Hello, Roberto here, one of the distillers at Nc’nean. As a new pioneering distillery, we’ve only been distilling since 2017, so I’m here to give you a run down on how we make our younger whisky so delicious, and debunk some of the myths that older whisky (spirit that has been sat in a cask for 10+ years) always tastes better. 

We believe (and can prove!) that whisky doesn’t have to be old to be delicious. By putting time, money and effort into making a great spirit, and investing in fantastic quality casks, you can make a great whisky that is considerably younger than 10 years old.

If you’ve ever been to a whisky tasting or spent time in the company of keen whisky drinkers, you’ve probably heard something along the lines of ‘Did you know that 80% of a whisky’s flavour comes from the cask it’s matured in?’. Or 70%. Or 90%. Or any other high number. I’ve heard so many different percentages I’m starting to think they’re being plucked out of thin air! Essentially, ‘flavour is only about the cask’ is the takeaway message. 

Casks are crucial, no doubt. Whisky can’t be made without them. But statements like this imply that the quality of the spirit before it’s filled to cask is of little importance, and all that matters is which cask and how long the whisky has been spent in there. In our view, nothing could be further from the truth. Typically younger whisky also tends to have different characteristics, generally brighter, fresher, not over-oaked. Some older distilleries still choose to bottle some of their spirit at a younger age to access these flavours, take Bruichladdich for example, they tend to bottle Octomore as a five year old.

At Nc’nean, we want to bottle our flagship whisky at a younger age (on average around five years old), so we’ve tailored our processes to derive as much deliciousness as possible from our raw ingredients before the spirit ever touches oak. 

To find out how we do it, let’s start right at the top.

Well, not quite. Water would be the top, but you’ve probably heard enough about ‘the purest Highland spring water’ to last a lifetime. Our water comes from a spring in the Highlands, true, and it is very pure, but we don’t claim that it imparts any discernible flavours to our whisky.

What comes next would be our malted barley, and that’s where the flavour journey really begins.

100% ORGANIC MALTED BARLEY

All our barley is organically grown, and it all comes from Scotland – specifically Fife and Aberdeenshire. Surprisingly, it’s not a requirement of Scotch whisky to use Scottish barley, we could source it from Canada, Europe, England, anywhere really, but we stick closer to home - both to support local farming and to reduce road miles.

Organic barley is better for the environment. No artificial fertilisers or chemical pesticides mean that our farmers need to intersperse barley-growing years with grazing years, growing grass to feed cattle who in turn fertilize the fields, improving soil health and preserving the vitality of our waterways. The biodiversity enabled by eschewing pesticides causes the barley to grow the way nature intended, protecting itself from competing plants and bugs. This stress reaction produces antioxidants which are known to improve the flavour. Just think of an organic carrot compared to a regular one. Which one would you say tastes more carroty? We believe that organic barley provides more depth of flavour, complexity and translates to a beautiful silky texture in the end spirit, as well as being better for the planet.

MASHING

With all the focus on casks, the role of things like yeast, mash length and fermentation times can often be overlooked.

We start with resting our mash for a full hour after mashing in (see A Day in the Life – Mashing for a full breakdown of the process). The conversion of starch to sugar doesn’t need an hour, but this rest allows us to extract as much flavour from our organic malt as possible. Then, before we draw the wort to one of our washbacks, we recirculate for around 30 minutes, clarifying the wort as it filters through the grain bed. A clear wort is vital for a bright, fruity spirit coming off the stills, which is exactly what we’re looking for. By contrast, a cloudy wort would yield a heavier, oilier spirit, which is fine, but it’s not Nc’nean.

FERMENTATION

Then comes yeast. This magical fungus doesn’t just eat sugar and give us alcohol. Nutrients in the wort are metabolized by the yeast, producing flavour compounds which are collectively known as congeners. These provide the fresh apple and banana character of our wash, which carries through to the aroma and flavour of our whisky.

Importantly, different strains of yeast produce different flavours. For our flagship recipe we use two yeasts to produce both the alcohol and flavour profile we’re looking to achieve during fermentation, and we delve deeper during the yeast trials (including using those produced for champagne, rum or wine production) for our annual Huntress release. 

DISTILLATION

Our distillation process doesn’t really add flavour so much as it refines and purifies what we’ve created during fermentation.

Our lantern-shaped stills have broad necks which encourage reflux, where a portion of the vapours cool within the still and drip back down into the liquid to be distilled again, adding lightness and purity to our new make spirit. We distil slowly to maximize copper contact in the stills, and ensure our spirit is collected below 20°C to preserve the vibrant fruitiness of our spirit.

CUT POINTS

Our ‘heart’ cut (the liquid we take off to be matured) is narrow and high, meaning we collect spirit that is fruity and elegant on the palate, with notes of green apple, cut grass and stone fruits. The flavours we produced in the washbacks carry through to the spirit, which will be softened and refined during cask maturation.

CASKS

Now, once our new make is already bursting with flavour, we can fill our casks to nurture the spirit until it’s ready to emerge as whisky. For our flagship expression, we primarily use a combination of ex-bourbon and STR (shaved, toasted, recharred) red wine casks.

Our bourbon-matured whisky retains much of our new make spirit’s character – elegant and clean with an oaky warmth, subtle notes of coconut, toffee and a dry finish. The STRs are more impactful, bringing jammy red fruits and softening the edges, providing texture. A tiny bit of sherry cask whisky adds the finishing touches, an understated, gentle spice to marry everything together.

Each cask will mature for three to six years before being selected for our flagship whisky recipe, by which time the casks have had a chance to add their influence, but not so long that our spirit is hidden beneath layers and layers of oak. We want our spirit to shine.

It is for all of these reasons that our whisky has been described as having "a maturity beyond its years" by Simon Difford the Founder of the Difford’s Guide. Additionally the Whisky Sponge review by Thijs Klaverstijn of their Nc'nean five year old bottling remarked that the whisky has "a slightly more mature profile than you’d expect based on its age," emphasizing its "good balance between sweet and fresh notes". 

Here at the distillery we are very fortunate to be situated on one of the most beautiful peninsulas that the west coast of Scotland has to offer. The Morvern peninsula is remote and sparsely populated but there is so much to do to make the most of the beautiful scenery and dramatic coastline. We have pulled together a list of nine things to do to make the most of what this local landscape has to offer. To check out our favourite places to stay on the peninsula click here or for our ideal west coast food and drink trip click here.

1. HIKING AMONG THE HILLS OF MORVERN

The hills of Morvern are dense with trees and walks are beautiful all year round with breathtaking views and wildlife. At the very end of the peninsula you can often spot otters or if you are more of a history buff there is a great eight mile walk with stunning sea view that takes you to Ardtornish Castle. It is a 13th century castle which once served as the seat of the MacDonald Lordship of the Isles. The website Wild about Lochaber is great for walks inspiration and local tips. 

2. WILD FORAGING WITH CLARE HOLOHAN

If you are heading out on a walk it is worth having Clare Holohan in tow. Clare is a local foraging expert and author of Scotland’s Wild Medicine. She runs West Highland Herbal in Lochaline, specialising in herbal medicine, consultations, walks and retreats. On walks Clare talks through the various tasting profiles and medicinal properties of the abundant plants, shrubs and berries on the peninsula, including Broad Leaved Dock, Bog Myrtle, Rosebay Willowherb, Sorrel, Meadowseet and Round Leaved Plantain. Clare is also a great advocate for the benefits of connecting with nature for health which is always nice to be reminded of.

