Annabel Thomas

INDEPENDENT ORGANIC WHISKY DISTILLERY LAUNCHES LIMITED EDITION CASKS FOR 2020

Scotland’s leading 100% organic whisky distillery Nc’nean launches 60 limited edition casks to the public – an exciting opportunity to own one of the premium, personalised barrels, filled with spirit distilled in the year of the distillery’s first ever release.

To celebrate the defining year for Nc’nean and to acknowledge the historic importance of 2020, the distillery will stencil each cask with ‘Hope lies in dreams’.

“An acknowledgment of the global changes, challenges and hope that 2020 has come to represent to many” says Annabel Thomas, founder of Nc’nean.

Nc’nean is a young, independent, organic whisky distillery with a strong sustainable ethos and innovative approach to spirit making.

Made by nature, not by rules.
£3,000 – £4,600
www.ncnean.com/pages/buy-a-cask 

Pioneering sustainable production, Nc’nean is excited to launch 60 limited edition casks to the public, with the latest addition of specially selected seasoned sherry casks as well as the previously available ex-Bourbon or STR ex-wine barrels. Each specially chosen to offer a distinct taste derived from active properties in the wood after five to ten years of maturation. The sherry barrel will develop sweet notes of
dried fruit and toasted nuts, the perfect balance between sweet and savoury.

2020 marks a year of new and exciting developments as well as a year of challenge and change at the distillery, and to celebrate such a defining year, Nc’nean will hand paint ‘Hope lies in dreams’ on each of the limited edition casks.

Annabel Thomas speaks on the limited edition cask release, “2020 has been the most anticipated year for us here at Nc’nean, our whisky release has been in planning and prep for seven years. Like the rest of the world we’ve had to adapt, re-think and do things differently, something we’re well versed in.

A quote which has stuck with me throughout these challenging times is “Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality” by influential physician and medical researcher Jonas Salk; so we will be stencilling ‘Hope lies in dreams’ onto the end of each 2020 cask.

We aim to put sustainability at the forefront of all we do here at Nc’nean, and in some ways 2020 feels like the perfect backdrop to driving change in our industry and the world’s approach to nature.

With our maiden whisky release just months away, we are releasing our next 60 casks as part of our private cask programme and wanted to make them even more special, acknowledging the global shift we’ve seen during 2020.

Nc’nean is a company which lives by the values of sustainability and diversity in a traditional industry, we hope 2020 and our approach will inspire others to take on the change our society and planet so badly need.”

Protectors of nature, Nc’nean leads the way within the whisky industry, promoting environmental change in the world of spirits, and challenging the ingrained stereotypes of whisky distilling, bringing diversity and inclusion to the whisky industry.

Nc’nean only uses renewable sources for its energy, is certified organic by the Biodynamic Association and is a proud zero waste distillery. Leftover barley feeds cows on the farm and waste pot ale from distilling is spread on local farmland as fertiliser. Nothing is wasted.

The casks are filled with Nc’nean’s 63% ABV new-make spirit which has been distilled in the year of the distillery’s first release, a remarkable moment in the distillery’s journey so far.

Each holding 195 – 220 litres, yielding over 300 bottles at 46% ABV after 5 years. The barrels are priced between £3,000 – £4,600, depending on the selected cask type and initial maturation period.

SEASONED SHERRY CASK £4,100

An exciting new edition this year, seasoned sherry casks are carefully selected to ensure a unique and complex taste once matured. Popular with lovers of fruit forward single malts, each barrel is expected to hold about 360 bottles at 46% ABV after five years.

EX – BOURBON CASK £3,000

Ex-Bourbon casks are filled with Nc’nean’s new-make spirit at 63% abv and will hold approximately 195 litres. After the “angel’s share” (natural evaporation), the barrel is expected to hold about 320 bottles at 46% ABV after five years.

STR EX – WINE CASK £3,900

Larger than ex-bourbon casks, specially selected ex-wine casks are sourced frompremium wineries in the US and Europe and specially treated in Spain or Portugal to improve their characteristics for whisky maturation. All ex-wine casks are STR treated, with the barrel expected to hold about 360 bottles at 46% ABV after five years.

