Nc'nean distillery

Nc'nean distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery in Drimnin on the Morvern peninsula of the Highlands, Scotland.[1][2] The distillery is beside the Sound of Mull, opposite the Isle of Mull.[3] The distillery name Nc'nean, comes from "Neachneohain", a Gaelic legend which translates as the Queen of Spirits (it is pronounced Nc-ne-an).[4]

Nc'nean distillery
Region: Highland
LocationMorvern
OwnerDrimnin Distillery Co
Founded2017
Water source2 nearby springs
No. of stills1 wash still
1 spirit still

The distillery focuses on producing an organic spirit with minimum impact on the local environment.[1] The distillery was the first in the UK to reach net zero carbon emissions during whisky production.[5][6][7][8] The distillery uses renewable electricity, offsets emissions by forest planting and uses 100% recycled glass in its bottles.[7][5] The whisky is unpeated.[9]

History

The distillery was founded by Annabel Thomas and commenced produced in 2017.[3][4][10] Initial funding for the distillery came from family, friends, loans, seed investors under the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme and a £600,000 grant from the EU via the Scottish Government.[3] One known investor is Jeremy Paxman who owns a 0.6% stake.[11] Just prior to the first distillation in 2017, the master distiller Jim Swan died suddenly.[3][10] The current master distiller is Gordon Wood, who previously worked at Diageo.[10][12]

In March 2020, the distillery raised £1.7 million of funds to allow for expansion.[4][13][14][15]

In August 2020, the distillery sold its inaugural bottle of single malt Scotch whisky at auction, raising £41,004 for charity.[10][16]

In February 2022 Nc'nean became a certified B Corp.[17][18]

Production

Along with a single malt whisky, the distillery also produces a botanical spirit that is unaged whisky (newmake) spirit mixed with botanicals.[3][4] The botanical spirit was first released in September 2018.[14] The first bottling of the 'quiet rebels' series was released in November 2021. It is named after founder Annabel Thomas.[19] Nc'nean released a single cask bottling for Germany. Nc'nean Aon is four years old and was matured in an ex cream sherry hogshead with the cask number 17-257.[20][21] In April 2022, Nc'nean launched another whiskey series. The first bottling of the series is the "Huntress '2022'.[22] The second bottling of the series was released in April 2023.[23] As the second release of the Quiet Rebels series, the Nc'nean Lorna was released in September/October 2022. It is named after the distillery's first employee Lorna Davidson.[24] With the Nc'nean Aon Cask 18-294, the distillery has released its second single cask whisky for the German market in February 2023.[25][26] In fall of 2023, the third bottling of the 'Quiet Rebels' series followed with the Nc'nean Gordon. It is named after the distillery manager.[27]

References
  1. Morgan, Nick (2021). Everything You Need to Know About Whisky (But are Too Afraid to Ask). Ebury Publishing. ISBN 978-1529108750.
  2. "Nc'nean". Scotch Whisky.com. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  3. Conboye, Janina (24 December 2019). "Distilling a new way to run a whisky business". Financial Times. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  4. "Female-founded Scottish whisky distillery Nc'nean raises €1.9 million through a Seedrs campaign and private investors". EU Startups. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  5. "Nc'nean is first net zero whisky distillery in UK". The Spirits Business. 16 July 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  6. "Nc'nean Becomes First UK Whisky Distillery To Reach Net Zero CO2 Emissions". Forbes. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  7. "Nc'nean becomes the UK's first net zero whisky distillery". Insider. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  8. "Whisky distillery Nc'nean net zero landmark". The Herald. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  9. "Whisky makers are turning their backs on peat". BBC News. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  10. Bullock, Caroline. "No time like present for a very modern Scotch". The Times. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  11. "Jeremy Paxman invests in Scottish organic whisky distillery". The Guardian. 19 August 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  12. "Nc'nean Doku: Annabel Thomas gewährt Einblicke in die Bio-Brennerei". CaptainScotch.de. 17 January 2022.
  13. "Nc'nean whisky distillery raises £1.7 million funding". Insider. 6 March 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  14. "Nc'nean to launch £1m crowdfunding drive". The Spirits Business. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  15. "Female-led Highland distillery Nc'nean beats fundraising target ahead of launch of whisky". The Scotsman. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  16. "Nc'nean's first whisky sets world record at £41,004". The Spirits Business. 19 August 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  17. "CERTIFIED B CORP". Nc'nean. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  18. "Nc'nean erhält B Corp Zertifizierung". CaptainScotch.de. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  19. "Nc'nean geht mit "Quiet Rebels"-Serie an den Start". CaptainScotch.de. 6 November 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  20. "Nc'nean Aon: Single Cask Whisky für Deutschland". 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  21. "Neu von Kirsch Import: Das erste Nc'nean Single Cask für den deutschen Markt". 8 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  22. "Nc'nean Huntress 2022: Bio-Brennerei startet neue Whisky-Serie". 26 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  23. "Nc'nean Huntress 2023 Woodland Candy ab demnächst erhältlich • CaptainScotch.de". CaptainScotch.de (in German). 2023-04-24. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  24. "Nc'nean Lorna: Zweiter Whisky aus der Quiet Rebels Serie veröffentlicht • CaptainScotch.de". CaptainScotch.de (in German). 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  25. "Nc'nean Aon Cask 18-294: Zweiter Single Cask Whisky für Deutschland veröffentlicht • CaptainScotch.de". CaptainScotch.de (in German). 2023-02-15. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  26. Dirk (2023-02-14). "Neu bei Kirsch Import: Nc'nean, Lum Reek und Eden Mill". WhiskyExperts (in German). Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  27. "Nc'nean Gordon ist dritter Whisky der "Quiet Rebels"-Serie • CaptainScotch.de". CaptainScotch.de (in German). 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2023-10-26.

56.5987°N 5.9654°W / 56.5987; -5.9654

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