3. VISIT NC'NEAN!

While on the peninsula, come and visit us for a full guided tour of our distillery in Drimnin to understand more about our innovative, experimental and sustainability driven distillery. We offer classic, private and specific sustainability tours. On the tour you will have the chance to sample some of our spirits, look around the distillery and take in the beautiful views across the sound of Mull. On a sunny clear day we can see the coloured houses of Tobermory across the water. Our team is small and is very very busy so please make sure you book in advance for tours and tastings as they are by appointment only. 

4. THE WHITEHOUSE

At the end of the day we recommend dinner in The Whitehouse. This restaurant is well-loved for their delicious locally sourced menu showcasing sustainable ingredients and the best of Scottish produce. This is the go to restaurant for locals and our team and we always recommend it to visitors who come to the distillery. (You can also head to Achnacriche for a lovely afternoon tea, but remember to pre-book).
Image credit: Sophie Gerrard

5. THE HAYMAN GALLERY

Our closest neighbour to the distillery is local artist Alan Hayman, who is based just down the path from us towards the shoreline. He shares the same views over the Sound of Mull as us and it is these views along with the scenery across the peninsula and further afield around Scotland that inspires his beautiful oil paintings. If you have visited us before you may have noticed a few of his paintings of local scenery in our stillhouse and bar. His studio and gallery, which displays a stunning array of his paintings, is open from 10:30am to 4pm on weekdays from April to October and is just a few minutes walk from us.

Image credit: Alan Hayman Art

6. TAKE A TRIP FROM MORVERN TO MULL

The beautiful isle of Mull is worth visiting for a day or a few if you get the chance. You can get the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry to Fishnish from Lochaline harbour, and, the crossing takes just ten minutes. Then head to Tobermory which is the island’s main town, with great places for super fresh seafood including Café Fish. The Mishnish is a great sailor’s pub which dates all the way back to 1869 and is well worth the visit. Additionally, there are lots of beautiful white sand beaches on Mull which are worth a visit rain or shine - you can see some of the best ones here.

Image credit: Andrea Thompson

7. MUSIC CONCERT AT ST COLUMBA'S CHAPEL

To promote music and the arts here on the peninsula, back in 2005 the St. Columba’s Trust was established. The trust enables professional musical ensembles from all over the world to come and practice in peaceful, inspiring surroundings. The residencies provide accommodation and coaching and at the end of their stay the ensembles perform for the local community and visitors in the beautiful St.Colomba’s chapel. These performances take place a few times throughout the year so you can check out whether there is one that ties in with your visit here. To book seats for the concert you can get in touch via email. There is no charge for these performances, but the trust appreciates a donation to help support future concerts and residencies.

8. DIVING IN SOME OF THE UK'S BEST WATERS

The waters surrounding Lochaline are home to some of the best diving spots in the British Isles. The Sound of Mull is a post-glacial channel which is about thirty kilometers long, three kilometers wide and 130 meters deep. It makes such an excellent diving location because, in addition to the waters being surrounded by some of the country’s most impressive scenery, there are several famous wrecks to explore. One of these wrecks, Shuna, is renowned for how in-tact the ship remains nearly 100 years after it sank (luckily all of the crew on the ship which was going to Sweden managed to escape). Lochaline Boat Charters who are the local diving experts have become well known for the delicious meals that are whipped up post dive. You can also sometimes also sometimes find yourself swimming alongside Basking Sharks on your dive. So if you fancy learning more about diving in the area, click here for more details.

9. MORVERN GAMES

If you are here in July, there is also the Morvern Games & Gala Week each year. It is a super fun few days and worth incorporating to your visit if you’re heading into the peninsula at the same time. The event features Highland games, a regatta, guided walks, ceilidh nights, and a producers market, celebrating local culture and community. If you happen to be planning a trip here earlier in summer, there is a midsummer ceilidh on the 21st of June 2025 at the local Drimnin hall. 

So there you have some of our favourite things to do on the peninsula, we hope to see you here soon!

The Huntress series is one of our limited edition whisky series that we release each year in the UK springtime (usually in April). This series is centred around the ethos of discovery and our passion for hunting for unique flavours in whisky making. It brings to life our dedication to innovation and experimentation in spirit production.

The series name is a nod to our namesake, Neachneohain, the queen of spirits in ancient Gaelic legend. A goddess of the hills, the rivers, and the moon, and most of all a huntress who was never afraid to walk her own path.

WHY DOES THIS SERIES EXIST?

We are spirit nuts. When Annabel started Nc’nean, she wanted experimentation to be at the forefront. To innovate within spirit production as well as cask maturation. Yes, maturation is critical, but our passion is really for the spirit that comes straight off the still. Although all of our whiskies start with our silky, pure and fruity tasting spirit, we launched the Huntress series to shine a particular light on the spirit side of whisky making, along with heroing experimentation. It’s a series which we get particularly excited about.

It is our time to really get into the technical side of things, and go all out with experimentation - we use methods such as trailing different yeasts not commonly used in whisky production and changing cut points on our spirit runs. The point of running these experiments is to hunt for new, unique and delicious flavours in the spirit that comes straight off the still (called new make), and showcase how this can translate right through to the glass after maturation. 

HUNTRESS QUICK FACTS

The Huntress whisky comes in our blue bottles which we use for the two limited edition series: The Quiet Rebels series and The Huntress series.

All Huntress bottlings so far have been bottled at 48.5% abv but this could change in the future.

We didn’t give the first Huntress release a name, we simply called it Huntress 2022 and then we began to name each release from 2023. 

HUNTRESS 2022

Tasting notes: Rich minerality, Tropical fruits, Honeycomb

Cask Mix: 39% ex-American Whiskey casks, 61% STR red wine casks

Release Story: Our 2022 release is the first, featuring one of our yeast trials. Yeast is fundamental to making whisky; creating not just alcohol, but also the most intriguing flavours. Unconventionally, this whisky has been created using three yeast varieties, including one commonly used in rum production. It imparts a rich minerality with enhanced tropical fruit flavours and a honeycomb sweetness.

Availability: Sold out directly from us, only a few bottles of this release remaining, found with specialist retailers like The Whisky World where purchases of this Huntress expression are limited to one bottle per customer.

More info: Huntress 2022 batch details. To find out more about our yeast trials from our founder Annabel click here.

HUTNRESS WOODLAND CANDY

Tasting notes: Creamy toffee, forest fruits, herbal spice

Cask Mix:  35% ex-American Whiskey casks, 65% STR red wine casks

Release Story: This 2023 release, Woodland Candy, is bold and creamy - flavours of buttery toffee, forest fruits and a touch of herbal spice. It’s the first time we’ve launched a whisky which features a special four yeast recipe. The introduction of red and white wine yeasts add a riot of flavour and aroma, reminiscent of our home on the wild and magical west coast of Scotland. 

Availability: there are still some remaining Huntress Woodland Candy bottles on select retailers websites including at Selfridges here.

More info: Huntress Woodland Candy batch details. To find out more about this release you can check out this online tasting with founder Annabel and blender Matt. 

HUNTRESS ORCHARD COBBLER

Tasting notes: Cherry Bakewell, apricot marmalade, vanilla custard and a side of peppermint tea

Cask Mix: 66% ex-American Whiskey casks, 31% STR red wine casks, 3% ex-sherry casks.

