As hard to believe as it may be, it’s now been more than a decade since Kirsty, and I founded GreatDrams. In that amount of time, an insane amount has changed in the world, let alone our beloved independent bottling business. 

Having got through Brexit, a global pandemic, rising interest rates, double-digit inflation, duty hike after duty hike, global conflicts, and countless other obstacles, not only are Kirsty and I still smiling, we feel the GreatDrams brand is stronger than ever. That’s something we’re incredibly proud of. 

Almost four years ago now, we featured a piece on our blog looking at what it means to be an indie bottler. Due to what was happening at the time, the tone of that blog was much more serious (we definitely had our business heads on when we published it). Today, I thought I’d revisit this theme, but in more of a light-hearted fashion. 

As serious as whisky is, it’s about enjoying yourself and having fun. Because of that, here’s an update, of an update, as we take a look at the “truth” and I use that term very loosely, about running an independent whisky business. 

Most Upcoming Budgets Fill Us with Dread

We try not to talk politics too much, for obvious reasons, but historically, UK governments haven’t been especially kind to those in the spirits business. Whenever we hear the words ‘alcohol duty rates’ mentioned on the news, it sends a shiver down our spines and makes the very blood in our veins turn to ice. 

Okay, I may be being a tad dramatic there, but seriously, it rarely goes well for us. Typically, the UK has two Budgets, one in spring, and one in autumn. Usually, at least one involves yet another alcohol duty rate increase, which of course impacts us greatly. Not only does it increase the cost of production, it also impacts our customers, the hospitality sector, our business, and even the economy. 

As I write this, we’re a few weeks away from the next budget, and whenever I see that dreaded red box (let’s be real, it’s a briefcase) on the tele, I cross my fingers and hope the booze industry in general, gets by unscathed. 

Travel Is a Huge Part of the Job

Another thing that a lot of people don’t realise when it comes to indie bottlers, is the fact that we do an incredible amount of travel. We’re up and down the country, and even the world, visiting distilleries, attending seminars, hosting events, meeting customers, launching products, attending events, and winning awards at prestigious whisky awards ceremonies (it’s a hard life). 

Fortunately for us, we get to visit some of the most amazing distilleries and businesses, in some of the most gorgeous parts of the world. If you’ve read some of our other blogs (if not, why not?!) you’ll know how much I adore the different whisky regions in Scotland.

It isn’t just Scotland either, I get to travel to Wales, Ireland, and across England on business and see some of their amazing distilleries, old and new. 

There’s So Much to Consider Before We Launch a Whisky

If you think that being an indie bottler is simply about buying a cask of whisky, decanting it into a different cask for a bit, bottling it and sticking it online, you’re very much mistaken. 

Launching a whisky is a logistical nightmare as there is so much to consider, so much paperwork, and so many hoops to jump through. Once we’ve perfected our expression (which in itself is a huge task) we need to think about the product we’re launching, and trust me, it’s not a quick or easy process. 

We need to come up with names and label designs, source bottles and bottle stoppers, create the text and copy for the label and website, take pictures, set ABVs, decide when to launch, deal with mountains of paperwork, work out how much we need to charge, list the products, and plenty more besides. 

You Will Make Costly Mistakes

Real life isn’t that portrayed by social media. By that, I mean it isn’t perfect. Things rarely run smoothly in any business, and independent bottling is no exception. 

Like any other business out there, we make mistakes now and then as we’re only human. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the beast, mistakes in this industry can be costly. If you run a village shop and drop a bottle of cola on the floor which bursts, that’s annoying as it can’t be sold and will therefore cost you money. If an expensive bottle of whisky, or even a pallet, gets broken, it’s more than an annoyance and is a lot more costly. 

I’m not perfect, nor do I claim to be, and I am guilty of making mistakes in the business, sometimes they’re unfortunate accidents (that poor laptop), and sometimes through sheer exhaustion. In this industry, mistakes, even seemingly small ones, can be costly. 

The Hours are Long

For anybody thinking of starting an independent bottling business, just be aware that the hours are long. Like, ridiculously long. If you want a 9 – 5, with free weekends, this is not the industry for you. Both myself and Kirsty work incredibly long, hard hours, particularly at events and weekends, and it can be draining, both physically and mentally. 

Whenever I’m on the road, I often return home looking like an extra from The Walking Dead. There have been times where I’ve been on the go for weeks on end, touring distillery after distillery, while also dealing with various other aspects of the job. Add to that, the fact that sleeping in a different bed is never the same as sleeping in your end, and you can understand why it can be exhausting. 

Please do not think that I’m moaning because that couldn’t be further from the truth. I love what we do, and I don’t think of the business as a job because it’s not. For us, it’s our life, and we wouldn’t have it any other way (A few more hours sleep each night wouldn’t go amiss, though). 

You Have to Really Understand Whisky

For as long as I can remember, whisky has been a passion of mine. It’s so much more than my favourite spirit, and so before we even started GreatDrams, I like to think I had a pretty good idea about whisky. 

Once starting the business however, we both made sure we knew everything we could, and still continue to learn now. You can’t work with whisky if you don’t know it and love it. You need to understand the different characteristics and flavour profiles of the liquid itself. This not only helps with tasting and blending, but it’s also integral for aging and maturing. You need to know which casks will compliment the whisky, and which will hinder it. 

Whisky production requires a refined palate, and you need to know the different flavour profiles. You can’t just have a sip and convince yourself it tastes of apples because it’s a common tasting note. You need to understand the different notes, flavours, and aromas and train your palate to pick them up. If you genuinely taste apples then that’s fair enough, but you genuinely have to taste apples, (or whichever other flavour notes you detect) and you must be true to yourself. Don’t just claim to taste something because others do, see what your palate picks up instead.

For us, whisky is so much more than just a spirit, it’s a passion of ours and it’s literally our lives. Because of this, we’d like to think we’ve a pretty good understanding of it. 

If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a dram or two in the process, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at the diverse selection of unique whiskies we currently have in stock.

With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for any whisky lovers out there.