The wonderful world of independent bottlers is not such a secret, anymore. Lots of whisky fans now appreciate the indies for many reasons. If you’re a whisky connoisseur, you might appreciate trying a fresh take on a familiar brand. You might already know some of the big boys - many of which we’ve featured before in our tasting sets.

But there are some smaller indies out there making names for themselves too. Here’s a shortlist of some of our favourites that we think you’ll love seeking out.

Established in 1948, Douglas Laing is a leading independent blender and bottler specialising in the creation of artisan, small-batch and Single Cask Scotch Whiskies. We were fortunate to Meet Cara Laing, Director of Whisky at Douglas Laing. 

Cara is a third-generation Laing and we wanted to find out what’s been happening since they purchased their new distillery, how COVID-19 has impacted them, and what the future holds for this family-run business.

Picking our favourites from all of Douglas Laing's whiskies is no easy task, as there are a lot to pick from, and as they release so many single casks, their expressions come and go fairly frequently.

For now, here's 6 very enticing drams that we picked out with help from the wonderful folks from Douglas Laing.