Release Story: This release is all about us being spirit nuts. Maturation is critical, but our passion is really for the spirit that comes straight off the still. The spirit in Huntress Orchard Cobbler is unique, in that it only gets produced once a year when we cross over from one distillation recipe to another. It brings incredibly jammy warming and homely flavours reminiscent of one of our favourite fruit puddings.

Availability: click here to shop now on our UK website and click here to shop if you are in the US.

More info: click here for the YouTube link to catch up and learn all about our journey creating this spirit. For batch details, click here.

HUNTRESS LEMON MEADOW

Tasting notes: lemon sorbet, fresh chamomile and all butter shortbread

Cask mix: 56% STR red wine casks, 42% ex-American whiskey casks, 2% ex-Oloroso sherry casks

Release story: This release heroes our passion for fermentation experiments. The buttery, citrusy, biscuity notes come from our use of a yeast derived from French sparkling wine production

Availability: click here to shop on our UK website, this release will be available internationally soon. To stay in the loop with exact release dates, sign up to our UK / Europe newsletter here or if you are in the USA you can sign up here.

More info: for Huntress Lemon Meadow batch details, click here.

The Quiet Rebels are our team of eco-conscious drink fanatics on a mission to bring together a new generation of Scotch drinkers.

More than half of us are based here on the Morvern peninsula and the rest are further afield, dotted throughout the UK including a few in London, and even one in Paris, to spread the word about Nc’nean far and wide. 

The team’s roles all vary hugely from producing our delicious whisky, to marketing it, to selling it, to monitoring and improving its sustainability. But we are all united under the mission - to create delicious spirits with the planet we call home firmly in mind.

WHAT IS THE QUIET REBELS SERIES?

The Quiet Rebels series is a series of whiskies made up of limited edition releases that launch in the Scottish autumn each year (usually in October). Each year, one of these limited edition releases is curated by one of our team members themselves. Often maturation focused, the individual chooses their favourite casks to mature whisky in and releases the bottling under their own name. For example, Quiet Rebels Annabel, Quiet Rebels Lorna, Quiet Rebels Gordon, and Quiet Rebels Amy.

When the time comes, the latest Quiet Rebel (chosen in order of when they joined the company) sits down with our blender Matt to talk about their dream whisky so that it can be brought to life. 

Matt asks the team member a bunch of questions about things like their favourite memories, smells, places and passions. These don’t all have to relate to whisky either, they might be a big port or wine fan, or feel strongly about organic farming or sustainability. All of these things are taken into account when Matt is information gathering. 

Matt also can incorporate a blind taste test with lots of other whiskies, not necessarily Nc’nean, to get an understanding of what this Quiet Rebel really likes. He then goes away, sources casks for finishing already maturing spirit in, or picks some from our warehouse which already match the brief. Once the casks have all been chosen and blended together, that Quiet Rebel then gets to release their whisky to the world. Packaged up nicely with their very own name on the bottle and the gift tube.

WHY DOES THE SERIES EXIST?

Aside from shining a light on our awesome team, we want the series to promote the idea that there is a whisky out there for everyone. Many of our team were new to the whisky industry when they joined us, so their flavour profile might reflect something less traditional. We think it is important that the whisky world is as inclusive as can be, so that’s why we have a series dedicated to championing the diverse range of people that work in the industry.

QUIET REBELS QUICK FACTS

• The order of ‘who goes when’ is determined by when you join the company so it is nice and easy in chronological order.

• We haven’t got a plan yet for what to do if we have two team members with the same name!

• The Quiet Rebels whisky comes in our blue bottles which we use for the two limited edition series: The Quiet Rebels series and The Huntress series.
  

QUIET REBELS ANNABEL

• Tasting notes: almond biscotti, tropical fruit, coconut, toasted vanilla

• Cask mix: 64% ex-Bourbon, 22% ex-Tokaji, 7% STR red wine, 7% sherry hogshead

• Release story: This particular spirit was selected by our very own queen of spirits, Annabel. Back in 2013, Annabel left her job as a consultant in London to found Nc’nean. A trip to Islay, a famous Scottish whisky isle, inspired her to build a distillery on her parents farm on the west coast of Scotland - one that could lead the way in sustainable practices whilst creating light and delicious spirits. Then eight years on, Annabel bottled her whisky. The cream of the crop; her pick of her favourite barrels at the distillery which we have been tinkering with over the last few years. 

• Availability: Sold out on our website and almost everywhere else but there a few places you can find a bottle if you are willing to splash a little extra cash, including Lochs of Whisky or occasionally a bottle will become available at auctions in places like Whisky Auctioneer. 
  

• More info: Quiet Rebels Annabel batch details
  

QUIET REBELS LORNA

• Tasting notes: Banana bread, grapefruit, peach ice cream

• Cask mix: 84% ex-American whiskey, 16% ex-Pineau des Charentes

• Release story: The whisky in this release has been selected by our first ever team member, Lorna. Back in 2015, before our distillery was even built, Lorna left Perthshire and made her way up to the Morvern peninsula alongside her husband John, who had taken over as farm manager here in Drimnin. Lorna kicked off her career with us keeping all our builders fed and watered whilst the distillery was in its building phase. 
  

• Availability: Sold out on our website and most other places but stocked in a few specialist spirit retailers like Vintage Roots.

• More info: Quiet Rebels Lorna batch details

QUIET REBELS GORDON

• Tasting notes: Crème brûlée, spiced plum jam, candied orange peel

• Cask mix: 74% STR red wine, 7% ex-Rivesaltes, 19% ex-sherry

• Release story: Gordon waved goodbye to one of Scotland’s whisky giants back in 2017, and made his way even further up the west coast to Morvern to lead our whisky production. Since then Gordon has been passing on his years of experience to our growing team of distillers, helping shape our team and our spirit as we know it today. As well as distilling, Gordon enjoys nothing more than being in the great outdoors for long walks with his dog Barley, or taking in the sights and scenery of Scotland with his family. 
  

• Availability: Sold out on our website but available in select spirits retailers including The Leith Export Co.
  

• More info: Quiet Rebels Gordon batch details. You can watch the live recording of a Quiet Rebels Gordon tasting hosted by Annabel with Gordon and blender, Matt here. 

QUIET REBELS AMY

• Tasting notes: lemon custard, damson jam, brown butter muffins

• Cask mix: 63% STR red wine casks, 19% ex-Maury casks, 18% ex-Bourbon casks

• Release story: The whisky in this bottle has been selected by our Head of Sustainability Amy. Back in 2018, when we began to open our distillery to the public, Amy left the flat lands of East Anglia to join our then very small team of Quiet Rebels, as visitor manager. Amy’s ambition was to follow a path which made a positive difference, to show people there are much better ways of producing the things we like to enjoy. Since then, Amy has been using her passion for the environment to build herself a new role as Head of Sustainability here at Nc’nean. From monitoring the carbon impact of our daily operations, to ensuring that we source the best materials as the company grows, Amy leads the charge in pioneering sustainable production here on the wild and beautiful west coast of Scotland.

• Availability: available to shop on our website here in the UK and here in the US.
  

• More info: Quiet Rebels Amy batch details

WHAT'S NEXT

Planning for the next Quiet Rebels release is well underway and we reckon it might just be our most interesting release to date... To keep in the loop with all future releases, sign up to our main newsletter here or if you are in the USA you can sign up here. 

