉
@elduderino3120 4 ай бұрын
Great vpub. I’ll be revisiting this a lot in future. @aquavitae Barfly membership. Did you say a couple of quid a month? I think I’ll take the plunge. Anyone able to talk an idiot through the signing-up process?
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