Nc'nean Distillery

Image credit: Andy Bate, The Angels’ Share

Pronounced – Nc-knee-anne

Meaning – Nc’nean comes from Neachneohain, the Queen of Spirits in Gaelic legend. Nc, meaning ‘daughter of’ is the female equivalent of Mc

Our interesting fact! One of the few distilleries experimenting with yeasts not commonly used within whisky distilling. They use two varieties when producing their single malt, a traditional distillers yeast alongside a winemakers yeast which produces extremely fruity flavours. 10% of annual production is dedicated to yeast experiments, selecting unusual yeast strains such as rum, red wine and brewers’ yeast, many of which form the basis for Nc’nean’s experimental seasonal release, Huntress.

Eco & Sustainability 

Nc’nean is B Corp certified and the first whisky distillery in the UK to become verified as net zero carbon emissions for scopes 1 and 2, Nc’nean’s mission it to create experimental spirits and pioneer sustainable forms of production.

100% Organic Scottish barley

All of Nc’nean’s barley is grown in Scotland under strict organic principles in the most natural way possible, by farmers who don’t use artificial pesticides or fertilisers. This not only results in massive biodiversity, but also better soil health and water quality. Through working closely with their farmers, Nc’nean have calculated that their organic barley carries a 42% lower carbon footprint that average conventional barley.

100% renewable energy

The distillery’s production footprint is naturally very low due to Nc’nean’s use of 100% renewable energy. The two copper pot stills are powered solely by a biomass boiler using wood chip from the local forest for its power; all the trees that are harvested are replanted. Nc’nean even manage to recycle 100% of water used for cooling its stills though an innovative natural cooling pond, meaning the same water can be used over and over again without the need for energy to cool it down or chemicals to keep it clean.

100% recycled glass whisky bottle

Not only do Nc’nean’s whisky bottles look beautiful, but they are made entirely from post-consumer recycled glass, a first for the UK spirits industry. This ‘wild glass’ has a 40% lower carbon footprint than a bottle made from virgin glass and are perfect for recycling again and again. Nc’nean have even implemented a refill scheme at the distillery where customers can bring back their empty Nc’nean bottles to be refilled at a discounted price.