This article written by Annabel Thomas was originally published in The Whiskey Wash on the 24th May 2024 

Starting a whisky distillery in Scotland is a dream for many whisky lovers, but it is much easier said than done. I have personal experience of this.

In 2013 I left my corporate job and established Nc’nean Distillery in the west of Scotland. Today, Nc’nean Distillery has a well-established global fanbase for our organic scotch whiskies and botanical spirits.

STEP 1: PURPOSE AND RESEARCH

Over ten years ago, I was working as a strategy consultant at Bain in central London. I loved my time there, but I aspired to explore life outside of the corporate world.

In parallel, my family had a dinner table dream of starting a whisky distillery on our family’s farm right up on the remote west coast of Scotland. When I took some unpaid leave from Bain, I started to put pen to paper on a business plan.

I began my research, some of it highly technical, and some of it more fun. A key part of this was a trip to the iconic whisky island of Islay, which resulted in two things: I tried some whisky I actually liked and I realised that no one was thinking about sustainability in whisky, or in fact, any change at all. They were ‘doing things the way they’d always been done’.

Now, there is obviously an important place for tradition in whisky. However, I was very interested in exploring other ways of making whisky, and contributing to the innovation and sustainability of the industry. 

So, I built my business plan around creating a delicious, modern spirit – with sustainable production at the heart of everything we do. 

The outcome was that we’d need to raise a lot of money to build the distillery from scratch and then fund laying down our stocks for three and more years. I had to go back to Bain for a while but by mid-2013, I jumped into building the distillery full time.

STEP 2: RAISE THE FUNDS

Then followed two years of fundraising – hard graft and a lot of dead ends. Raising millions of pounds off a piece of paper is tough – you can’t create a ‘prototype’ whisky without a distillery, not to mention a time machine. 

By mid-2015 we had finally raised the money we thought we needed to build Nc’nean Distillery.

STEP 3: BUILD THE DISTILLERY

So, we set about building Nc’nean Distillery – and you may be wondering how do you actually build a sustainable distillery, what does that mean? 

First, flavour. I defined what I wanted the whisky to taste like – light, fruity, and rounded. Think peaches and cream, balanced with some citrus and spice. And so we set about finding someone who could help us create this, and luckily we found Dr Jim Swan. A man with more than 50 years of experience in whisky, and an expert in creating delicious young whiskies. Jim helped us design the equipment, source the barley, yeast and casks and defined our ‘recipe’. But what about the sustainability side? I wanted to make sure the key areas were covered up front, knowing they would be hard (and expensive) to change later down the line:

Energy: We run Nc’nean distillery on 100% renewable energy – a biomass boiler fuelled from an on-site commercial forest (all the trees are replanted) and small amounts of renewable electricity. Installing the biomass boiler was tough – it involved lifting and moving nearly 30 tonnes of biomass boiler plant along the 22 miles of single-track road on one of Scotland’s most remote peninsulas with a ferry crossing thrown in there too.

Raw materials: From the beginning we have bought 100% organic, Scottish barley. We are the only distillery in Scotland to run on 100% organic barley. 

Water: We dug a very simple cooling pond to supply 90% of the water we needed – this avoided us needing an energy and chemical-intensive water cooling tower. 

Waste: We take a traditional approach here and feed our leftover grains to the cows on the farm.

STEP 4: START MAKING WHISKY

Finally, in 2017 Nc’nean started production and suddenly it went from a team of one (me) to a team of six. 

We had a tough start – not only were we beset by the typical manufacturing teething problems, but we were also devastated by the sudden and unexpected death of Dr Jim Swan, just a few weeks before we started production.

Whilst I could feel grateful that we’d benefitted from his expertise, he left a huge hole in our team. But I was lucky to have recruited a fantastic team. We pulled together, did a lot of problem solving, and started producing our delicious light and fruity new make spirit. 

STEP 5: LAUNCH THE WHISKY

When early 2020 rolled around I was pretty excited – I had been working on the project for seven years. 

We’d found an incredible 100% recycled glass bottle to bottle our whisky in. We recruited our first marketing team member and between us we wrote a great spirits launch plan – get into bars, go to  events and generally get people tasting it, but we all know what happened in March of 2020. 

So, that plan was ripped up and we quickly pivoted to a digitally focused business. We decided to auction the first ten bottles for charity – and we were, shall we say, rather surprised that the first bottle went for £41,000! A few years later and Nc’nean whisky has been recognised internationally – with a double gold in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 95 points at IWSC. We are a certified B Corp, our flagship whisky is now available in 18 countries including the USA and Canada, and our team continues to grow.

Our founder Annabel  sat down with Mark Littler for The Whiskey Wash to chat about sustainability in the whisky industry and why it matters. This article was first published by The Whiskey Wash on the 9th of July 2024.

Nc’nean Distillery is a small, independent, and fully organic distillery on the west coast of Scotland. We exist to pioneer sustainable production whilst making light, fruity, and delicious whisky. 

I founded Nc’nean Distillery with the planet in mind, and the plant was designed to produce whisky with one of the lowest carbon footprints possible, whilst protecting biodiversity, soil health, water systems, and aiding recyclability. Such practices are becoming more common across the whisky industry, and not just in the UK. But as a consumer, why should you care? 

There are many reasons why consumers should be mindful of how their favorite whiskies are produced. Let’s break down why sustainability is coming to the forefront of conversations about whisky production, and why you should do all you can to ensure your whisky is sustainable. 

FIRST THINGS FIRST, WHY SHOULD YOU CARE ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY OF YOUR WHISKY?

We all know that the health of the planet is in dire straits. Climate change is a direct result of us putting too much carbon dioxide and other gases into the earth’s atmosphere. But it is not just the fuel we put in our car, the gas we use to heat our homes, and the food on our plates that contributes. 

Every single thing we consume has a carbon impact, so we believe that it is incumbent on every business to constantly improve its impact on this earth in terms of carbon footprint, pollution, and biodiversity. In most instances, making one bottle of whisky is extremely carbon and water-intensive, so it is incredibly important that as an industry we try to reduce this.

If every whisky producer can reduce their water and carbon footprint, across however many millions of bottles of whisky are produced each year, this will have a huge impact on our efforts to help the environment. 

SO WHAT IS THE CARBON IMPACT OF WHISKY?

The only way to understand the carbon impact of whisky is to measure the carbon emissions in the first place.

In 2021 we did our first carbon footprint report and we’ve done one every year since. This involved many hours of data gathering, calculations, and verification by an independent body to make sure what we were claiming was accurate. 

Because I set Nc’nean up from day one to operate as sustainably as possible, our emissions are pretty low – in fact, they are verified as net zero for scopes 1 and 2. Our distillery is powered by a biomass boiler, with the timber used to power the boiler growing just two miles away. But we are not resting on our laurels and every year we are making further improvements to reduce our emissions – be that insulating our stills or trialling bio-diesel in our tractors. 

HOW DOES NC'NEAN'S FOOTPRINT COMPARE TO OTHER DISTILLERIES?

Our production emissions are a whopping ten times lower than those of a fossil fuel equivalent distillery of the same size. Here’s a little chart from our latest sustainability and impact report: 

BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THE OTHER EMISSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH PACKAGING AND FARMING ETC?

