Region: Highland | |
---|---|
Location | Morvern |
Owner | Drimnin Distillery Co |
Founded | 2017 |
Water source | 2 nearby springs |
No. of stills | 1 wash still 1 spirit still |
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]
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]
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] The distillery released the third bottling in the Huntress series in 2024. [28]
Region: Highland | |
---|---|
Location | Morvern |
Owner | Drimnin Distillery Co |
Founded | 2017 |
Water source | 2 nearby springs |
No. of stills | 1 wash still 1 spirit still |
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]
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]
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] The distillery released the third bottling in the Huntress series in 2024. [28]