Pioneering Scotch whisky distillery Nc’nean pushes boundaries of spirit making in new limited-release: Scotland’s leading organic whisky distillery, Nc’nean, continues to build its reputation as an industry innovator with the launch of its latest limited-edition whisky, Huntress Orchard Cobbler, into the USA.
The Huntress series is inspired by Nc’nean’s namesake – the Gaelic goddess Neachneohain, who was known as a huntress and for walking her own path. This series is centred around that ethos of discovery, and Nc’nean’s passion for hunting for unique flavours in whisky making.
This year’s release is named Orchard Cobbler, for its deliciously warming and homely flavours of Cherry Bakewell, apricot marmalade and vanilla custard. This particular Huntress release is incredibly unique, in that the spirit used is only produced once a year when the distillers cross over from one distillation recipe to another.
Nc’nean is widely recognised for pushing the boundaries of conventional Scotch. Unlike most distilleries, it runs two different spirit recipes each year, one for whisky set to be released at a younger age and one set to be released after ten or more years. The spirit matured for Huntress Orchard Cobbler comes from the distillation in the week after the spirit recipe is switched – a time where cut points are changed and unusually high fruity compounds flood into the spirit. So fruity, that the whisky is named after one of the team’s favourite fruit desserts.
Nc’nean founder and CEO, Annabel Thomas comments: “This dram perfectly encapsulates our creativity, innovation, and unique approach to whisky. Its origins trace back to our master distiller, Jim Swan, who played a pivotal role in developing what would become the Nc’nean spirit and maturation process. Throughout the year, we run two different spirit recipes at the distillery, a practice that Jim and I discussed. Huntress Orchard Cobbler is crafted from the transitional weeks between these recipes, resulting in this wonderfully fruity spirit. This unplanned outcome highlights the magic of experimentation and the beauty of doing things differently.”
About Nc’nean: Nc’nean is an award winning independent, organic whisky distillery on the west coast of Scotland. Nc’nean began distilling in March 2017 and from inception has strived to do things differently. In pursuit of new flavours in whisky, Nc’nean uses longer mashing times, slower fermentation and experiments with unusual yeasts not commonly used within whisky distilling. Nc’nean matures its whisky on site in ex-bourbon, sherry and scraped, toasted, and re-charred ex-red wine casks, along with many other smaller and more unique cask experiments.
The high, narrow cut on the still helps to produce a purer spirit; the unusual lamp-glass-shaped stills encourage a gentle distillation and significant amounts of reflux, creating a lighter spirit that retains its fruity notes.
The Nc’nean ethos of sustainable production is embedded in everything it does. In July 2021 Nc’nean achieved verified net zero status for carbon emissions from its own operations (scope 1 and 2). It is the UK’s first whisky distillery to be classified as net zero for scopes 1 & 2 and reached its goal 20 years ahead of the industry target. In addition, all Nc’nean’s products are certified organic, its bottle is 100% recycled glass and it recycles or reuses 99.9% of its waste.
Commentary from the author: This is a really gorgeous bottle, and a refreshing bit of innovation coming out of a newer Scottish distillery. I'm thrilled to see the notes on their gentle distillation with high reflux, the nod to the low and slow processes of old, and I'm always excited to hear about new experiments with yeast strains. Nc'nean provided me with samples of their products for the purposes of a review with no strings attached. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to try something new to me and will be patiently exploring a dram in accordance with the Amongst the Whiskey editorial policy. Let's jump into that pocket-sized review I promised you.
Whisky Details
Company on Label: Nc'nean
Whisky Type: Single malt Scotch whisky
Mash Bill Percentages: 100% organic Scottish barley
Proof: 97°
Age: No age statement (NAS)
Further identification: This is a new release from a young Highland distillery, producing 6,153 bottles (630 for the US market), first available in September of 2024 at an MSRP of $120; the maturation casks used are 66% scraped, toasted, and recharred ex-red wine, 31% ex-American whiskey, and 3% oloroso sherry casks
Pocket-Sized Flash Review
Nose: Upon lifting the glass to my nose, I'm immediately met with some classic malt tones such as sugar cookie and raspberry tart; it instantly reminds me of some of my old favorite Irish whiskeys. Further fervent inhales produce aromas of burlap sacks, potato skins, apricot, and I find my mind wandering towards a dusty museum filled with vintage clothes. It's a distinctly light spirit in the nose, dancing playfully in a comfortable wave, like a gossamer thin curtain blowing on the breeze through an open window. Time for a sip!
Returning from a sip I find a warm cast iron wood stove lit to stave off winter's cold pouring in. There's certainly plenty of tart crust and crumbly cobbler aromas interwoven throughout this glass. Deeper inhales transport me to a cozy pub with wood tones abound, instilling a quiet mind, a widening smile, and a comfortable state of nostalgia. It's a light and ephemeral whisky, one that's not readily picked apart, that dances along the edges of memories not fully remembered, but distinctly felt. Later in the experience some darker tones prevail, like the damp air of an old town lined in cobblestone. The empty glass smells of light lavender, mountain moss, and dried apricot.
Palate: My first taste reveals a surprisingly cacophonous flavor explosion: peach, pear, and currant zip across the tongue in a tantalizingly quick flash of emotion. Another sip is less bashing and more cohesive as milk chocolate, coffee bean, raisin, and cherry cobbler slowly ooze over the taste buds. Sipping later in the glass shows off a well put together whisky, one that doesn't boast nearly as much fruit as I might have expected given the introduction, but shines in its oiliness and creaminess in the mouth. The finish is low, slow, and undulating with notes of vanilla bean custard and Spanish flan.
TL;DR: Soft sipping whisky that perfectly nails the cobbler crust notes, but isn't quite fruity
Rating: 3.5/5
This is a wonderful sipping whisky. My only qualm might be the price tag, when similarly oily and flavorful 14 year expressions simultaneously exist at around the $80 price point. I can certainly understand the inputs that Nc'nean are using are more costly than most other distillery counterparts, but I'm not sure the full potential of those design decisions have been realized in their aged spirit as of yet. I look forward to watching this distillery with bated breath as Annabel Thomas and team continue to innovate marvelously in the whisky world!
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