Vegan Whisky

We are an independent, organic and Vegan whisky distillery that exists to create experimental spirits and pioneer sustainable production

UNINHIBITED BY TRADITION

Annabel started Nc’nean to change the way the world thinks about whisky from Scotland. Her mission was to create a whisky which could exist in harmony with this planet we call home. After leaving her job in London in 2013, she spent four years raising funds and building the distillery from the ground up on the west coast of Scotland. We’ve been distilling since 2017 and we’ve just launched our first ever whisky. We hope you love it as much as we do.

PIONEERING SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION

Sustainability runs in our veins. We believe it is our responsibility to constantly improve our impact on this earth in terms of carbon footprint, pollution and biodiversity. We use organic Scottish barley in a distillery powered by renewable energy and recycle 99.97% of our waste. We plan to bottle our whisky in a 100% recycled clear glass bottle (a first in Scotch whisky, we think)\

EXPERIMENTAL IN NATURE

A philosophy, a way of looking at the world, a curiosity, a willingness to try. Out of this approach, our first two products were born – our Botanical Spirit and our even more adventurous Aged Botanical. Simply asking ‘why’ or ‘what if’ was also the start of our yeast experiments at the distillery: the realisation that most distilleries in Scotland use the same yeast because it produces the highest yield of alcohol.

WALK YOUR OWN PATH

The inspiration for our name, Neachneohain, was an ancient Gaelic goddess. She was known as the Queen of Spirits and a fierce protector of nature. Strong and independent, she was never afraid to walk her own path. We try to follow her ethos in everything we do.

ORGANIC CERTIFIED

By drinking one bottle of our organic spirit you are securing two square metres of biodiversity and soil health.

Our most important raw ingredient is farmed organically, and that means it is produced 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.

Our barley is all Scottish. We can’t grow it on the west coast, because of the more rugged terrain and wet winters, so instead we buy from farmers located in the east. Below is a map pinpointing our 10 organic barley farmers.

When a product is labelled as organic, it means that its ingredients and processes have been through a rigorous certification process. We are certified by the Biodynamic Association who inspect us every year to ensure we conform to organic standards.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Our two copper pot stills are powered solely by our biomass boiler. So many people told us this wouldn’t work but we did it anyway. We use wood chip from the local forest to power our boiler; all the trees that are harvested are replanted.

We source a very small amount of electricity from our green energy partners, bulb. We looked into developing our own supply, but since the amount we use is so small, the carbon used to create the source outweighed the need on our side.

COLLABORATIONS

We try our hardest to source renewable energy wherever we go, and this includes when we collaborate with other brands. Our Botanical Spirit is re-distilled with its botanicals at our friends, Beinn an Tuirc (as we don’t have a gin still). They use hydroelectric power to keep their stills running, which makes them the perfect match for us.

ERO WASTERS

Nc’nean is a zero waste distillery. In 2019 we diverted 99.9% of all of our waste from landfill. We also focus on the reuse of materials so we can lessen the amount of waste that we send for recycling.

RETURNING WASTE TO THE LAND

Our biggest source of waste is our pot ale – the liquid which is left after distilling – which we spread on the local farmland as fertiliser. Making whisky also creates draff, or leftover barley, which provides a tasty meal for the cows on the farm.

CHEMICAL FREE

Natural waste is one thing, but chemical waste is a whole different matter. If used, it can very easily end up causing damage to the surrounding environment, so we focus on sourcing natural cleaning products for our bar, office and loos.

WATER RECYCLING

80% of the water that we use is for cooling the vapour as it comes off the stills. We recycle this rainwater via our natural cooling pond pictured below. This means that we can use the same water over and over, and we don’t need to use energy to cool it down, or chemicals to keep it clean.

WATER EFFICIENCY

Even though the west coast is very wet, climate change has led to prolonged dry spells (often in the spring and early summer). To make sure that we don’t put unnecessary pressure on our water resources, we are constantly measuring our water usage, and looking at ways to be more water efficient.

SPRING WATER

All the water that we use for making our whisky comes from a spring just behind the distillery. Our own source, it is beautifully clean and requires no treatments, chlorine or otherwise, before use.

FORAGING SUSTAINABLY

LOCAL BOTANICALS

We are very lucky to be located in an area where nature’s bounty is plentiful, so naturally, we use this as inspiration for our recipes. Our Botanical Spirit includes bog myrtle, wild thyme, sorrel and heather, all found locally to the distillery

CERTIFIED WILD

For our botanical spirit to be certified organic, we have to use botanicals that are also organic. For those that are handpicked by us, we ensure that they are picked in areas where there is no application of fertilisers or chemicals.

HARVEST WITH CARE

To make sure that we always have enough of the things we need, and to make sure we leave enough for others, we take care with our harvesting. We monitor how much we pick from each area and how we treat each plant to ensure that we don’t damage them.

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