Whisky is a traditional institution, with firm roots in Scotland. As well as appealing to diehards, Nc’nean, a female-founded distillery, is enticing craft-lovers by selling its first casks, bottling experimental botanical spirits, and putting sustainability and creativity at its core.
Something intriguing is happening on the Morvern Peninsula. On the west coast of Scotland, sea, rivers, and lochs surround a rugged and wild landscape, reachable only by single-track roads and ferry crossings. It’s the picture-postcard version of a Scottish idyll: exactly the sort of place you’d imagine Scotland’s golden nectar is made.
Behind the larch doors of Scotland’s first fully organic distillery, Nc’nean isn’t just making spirits, it’s distilling what it means to be a craft business in modern times, with experimental spirits, sustainability, and female-driven diversity at its heart.
“We’re challenging the norms and keeping an open mind,” says Annabel Thomas, Nc’nean founder, whose priorities are sustainability and creativity. “There is the risk that industries can become staid – especially after a long run of success – and rest on their laurels. The scotch industry needs to keep moving forward and keep an open mind.”
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Laura Day 