These are called scope 3 emissions, and though they are more difficult to keep low because they are out of our control, we work hard to try to measure and then reduce these. We try to keep our suppliers as close to the distillery as possible, choosing for example to have our gift tubes made in England rather than China. We make difficult business choices, including not selling mini bottles of our whisky because we can’t source sustainable glass for them (yet…!). 

We also think it’s really important to be transparent with our consumers, and with the industry about what we’re doing, and also what we’re not yet doing. This is why we publish our impact report annually. You can always read our latest report on our website. 

IT IS NOT ALL ABOUT CARBON...WHAT ELSE IS IMPORTANT WHEN CONSIDERING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF YOUR WHISKY?

There are so many things to take into account with sustainability in whisky, it is a complex picture. For Nc’nean specifically, we focus on a few things which help us to produce a spirit that has a low impact on the environment. 

Firstly, we only use organic Scottish barley to create our whisky. It’s super important to us that we protect the biodiversity and soil health on the farms where we source our barley from, and organic farming avoids the use of artificial fertilisers and chemicals. Encouraging biodiversity is also why we choose to keep bees at the distillery (and the honey makes a fantastic Hot Toddy!). 

Secondly, every element of our packaging is considered very carefully. We maximise the use of recycled materials including our 100% recycled glass bottle, we make sure all the elements are recyclable or reusable (our bottles are very popular as vases and olive oil pourers) and we even offer bottle refills if you visit the distillery in person.

Thirdly, water. Now, I hear you say, water? In Scotland? Surely that is not a problem? But, as the climate changes we are finding that we are experiencing periods of drought more and more often. And so instead of drawing our cooling water (which is 90% of a distillery’s needs) straight from a river, we dug a big cooling pond. Highly unusual for a Scotch distillery, but a completely natural solution. Warm water in one end, cool water out at the other. 

And lastly, the unglamorous business of waste. Distilleries produce leftover barley (draff) and liquid in the stills after distillation and for these, we’ve gone for a traditional farm solution – the local cows eat our draff and the liquid is spread on the fields.

SO WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US?

If we haven’t bamboozled you too much with the complexity of sustainability in the whisky industry, our parting message would be this: your choices really matter. Seek out brands that you feel are doing the right thing for the future of the planet – below are three things to look for;

1. The B Corp logo: This isn’t a foolproof measure, as B Corp can also reflect the ethical nature of a business, but it is a pretty good starting point that a business is acting as a force for good, and is putting the people and our planet in line with profit. 
2. Whether they are measuring their carbon impact: If a company has even thought about measuring their carbon emissions, you hope that they are on some kind of right track towards reducing them.
3. Recyclability and recycled content (note the big difference between these) of their packaging: Both are important, so look for a high percentage of recycled materials and make sure the packaging is further recyclable on your side so it is not going into landfill. 

“In terms of flavour, coffee and whisky are a perfect match. From the creamy warmth of an Irish Coffee to the intense sweetness of a Revolver, when these two globe conquering beverages combine, they click. On a chemical level, there’s lots of shared or complimentary compounds, and we’d honestly be here forever if we attempted to discuss them all, so please excuse the following oversimplification:

Coffee tastes great with additional sweet spice from whisky. Think vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg… we’ve all seen the success of high street coffee shops in this particular flavour endeavour.

Whisky tastes great with additional depth from coffee. Filling your proverbial pockets with chocolate, biscuits, toffee, and all the other treats Grandparents sneak you behind your parent’s back.

Nc’nean in an Espresso Martini does all this, and so much more. In a typical Espresso Martini, vodka adds the required alcohol and if we’re being honest, not much else. Using Nc’nean instead adds fruity zip, malty depth, and a more luxurious, glossy texture. It’s the unexpected upgrade when you reach the check-in desk; you were going to get a room for the night either way, but now you’ve also got a balcony. And a view. And a soft fluffy robe with a secret pocket full of treats. You’ve got the best.” So here is how we like to make it, plus a more paired back version just below for when you just fancy whipping one up a bit more speedily:

35ml Organic Single Malt Whisky
20ml coffee liqueur
20ml Fresh Espresso
10ml 1:1 sugar syrup
-

Easier recipe ingredients

45ml (1.5oz) Organic Single Malt Whisky
45ml (1.5oz) Coffee liqueur
1 Double espresso or 1 pod coffee shot

Method

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker,
then fill with cubed ice and shake hard for 12 seconds.
Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

If you would like to check out any of our other delicious cocktail recipes like our Rob Roy or Whisky Six, click here.

A very good question indeed and one that is handy to know the answer to - independent bottlings or ’indy bottlings’ are terms that often crop up. An independent bottling is whisky made by a distillery but sold under a different brand. Independent bottlers buy whisky casks, bottle them, and offer unique or special editions that often can’t be found from the distillery itself.

ALL ABOUT INDEPENDENT BOTTLINGS

Finishing a creative project can be tough. Adding the last brushstroke to a painting, completing the final mix of a song, or the ultimate dress rehearsal before curtain up, this is where the creator prepares to release their work to the world – there’s to be no more changes before the audience make their judgement.

At Nc’nean, each project takes years to come to fruition. When we’re ready to release our finished whisky, the spirit we distilled three, four or five years earlier is sampled, casks are selected and vatted, and the whisky is carefully packaged ready for shops and bars around the world.

Each whisky we present offers the best of Nc’nean. Our core whisky is bright, fruity and approachable for both seasoned and novice whisky drinkers, while the annual Huntress and Quiet Rebels bottlings are an outlet for our passion for experimentation and exploration.

In each case, it’s the Nc’nean team, led by our Blender Matt, that decides when a whisky is ready for the world. But we’re not the only ones with taste buds and an idea of what kind of whisky the world wants to drink. Sometimes, like a new interpretation of a classic song, it’s good to let someone else run free with your creation.

This is where independent bottlers come in. For most of whisky’s history, distillers would sell their wares to merchants, grocers and blenders rather than selling directly to the consumer. Oftentimes these characters would become more well-known than the distillers, with a reputation built on their ability to select whiskies their customers will come back to again and again – think John Walker, James Buchanan and Gordon & MacPhail. Until the 1960s, it was rare to see a distillery-bottled single malt on the shelf of even the most well-stocked bottle shop. Things today are different, and most consumers looking for single malt will gravitate towards whiskies bottled by the distiller. It seems a safer bet. True, in the bottle you will find the whisky the distillery wants to present, but you could be missing out on a dram which suits your taste perfectly.

For instance, our core whisky is a marriage of bourbon, STR and sherry casks. Deep red fruits from the STR are balanced by the firm oak of the bourbon, with a hint of spice and body from the sherry. But an independent bottler might want to capture our spirit’s  white fruit and citrus notes, enhanced but not overwhelmed by maturation in a bourbon barrel, and put that front and centre, or perhaps they’ll hone in on the richness that comes from our STRs and let it shine.

Working with great bottlers like Berry Bros, Whiskysponge, That Boutique-y Whisky Co. and Thompson Bros means we’re always excited to see what they’ll choose from among our casks, to see their interpretation of our spirit. 

It’s an opportunity to collaborate and, importantly, learn from others who are just as passionate about whisky as we are but approach it from a different angle, with different goals and a different audience. It’s a chance for you, and us, to see Nc’nean from another perspective.

