A new ecological whisky is maturing in the Highlands that breaks with old traditions and aims to revolutionise the image of Scotch whisky in the spirit of sustainability and environmental protection.
The Nc’nean distillery for ecological whisky was founded in 2013 by Annabel Thomas and Derek Lewis and their “quiet rebels”, as they call their small team. In 2017, the first distillation was launched. Enthusiasm, inventiveness and mindfulness characterize the small team, many of who are female. “Made by Nature, not by Rules” is their motto. This label is supposed to be light, delicious, creative and curious and – in keeping with the actual trends – in harmony with this planet. The name is an abbreviation of Neachneohain, known as the Queen of Spirits in Gaelic legend, and is pronounced „Nook-knee-anne“. According to legend she was a a Gaelic goddess and a huntress, fierce protector of nature and never afraid to walk her own path.
Organic production with "Net Zero Carbon Emissions"
On a special page of their website Nc’nean explains how they managed to reach this target. For the production of ecological whisky, only organic Scottish barley is used and the products are all bottled in the UK’s first 100% recycled clear glass bottles. Of course the packaging is also made from fully recycled material.
A state-of-the-art Austrian wood chip burner provides the distillery’s energy. Unlike coal, oil and gas, the fuel is made of wooden chips, self-procuced of renewable local wood. The water supply comes from a nearby spring, which is dammed together with rainwater in a basin. The Nc’nean team is carefully watching the level to make sure that the spring is not petering out.
The waste is weighed daily and reduced as much as possible. The goal is “zero waste” and has almost been achieved. The ash produced by the distillery is spread on the own vegetable fields as fertiliser, producing organic vegetables. And the leftovers from the mash are appreciated by the company’s own organic cattle.
New ideas and suggestions are always welcome according to production in nature and with nature. And this is not only increasingly demanded by the customers, but also rewarded. For example, Nc’nean’s whisky was served as the official summit drink at the 2021 World Climate Summit.
A tough start for the newcomers
She is called the “First Lady of Whisky”, but Annabel did not have an easy start. The existing industry eyed the newcomer skeptically, who started her project with crowdfunding and the search for investors. To start with none of the of the established suppliers wanted to sell her a still. But Annabel did not give up. Finally, however, a supplier was found and 4 large new copper stills were put into operation.
The special „lamp“ shape with its constriction in the middle enables a gentle distillation with a clear reflux component, which gives the distillate special fruity notes.
Since 2017, production is running and the oak barrels are filling up in the warehouse, where the distillate must at least fulfil the prescribed storage period of 3 years. By means of various temperature controls, the effects on the taste are experimented during maturation. But while the distillate needs its time for maturing, there is no income – a tough phase for a start-up. To complement and bridge the start-up phase, Nc’nean also produces a herbal spirit from fine local herbs and spices, which is available on the market as “Botanical Spirit”.
The first Nc'nean Scotch in the glass
Finally, after 3 years, the first batch of production is allowed to call itself “Scotch” and so the first bottlings could be brought to the market.
We can philosophise about the taste of the new brand at another occasion. It is a fact that the batches have only just completed the minimum maturation period. But a special treatment of the barrels should ensure that already in a short time as many aromas as possible are forwarded into the distillate. Longer mashing times and slower fermentation, as well as experiments with different yeasts should give the whisky its special lightness.
Did this work out? In any case, the Nc’nean Scotch is not coloured and not chill-filtered, so here you have the unadulterated original in terms of colour and taste in your glass. The Whisky is not peated, as the peat is supposed to remain in the earth as a valuable CO2 reservoir.
Ecological Whisky bottlings on the market
Nc’nean is experimenting with different storage casks, from ex-sherry to ex-red wine and also some exotic spirits, mostly still in small batches, which are quickly sold out on the market and partly traded already at high prices. Even the first 6 batches of the Nc’nean Organic Single Malt are already traded at around 700,- Euro at the end of December 2021.
If you are not necessarily a collector, but rather value the taste, you could probably wait a while for larger quantities and longer maturation periods.
However, you can now buy the Nc’nean Organic Single Malt from Batch 8 – 10 for a quite reasonable price. It comes with 46% alcohol and was matured in 35% ex-bourbon and 65% ex-wine casks. It is a very mild and mellow Scotch with fresh aromas of lemon cake, yoghurt and heather honey. But please don’t expect a particularly long finish at a Whisky of this age.
The ” Nc’nean Quiet Rebels Annabel”, on the other hand, is matured in Tokaj STR wine casks and scores with tropical fruit tones and aromas of coconut and vanilla. It comes in a beautiful dark blue bottle, which proves that sustainability and design do not necessarily have to be a contradiction. This edition is limited to 4504 bottles and dedicated to the founder Annabel. Further editions will follow, in which each team member can choose his or her own barrel, which will later bear his or her name – a difficult decision that needs to be considered carefully.
Visiting the first organic distillery
For those who can make it to Scotland despite of the actual travel restrictions, the visitor centre is open a few days a week and offers approx. 2-hour tours with lots of information and sympathic guidance. Afterwards, in addition to the whisky, local products can be tasted at lunch, as well as cupcakes and coffee. The Scottish trade magazines have voted these tours in the top 10 distillery visits (The Guardian) and praised them as “unmissable” (The Spirits Business) – so make time for it if possible!
A high-quality product on the way
Overall, I would personally give this brand a little more time. Nc’nean produces an absolute quality product with care and awareness and definitely deserves an extra bonus with the background of sustainability. And if you follow the rather unusual advice of this distillery and use their Scotch to mix cocktails, you will certainly have a very exclusive cocktail in your glass.
A special recipe for the “Whisky Six”, an own cocktail creation, is also provided and a great idea to enjoy a young whisky.
Listening to Annabel and her team, you can feel their great enthusiasm for nature and for a good product that suits the land and the people.
And that’s why I’m sure that we can expect also a lot more from the single malts of this distillery in future. I will definitely keep this brand on my radar and wish the lovely lady and her colleagues the right touch for the selection of the best casks and the optimisation of their production. The future world will need such entrepreneurs like she is. And I’m curious to see whether this enthusiasm will pay off once this ecological whisky has what a scotch to be enjoyed as a single malt perhaps needs a little more: a few more years of maturation.
A high-quality product on the way
Overall, I would personally give this brand a little more time. Nc’Nean produces an absolute quality product with care and awareness and definitely deserves an extra bonus with the background of sustainability. And if you follow the rather unusual advice of this distillery and use their Scotch to mix cocktails, you will certainly have a very exclusive cocktail in your glass.
A special recipe for the “Whisky Six”, an own cocktail creation, is also provided and a great idea to enjoy a young whisky.
Listening to Annabel and her team, you can feel their great enthusiasm for nature and for a good product that suits the land and the people.
And that’s why I’m sure that we can expect also a lot more from the single malts of this distillery in future. I will definitely keep this brand on my radar and wish the lovely lady and her colleagues the right touch for the selection of the best casks and the optimisation of their production. The future world will need such entrepreneurs like she is. And I’m curious to see whether this enthusiasm will pay off once this ecological whisky has what a scotch to be enjoyed as a single malt perhaps needs a little more: a few more years of maturation.
