If you’ve been following this blog for some time, you would know I’m a big fan of independent bottlers with several favourites. So when I saw London’s Whisky Show had a mainstage session devoted to independent bottlers, I knew we had to go! And I’m so glad we did – yes there were two familiar bottlers but the last one was a revelation and made us into firm fans!
With Dawn Davies, Georgie Bell (The Heart Cut), Phil Thompson (Thompson Brothers), Alex Bruce (Adelphi)
Cutting Through Tradition: A New Take on Independent Bottlings
Indie bottlings have long been a brilliant way to discover a different side to the world of whisky. There is now a new generation bottling casks with their own interests and palates. Dawn Davies MW, Georgie Bell from The Heart Cut, Alex Bruce from Adelphi and Phil Thompson from Thompson Brothers will explore this new wave.
Some mainstage sessions are very focused on a single distillery or dram. Going deep into the details of a single place and expression.
This was the opposite. There was an engaged discussion across multiple themes, a range of distilleries, industry trends, and insights.
Dawn kicked the session off by asking Alex Bruce, Managing Director, how the industry has changed over his 21 years with Adelphi? Alex shared that, starting in the early phase with just 3 casks, the involvement of Ian Macleod, long lunches with Peter Russel, Charlie McLean… he began at a time when one could “buy almost anything” and select the very best. Today it is the opposite.
By contrast, Phil Thompson shared how it was harder to fit into this space when he and his brother Simon started. It was the “end of the age of innocence”. The market was in flux… one could still get some good bottles, but there was a lot out there that really wasn’t fair value. Questions about “Can I sell it?” became the primary question for many players, where marketing budgets drove the game more than malts themselves.
Shifting to the newest player, Georgie Bell admitted it was challenging to start new – just in September 2023 – in a completely different environment! From the bountiful options Alex had experienced, Georgie and her husband Fabrizio Leoni opened The Heart Cut at a time when distilleries were closing, and the market was full of many independent bottlers. She was clear – they knew they couldn’t even try to compete with established players. Instead, they focused on world whiskies – passionate about the people and places they travelled. There is an authenticity and enthusiasm about The Heart Cut’s approach which is infectious!
But what about the whisky, you ask?
- Adelphi – The Cargill 5 year Ardnamurchin and Cadrona Whisky Blend 57.5% ~GBP 100
- Thompson Bros – “Error 502 Bad Gateway” Blended Malt 12 year (29 Sep 2025) 49%
- The Hearts Cut #08 – St George Spirits (26 July 2016 – 17 Nov 2023) California Ale 54%
We began with Adelphi! Alex shared their initial experience beyond Scotland was in 2015 with a Japanese whisky – leading to their “Fusion” range. When they discovered New Zealand’s Cardrona, it was something they had to put together with their in-house distillery – Ardnamurchin. The result was “The Cargill” – inspired by the story of Will Cargill who led 350 migrants from Scotland to New Zealand in 1847.
The Cargill 5 year Ardnamurchan and Cadrona Whisky Blend 57.5%
- Nose – Fruity, floral, young cereals, sweet vanilla, a happy dram
- Palate – Here is where we knew this was no lightweight – at cask strength, black peppers, dark berries
- Finish – Strong
- Water – Just a few drops opened this blend up beautifully
This whisky blend combined the styles of two quite different distilleries and countries – the heavier Ardnamurchan with the brighter, wine-influenced Kiwi distiller Cardrona.
We then moved on to another blend – this time from Thompson Bros. The label gave a few clues – it wasn’t a single malt, only 1 bottle exists, and it may be a Dalmore blend, as Dalmore distillery is in Alness. Phil then disclosed it is 85% Teaninich 12 year from an ex-bourbon barrel with 15% Dalmore 15 year.
Thompson Bros “Error 502 Bad Gateway” Blended Malt 12 year (29 Sep 2025) 49%
- Nose – Rich and complex, heavy with peat and sherry, yet not too much
- Palate – The complexity carries through, quite a powerful combination
- Finish – Long and strong
- Water – Adds a lot – opens up into a burst of fruits, sweetens the peat
Dornoch Distillery was founded by the Thomson brothers Phil and Simon in 2016. In Dornoch, Sutherland they bottle both single malts from their distillery and independent bottlings of other distilleries. For their distillery, their focus is on heritage barley varieties, playing around with local brewers’ yeasts, and leveraging the seasonal variation in cask maturation.
We closed with the newest independent bottler… and I will admit the expression blew us away! So much so that we went straight after the session to The Heart Cut stand, tried nearly everything on offer, then went to the show store to buy a trio for a future Bombay Malt & Cigar / Whisky Ladies evening. As this expression was not available, I then booked it online and collected it the next day from The Whisky Exchange. We then later purchased a further set of bottles, plus some “pocket pours!” Can you say hooked?
Let me begin with a clear caveat – what we tried is not technically whisky! Georgie shared their goal is to connect Distiller with drinkers, starting with a group of friends. If they are excited about the liquid, it makes it easy to promote.
The Heart Cut #08 – St George Spirits (26 July 2016 – 17 Nov 2023) California Ale 54%
- Nose – An exuberant floral perfume, lots of chamomile, rose water, Indian mithai (condensed milk), generous apricot, an orange blossom tea
- Palate – The perfume perfuses, joined by sage. A lovely texture, delicious, sweet, and satisfying
- Finish – Is that lemongrass? Distinctly different in a lovely way
We knew it was matured in a California ale cask, yet it was more like buttery brioche than beer! It was very different – an experimental malt that began as a beer, then was distilled and matured in not only an ale cask, but also bourbon and tequila! It was fun, a complete departure, and simply enchanting! As Georgie shared, “I like it, I sell it, even if it isn’t whisky!”
This triggered a further round of remarks on the state of the industry, contemplating what the future of Independent bottlers will look like? Who will survive, evolve, change….
Alex believes there are very tough times ahead, and it will get rid of those who aren’t there for the right reasons. The cash challenge is real. For Adelphi, the plan is to stick to their proven methods, hope can continue to obtain ‘tradeable” quality, overall optimistic that despite the tough times, the good ones should survive.
Phil shared that supply and demand shifts don’t necessarily mean independents will get the thin end of the wedge. They can help open doors to collaborative products, help those distilleries that are struggling to move product, yet are sellable.
As Georgie shared, their approach is to shine a light on the new / smaller players, there is a different “drinks value” – with heart, soul, grit, passion, will hopefully succeed along with the distilleries they partner.
With that, Dawn closed the session – with the note that people want value, and if your pricing is on point, people will buy.
I can’t wait to see what Mainstage sessions will be part of the 2026 Whisky Show in London!
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