INDY BOTTLINGS WITH NC'NEAN

The Heart Cut: ex-Madeira cask finish - "classic and refined, with a super juicy fruit taste, a long finish, and a lovely amber hue"

Berry Bros: first fill ex-Bourbon cask "Lucious green fruit aromas" (sold out on BBR but available on some resale sites)

Whiskysponge: "a surprisingly mature and rather lusciously fruity young whisky"

That Boutique-y Whisky Co: first fill ex-Bourbon cask "Vanilla ice cream, zesty limes and a herbal, leafy spring hedgerow note with some freshly cut green oak"

Thompson Bros: blended Scotch with Dornoch distillery - "Nc'noch" (sold out)

Michel Reik: (Germany) "an exceptional flavor profile that ranges from red fruits to herbs and cane sugar"

Little Brown Dog: STR red wine cask "It was the texture that really stood out on this one" (sold out)

Blog written by Roberto Nicchitta, Distillery Operator

Hello, Roberto here, giving you a little insight into a day in the life distilling at Nc’nean as a Distillery Operator.

The stillhouse is the heart of the whisky distillery. It holds the beautiful copper pot stills that turn our amber, fermented wash into the crystal-clear spirit that becomes our single malt whisky. Crucial as they are, no alcohol is produced in the stills. Through distillation, we simply concentrate the alcohol we created during fermentation. So how does it work? What decisions do we make as distillers to ensure our whisky is consistent, delicious, and, well, consistently delicious! Let’s follow a day in the life of a Nc’nean distiller and reveal the secrets of the intriguing art of distillation.

MORNING:

The distiller’s day starts before the rest of the team. Our biomass boiler needs to spring into action after its nightly slumber. A flick of a switch begins an automated process which feeds wood chip from a store into the furnace, and with a little encouragement in the form of a small box of kindling, the fire begins to roar, heating up a tank of water to produce steam.

After a coffee and a chat, we’re up to 5.5 bar of steam pressure and can begin charging the stills. We’ll pump the 5000 litres of ’wash’ (the fermented liquid produced from mashing) into the Wash Still, and the 3500 litres of ’low wines and feints’ (we’ll get into that) into the Spirit Still. Inside each still is a huge coil of stainless steel through which our steam will pass. Once the liquid covers these coils, we close the still door and crank up the steam. 

As the steam heats the liquid in the stills, vapour rises to the top and flows down the angled tube called a lyne arm to the condensers. This is where our hot vapour is cooled and becomes liquid once again. As alcohol vaporises more readily than water, our cooled distillate is stronger than the liquid it arose from. This, in a nutshell, is distillation.

Our condensers use around 120 litres of water per minute for cooling, and there’s two of them. Multiply that by the minutes in a day, five days a week, 50 weeks per year, and you’ve got.....well, it’s a lot of water! Here, Nc’nean has a neat trick for reducing water use in the form of a large pond. Cold water feeds into the pond from the hills and is pumped through our condensers. Warm water comes out the other end and goes back into the pond where it cools down again and the cycle continues.

Back to the stills. The Wash Still doesn’t need much attention. For the first hour we keep an eye on the sight-glass because the liquid itself starts to rise, like a pan of pasta boiling over. We can’t let the wash rise up and over the top of the still, so we adjust the steam down. At about 95°C, liquid begins to run into the ‘spirit safe’ (the copper cabinet of bowls and hydrometers you’ll find in every whisky distillery).

The 8% ABV wash we started with has become ‘Low Wines’, a distillate of about 25% ABV. The still will bubble away for the rest of the day, with the output collected in the ‘Low Wines & Feints’ tank. The Spirit Still, being the smaller of the two, actually heats up faster and requires a bit more attention than the Wash Still.

Once at 85°C, liquid will start to trickle into the spirit safe. This first run, known as the ‘foreshots’ or ‘heads’, will be cloudy and contains unwanted compounds such as acetone and methanol. Unwanted, but not wasted - we’ll direct this into the Low Wines & Feints tank too. Once the cloudy run has passed, we set a timer for ten minutes and turn down the steam so the temperature holds at around 86°C.

The timer beeps and we test the strength of the liquid with a hydrometer – it should be 75% ABV, our first ‘cut point’. We’ll now direct the liquid into the spirit receiving vat with the turn of a handle. This is the ‘hearts’, the part of the spirit run that will go into cask to become whisky. We keep the steam low – a gentle flow preserves the bright, fruity character of our spirit.

LUNCHTIME:

After a couple of hours, we’ll test the strength of the spirit again. The ABV of our distillate reduces throughout distillation, leaving an ever-weaker solution in the still. At 69.5% ABV, we’ll make our second cut, directing the liquid back to the Low Wines & Feints tank. This is the ‘feints’ or ‘tails’. Again, it’s not wasted, but we don’t want to put it into cask as it is. The low wines, foreshots and feints will all be pumped into the spirit still tomorrow morning, ready to do it all over again! The heart of our spirit, between 75% and 69.5% ABV, is all we’ll put to cask - that’s around two-and-a-half hours of spirit run per day. It’s deliciously light, very fruity and is chosen because it retains freshness and develops complexity and intensity with a relatively short maturation time. For six weeks per year, we shift these cut points to 72%-66% ABV, giving us a weightier spirit, more suited to long maturation (so long we haven’t bottled any yet!).

AFTERNOON:

Now we’ll leave the stills to do their thing and it’s out in the tractor (we’re all tractor drivers here at Nc’nean, even us townies!) The bio-mass boiler has an insatiable appetite for wood chip, the pot-ale needs spreading on the local fields, and casks need filling.

At the end of the day we’ll return to check the strengths again. Once the still contents reach 1% ABV, there is little to be gained by distilling further – lots of energy used for very little alcohol – so we’ll switch off the steam and pump the remains out to the pot-ale tank, ready to be disposed of tomorrow. Then, a bit of cleaning here and there and the day is done. Time for a dram!

Hello, Roberto here, giving you the rundown of what goes on at the distillery on a mashing day. 

Every whisky starts with a mash. Whether it’s single malt, single grain, bourbon or a standard blended Scotch, it all starts with this mixture of crushed cereal grains and hot water known as a mash. But how exactly does the mashing process work? What are we, as distillers, trying to achieve? Here we’ll take a look at a day in the life of a mashman/mashwoman, and fill in the gaps from all those textbooks and distillery tours.

MORNING

It’s Monday morning, it’s the west coast of Scotland so it’s probably raining. Our ton of organic malted barley has been through the mill and we’ve just warmed our mash tun with hot water (much like warming a teapot before making a brew). We’re ready to go.

Our first task is to ‘mash-in’. This is where we combine our ton of crushed malt (now called grist) with 4000 litres of hot water. The grist is conveyed from its silo while our hot water races to meet it at the mashing machine – a device which stirs the water and grist together before it falls down the chute into the mash tun. It’s kind of porridgy at this stage.

Temperature is key here. We’re aiming for a ‘strike temperature’, where the grist meets the water, of 64°C. This is the ideal temperature to convert the maximum amount of starch to fermentable sugars. Too hot, we’ll end up with lots of longer chain sugar molecules which aren’t readily fermentable. Too cold, we’ll get a poor extraction of sugar, and, potentially, a stuck mash which will cause delays for the rest of the day, and that’s the last thing we need! We adjust the temperature throughout by adding more or less cold water to the mixture, and after about 10 minutes the mash tun is full of sweet malty mash. The smell is amazing. We’ll give it a stir or two with the mash tun’s rakes and leave it to sit for about an hour. Time for a coffee.

