“Whisky is Liquid Sunshine,” said the playwright George Bernard Shaw. Here at the Own Label Company we certainly think so, and many of our heritage customers would agree!
It is a privilege to work in the Scotch Whisky industry. The ingredients, the terroir and the considerable skills of the distillers – all coming together to make the globally known and loved Scotch Whisky.
Did you know that Scotch Whisky is made from only three ingredients – water, yeast and cereals. Single Malt is only made with barley, which some distilleries grow themselves. The spirit, “New Make”, is put into oak casks to mature for three years and a day to be legally called Scotch Whisky. Many distilleries will leave the spirit to mature for much longer, so there is a significant cash commitment making whisky.
The ingredients and the oak casks sound very simple, but in reality the distillers are able to produce spirits with huge differences, from the peaty and smoky whiskies of the Western Isles, to the soft fruit, honey sweetness of Speyside. These are huge generalisations but the wonderful thing about whisky tasting is that our palates are all different and (mostly) there is no wrong answer!
Challenging Times for the Industry
When the Own Label Company first started out in 2012, the whisky industry was buoyant, to the extent that distilleries stopped offering own label services and ring fenced their own product for sale. We saw the opportunity and here we are, in the trade we have been recognised as one of the leading suppliers of own label Scotch Whisky, with significant business being passed to us by distilleries.
Recently this upward trajectory has slowed down, a perfect storm of employer tax increases, duty increases, new distilleries in production therefore more supply, the whisky industry has had a challenging time in the last two years.
In 2024 Duty was increased by 3.65% and in the recent Budget the Chancellor confirmed that effective from 1 February 2026 the Government will increase Alcohol Duty rates in line with Retail Price Index inflation.
Benefits for Heritage Retailers
So challenging times for the industry, but the good news is that this downturn has not affected own label whisky for heritage sites. Conversely it has been another good year and we are on track for our best year to date. As well as non-domestic visitors, changing consumer habits in the domestic market may also be a contributing factor here.
Consumers are increasingly ready to pay more for exceptional quality, storytelling, and exclusivity, driving the demand for single malt expressions.
Many visitors to the UK have Scotch Whisky on their “to do” list, so a real benefit of having an own label Scotch Whisky in your shop is that it allows your visitors to marry a souvenir gift along with a delicious Scotch Whisky – a match made in heaven!
National Trust for Scotland
We have found that customers who offer a range of whiskies have had very good sales of both entry level and premium whiskies. Premium whiskies offer the chance to highlight a story or aspect of your venue, showcasing your brand and not least, a very decent cash margin. This is tapping into the consumer trend to look for bespoke, beautifully branded premium whiskies which are becoming increasingly popular with whisky collectors.
So what next? As a whole the Scotch Whisky industry contributes over £7bn in annual GVA, with exports worth £5.9bn in 2024. The UK is Scotch Whisky’s fifth largest market. So it’s a significant industry for the UK – and an important and lucrative product for heritage retail, all with masses of potential.
So Slainte and very best wishes for 2026! Find out more at ownlabelcompany.co.uk.
