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]

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

56°35′55″N 5°57′55″W / 56.5987°N 5.9654°W / 56.5987; -5.9654