While we’re getting our caffeine fix, enzymes within the malt are getting busy chopping up long chains of carbohydrates called starches (which would nourish the growing barley plant) into smaller sugar molecules. These simple sugars will give us our alcohol.

Once the mash has rested, we pump the surprisingly sweet, barley-infused water (now called ‘wort’) out of the bottom of the mash tun and pour it back in over the top of grains. This settles the bed of grain nice and evenly, and any bits of husk or flour which slip through the sieve-like base of the mash tun are filtered through the grain, meaning the wort we are extracting becomes clearer as the recirculation proceeds.

At Nc’nean we’re looking for a very clear wort. It allows bright, fruity flavours to develop further on in our process. Once clear, we start pumping the wort to the stainless-steel fermentation vessel called a ‘washback’. It passes through a heat-exchange on the way to cool it down, or else the heat would kill the yeast we’re about to add. Our first distiller’s yeast works fast and has a high yield, meaning it converts available sugars to alcohol with high efficiency. Our second yeast enhances the fruity aroma and complexity of our fermented liquid (‘wash’), giving notes of fresh apple and banana bread which carry through to our spirit, and really help make Nc’nean what it is.

Our annual yeast trials explore the effect of different yeasts on our new-make spirit, but that’s a whole other article!

The first wort being pumped from the mash tun is the sweetest we’ll get, but there’s plenty more sugar hiding in the mash that we’re going to rinse out by showering the grain with more hot water. This is called ‘sparging’. We sparge 2000 litres at 78°C and we try to match the rate at which the wort is being pumped out.

LUNCHTIME

After about three hours, our washback is full. Roughly 5000 litres of wort collected. Now we can see how much sugar we have extracted from the malt, a measure of the success or otherwise of today’s mash. Fingers crossed!

We take a sample from the washback and drop in a hydrometer (technically a saccharometer), which measures the density of the wort relative to water. Let’s say plain water measures 1000 on the hydrometer’s scale (meaning 1000 grams per litre).

Our wort will be denser because of the all the sugars dissolved within, and in general, the denser the better. More sugar means more alcohol. We’re hoping for a reading of 1058-1060, and we call it this measurement the ‘original gravity’.

(We’ll carry out the same measurement after fermentation to see by how much the sugar content has reduced (‘final gravity’).

From there we calculate how much alcohol our yeast has produced, usually 7.5%-8% ABV.)

AFTERNOON

We’re now on the home stretch.

We pump any remaining liquid in the mash tun out to one of our hot water tanks while rinsing the grain further, flushing out as much sugar as possible. 

This sugary water, now called sparge, will be used for mashing-in and sparging tomorrow.

All the spent grain (‘draff’), stripped of its starchy goodness but still packed with proteins, gets dropped through a chute in the bottom of the mash tun and collected for feeding the local cows - they can’t get enough of it! Some of it has also made its way into experimental flapjacks and dog biscuits, though results were mixed.

After a bit of cleaning and tidying up, the day is done. The wort will ferment in the washback for the next 2-4 days and become wash (basically a strong, un-hopped beer), which will be pumped to the still for distillation.

If you love your whisky, are passionate about sustainability, or just a die hard Nc’nean fan, we can offer you the opportunity to own your own cask of whisky. We only release a very limited number of casks to private individuals each year, with some people purchasing a cask on their own, some as part of a group, or maybe as a gift for that very special friend or family member. We look after everything for you, keeping the cask tucked away safely on the wild west coast. Once the cask is ready, we bottle it into 100% recycled glass bottles for you to drink, share or gift for years to come. We are now opening fillings for 2025. We are always oversubscribed so please email your details to casks@ncnean.com to get your name on the list. Well then send you an order form to secure your spot. 

OUR DISTILLERY

Our story began in 2012. During a whisky road trip, Annabel had a lightbulb moment - why do so many distilleries do things the same way they have always been done? Perhaps there are other ways.

Nc’nean is an abbreviation of Neachneohain, the Queen of Spirits in Gaelic legend. Neachneohain was a Huntress and a Quiet Rebel. A fierce protector of nature, she was strong, independent and never afraid to walk her own path. With this in mind, we began forging our own path. With a strong focus on sustainability and innovation we started building our distillery from scratch. Then, five years later, tucked down a quiet single-track road on the beautiful west coast of Scotland, Nc’nean’s stills were turned on for the first time, with our first run of new make spirit flowing in March 2017.

OUR SPIRIT

We use 100% organic Scottish barley and our own pure spring water to produce our spirit in our verified net zero (scopes 1 & 2) distillery. All our energy comes from renewable sources, and we recycle 100% of our cooling water resulting in an exceptionally low water footprint. Our left-over grain feeds the cows on the farm. Nothing is wasted. We’re exploring long mashes and slow ferments, and experimenting with yeasts not always used in distilling. High, narrow cut points help us produce a pure, fruit-forward flavour profile, while our lamp-shaped stills encourage a gentle distillation, creating a lighter spirit. Our distillation and maturation approach were master-minded by the late Dr Jim Swan. A chemist by training and a whisky industry veteran, Jim had an excellent track record in helping distilleries achieve fantastic quality whiskies at a young age.

OUR CASKS

We have three cask varieties you can choose from, each adding their own characteristic to Nc’nean’s light, fruity spirit.

Our ex-bourbon casks come from across the pond, mostly from Kentucky – the home of some of the best American whiskeys. Maturing our spirit in these barrels gives flavours of toffee, vanilla and orchard fruit. If you are happy to tuck your cask away for longer and like those classic Single Malt Scotch Whisky flavours, then this is the cask for you. Nc’nean’s spirit truly shines through.

Our STR red wine casks, sourced from Spain, have been shaved, toasted and re-charred before they make their journey to the UK. This treatment caramelizes the sugars in the residual wine imbued in the wood. Maturing your whisky in an STR cask will give flavours of warming spice and pastries. If you're a fan of richer, spicier single malts, then this is for you. STR casks are great for those who like to drink their whisky young as the colour and flavours develop quickly.

Our Oloroso casks, also from Spain, impart notes of roasted nuts and jam. These casks produce truly decadent whiskies, adding viscosity and intensity, as well as a rich, deep colour. For lovers of fruit-forward single malts, bursting with flavour.

WHAT ARE THE COSTS?

Our casks start from £4,400- £6,200 (depending on your chosen cask type). Then, when your cask has finished its maturation term, you’ll need to pay for bottling, shipping and any duty or taxes in your country of residence. These costs can fluctuate depending on the current rate of taxes, excise and packaging costs but as a guide this is currently about £6,000. For someone in the UK this works out to be around £45 per bottle of your own cask strength whisky. 

HOW MANY BOTTLES WILL I HAVE IN THE END?

To put this in perspective, an ex-bourbon cask will hold about 190 bulk litres. After a 5-year maturation period, including the loss in angels’ share, one cask will yield an average of 247 bottles, at cask strength. STR and Oloroso casks are both hogsheads and hold about 250 litres, after the same maturation term, including the loss of angels’ share and bottled at cask strength you will be looking at bottling around 294 bottles. But remember, no one cask is the same and you can choose to bottle your cask at any abv you like, as long as it is above 46% abv.

AND THE BOTTLE ITSELF? WILL I GET TO PERSONALISE MY BOTTLING?

Your whisky will be filled on site at our distillery, into our 70cl private cask whisky bottles with a customised label. These are the trademark Nc’nean whisky bottle shape and made from 100% recycled glass. Your front label will include your chosen name followed by the technical details of your whisky. Along with space for you to add personalised text to make the bottle truly yours.

