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.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The next Huntress release is right around the corner and will be available in the UK and with lots of our friends in Europe in April before launching into our other global markets. We can’t wait for you to try it and to hear what you think. 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.