Label type

[DavidH]

This is a philosophical question, perhaps. A whiskey can fall into one of four categories (that I count, perhaps there are more):

• OB - Original Bottler (eg Jameson)
• IB - Independent Bottler (eg a Cadenheads Cooley)
• Private Label (Michael Collins)
• Retailer Own Label (eg Sainsbury's Dun Leire)

Have I got that right - do all whiskeys fall into one of these categories? Is it useful to distinguish Private and Retailer Own labels? What is the collective term for these categories? "Label Type"? Is there a better term?

[bredman]

To me they are all either OB or IB. ( i always assumed OB was "Official Bottler/Bottling" ). I would include the retailer's as an IB. Therefore if it's bottled by the distillery as a part of their 'range' it's an OB and everything else is an IB. I'm not saying i'm right to think this btw.

Interesting that you list Michael Collins as a private bottler, i assumed it was another Cooley brand, and technically an OB.

[DavidH]

Thanks for the feedback. I figured there would be alternative ways to slice up the market.

I think of an IB as a low-volume, high-quality operation. Single cask, cask strength stuff.

I broke out the own and private labels because this is what Cooley does in their annual reports. In both cases, the brands are not owned by the distilleries and they are "high" volume (the intention is high volume anyway). The difference is in distribution.

The Michael Collins brand, by the way, is owned by Sidney Frank, who are entirely responsible for sales and distribution.

[IrishWhiskeyChaser]

• OB - Original Bottler (eg Jameson)
• IB - Independent Bottler (eg a Cadenheads Cooley)
• Private Label (Michael Collins)
• Retailer Own Label (eg Sainsbury's Dun Leire)

This is they way I'd look at it from an Archiving point of view as IB is just too broad but I'm not sure if the second 2 are recognised universally.

[bredman]

The Michael Collins brand, by the way, is owned by Sidney Frank, who are entirely responsible for sales and distribution.

Ah.