CAN I FILL MY CASK MYSELF?

We’d be delighted for you to fill your cask yourself! We offer a few filling dates a year fitting into our production schedule. We will share these dates with you with plenty of notice so you can organise your travel and accommodation. Our private cask filling days are a fantastic day out at the distillery. We start our morning off with tea and coffee in the bar. Then, taking it from the top, we share with you the relatively short history of Nc’nean and how we came to be. There will then be time to fill your cask after a full tour of production, before we finish back in the bar for a in depth tasting and a slice of cake from our local bakery!

WHERE WILL MY CASK BE STORED?

Don’t worry, you’re not going to have to re-arrange the furniture. We’ll store your cask in one of our bonded warehouses until it’s ready to be bottled. You’re welcome to visit the distillery whenever we’re open, just let us know you’re coming so we can ensure the team can spend some time with you.

CAN I PERSONALISE MY CASK?

Of course - we will stencil and paint your cask with a name of your choice, and send you a copy of your cask ownership certificate. If you can’t make it on the day, not to worry we will be sure to take photos on the day to send along with your certificate.

CAN I MATURE MY CASK FOR LONGER THAN 5 OR 10 YEARS?

You most certainly can, you’re in complete control how long the whisky is aged for. We charge £100 for each additional year per cask to cover storage and insurance fees.

I'M IN, WHAT'S NEXT?

Simple, if you have any questions please send your details to casks@ncnean.com. Remember that we only release a very limited number of casks to private individuals each year, so if you are interested, get in quick! Alternatively you can fill in our online order form here.

Blog written by Office Manager, Bec Chadwick

If you are planning to embark on a slow and scenic journey through the west highlands to visit us here at the distillery, you can check out some of our favourite local accommodation options below. 

We have curated a list of 10 of the best places to stay locally that make the perfect base for exploring the wild and beautiful Morvern peninsula.

These accommodation options are mostly dotted between Lochaline and Drimnin. Drimnin is where we are and Lochaline is the main village on the peninsula which is about a 30 minute drive from Drimnin (a great place to eat in Lochaline is The Whitehouse Restaurant). 

1. ACHNACRICHE BED AND BREAKFAST

As with many of the accommodation options on this list, this bed and breakfast is tucked away nicely off the beaten track and is an ideal base for walking and wildlife spotting. 

The B&B is on Drimnin Estate and has beautiful views over the water to Tobermory and up to Ardnamurchan. Guests have shared access to all the facilities on the estate, including use of the mountain bikes and also brown trout fishing.

Evening meals are available here and each morning a full Scottish breakfast is served in their garden room. This accommodation is also only a 15 minute walk from the distillery which is handy if you would like to have a dram or two in the distillery bar after a tour before strolling back to the B&B. 

For booking info click here.

2. DRIMNIN ESTATE SELF CATERING LODGE, COTTAGE AND FARMHOUSE

Also tucked away on the Drimnin Estate are three self catering accommodation options. Each cottage has a wood burning stove (all logs are provided) as well as central heating to enjoy a comfortable and cosy break all year round.

The traditional gate lodge is detached and positioned amongst ancient Caldeonian Oak woods on the private estate road. The lodge sleeps 2. 

Ena’s cottage is a charming nineteenth century, two storey cottage attached to Drimnin House with two bedrooms and sleeps 4. 

Achleanan Farmhouse is the largest of the holiday cottages on the estate and sleeps 6. Used until 2002 for sheep shearing, this former farmhouse was restored in 2003 and sits alone 500 feet above the Sound of Mull with magnificent sea views to Mull and the Atlantic Ocean.

For those of you who make up a bigger party, you can also rent out Drimnin House which sleeps up to 16 people. 

For booking info click here.

3. THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN

The next three properties are the quirkiest on the list because of the unique designs of each building. Each of the three are located in secluded positions on a four-acre site and are about a ten minute drive from the distillery. They all score 4.9 and above on AirBnB and have been built by local architect Roderick James. All interiors are done by his wife, interior designer Amanda Markham. The couple are well known for their projects that support local communities and they recently employed ex-offenders to build a house here on the west coast.

The first of the three is called The Captain’s Cabin. The cabin which sleeps 2 is built on an old chapel and features a nautical theme throughout with a deck, steamer chairs, barrel table and other ship related artefacts. 

For booking info click here.

4. PILOT HOUSE

This two-storey cabin which was expertly crafted from aluminium also sleeps two. Inside there’s plenty of cosy, light-filled space to cook, dine, rest, and relax in, with tranquil views, and colourful, aviation-inspired memorabilia.

For booking info click here.

5. AIRSHIP

This accommodation has been featured in Conde Nast: "Nestled on the banks of the Sound of Mull, this unique property was the ultimate reprieve for a city dweller". 

As with the previous two, this one sleeps two with stunning views over the Sound of Mull and is perfect for a remote and relaxing stay. 

The nearest shop is eight miles from these three properties so remember to stock up before arriving. 

For booking info click here.

6. HIGHLAND BASECAMP

Highland Basecamp in Lochaline has 12 private en-suite bunk rooms and a communal decking area that has some cracking views over the water. This option is more budget-friendly and has a very well-equipped self-catering kitchen and spacious lounge and dining space. 

Highland Basecamp has also become a very popular spot for diving clubs to come and stay because of its ideal proximity to some of the best diving locations in the country, so if you fancy including some diving in your trip to the peninsula check out some more info here.

For booking info click here. 

7. THE MILL HOUSE STEADING

This accommodation in Drimnin has stunning views overlooking the sea and the Isle of Mull. The house has two double bedrooms and a lovely terrace for al fresco dining. The reviews for this accommodation are glowing. 

For booking info click here.

8. LOCHALINE HOTEL

This little family run hotel situated right on the shoreline has five bedrooms and serves home cooked meals in the cosy restaurant and bar overlooking the water. The original building dates back to 1920 and is built from stone mined right next to the hotel. 

For booking info click here.

9. ARDTORNISH BUNKHOUSE

Just three miles outside of Lochaline, the Bunkhouse on Ardtornish Estate is perfect for those looking for cosy self-catering accommodation. There is a lovely log burning fire and the accommodation has three bunk beds. The Bunkhouse is another more budget-friendly option but if you have a few extra pennies for accommodation you can choose to stay in one of their apartments set within Ardtornish house or opt for one of their cottages. 

During the growing season, Ardtornish House offers the purchase of freshly harvested seasonal veg boxes with produce grown in their kitchen gardens– a mixture of whatever is ripe and ready on the day, so you can enjoy a taste of local fresh veg throughout summer and autumn.

For booking info click here.

10. RAHOY ESTATE

For somewhere slightly further afield from our distillery, you could try the wonderful Rahoy Estate. This one is about a 50 minute drive from us and there is no mobile phone signal with only limited internet access, so you really can leave it all behind. The estate is beautiful and comprises 3 self-catering cottages (each sleeping 4) and a new contemporary house 'Caorann' which sleeps up to 8 people.

For booking info click here.

For all other self-catering and hotel accommodation options nearby and on Mull please, visit online booking sites. There are plenty of self-catering options in Drimnin, Lochaline and beyond.

Remember that if you are coming to visit us, please book your tour in advance via by clicking here. We hope to see you here on the wild west coast soon!