CHOOSE A DIFFERENT SPIRIT RECIPE FOR A LONGER MATURATION +£500

Normally, Nc’nean uses a specific mashing approach, a fruity yeast combination and high cut points to create a whisky that will be perfect for drinking in about five years. Unique to Nc’nean, the distillery also offers a second style of spirit (adjusted mashing, yeast recipes and cut points) to create a whisky that will be perfect in ten years, but will not be ready in five years. This offer includes an additional five years of storage and insurance in the warehouses.

Samples will be taken each year to monitor the maturation and buyers will have the opportunity to extend the period after initial maturation should they wish.

Nc’nean is curious and creative in it’s approach to whisky making. The distillery practices longer mashing times and slower fermentation, and experimenting with yeasts not commonly used in distilling to create a striking spirit like no other. 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.

Notes

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 Scotch 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 STR casks.

The Nc’nean ethos of sustainable production is embedded in everything it does. It is Scotland’s leading organic whisky distillery and uses only renewable sources for its energy. The leftover grain feeds the cows on the farm and the waste products are spread on the fields as fertiliser. Nothing is wasted.

Its first single malt whisky will be released in late summer 2020.

*International Spirits Challenge 2019 – Silver medal; Wizards of whisky 2020 – Gold Medal

About Annabel Thomas

Annabel grew up in Essex and she spent her childhood summers making the 12 hour journey to family holidays on the west coast of Scotland, north of the Nc’nean whisky distillery. It was through these magical journeys of expectation and experiences of the mountains, the views and the sea, that Annabel fell in love with Scotland.The inspiration for the distillery came from a combination of two things. It began with a trip to Islay where Annabel witnessed first hand that many Scotch distilleries do things in a very similar way and often the way things had always been done, and she left wondering whether there was scope to do things differently. The second was the location itself – Annabel’s parents bought the land that the distillery is on more than 10 years ago – an area of Scotland that is wild, beautiful and in many ways perfect for a whisky distillery. From these beginnings Annabel started to develop the idea to create a distillery that practices another
of her great passions – sustainability.

The Nc’nean whisky distillery was born: a distillery made by nature, not by rules.

A Single Malt Exclusive from the Hidden Gem of the Highlands
2006 Balblair 13 Year Old K&L Exclusive Cask No. 76 Spanish Oak Oloroso Seasoned Butt Cask Strength Single Cask Highland Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($109.99)
“…few sherried malts will offer so much and cost so little.”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L SoCal Spirits Buyer

NOTE: Our walk-in retail locations are currently closed. We have curbside pickup and low cost (often free) delivery options available in ZIP codes where we can ship lawfully, including anywhere in California. We can also include any new or existing will call orders in your delivery batch. Choose local delivery at checkout to learn if you qualify.

When it comes to Highland distilleries, Balblair remains under-the-radar for many collectors. This is a shame, as the malts coming from here are among the most artfully crafted in the region. Our spirits team visited Balblair in the town of Edderton last year and tasted through an array of casks—the most compelling of which was this 13-year rendition. Aged in oloroso-seasoned Spanish oak, it is every bit the powerhouse you’d expect it to be. As our SoCal spirits buyer, David Othernin-Girard describes it, this cask-strength stunner offers flavors of “graham crackers, Christmas cake, sandalwood, coffee caramel candy, burnt Seville orange peel and English breakfast tea.” Calling this dram complex would be a huge understatement. We’d rank it among the finest sherry-influenced casks we’ve seen this year and is a bottling no single malt enthusiast will want to miss. Because of Balblair’s relative anonymity, its whiskies don’t command the premium some of its more illustrious neighbors do. This makes it a real boon for collectors, as Balblair offers some of the best values to be found in the world of single malt Scotch. If you love a sherry “bomb” as much as we do, then you will be well served by adding this masterwork to your collection. You’ll need to hurry though, as supplies are limited.

2006 Balblair 13 Year Old K&L Exclusive Cask No. 76 Spanish Oak Oloroso Seasoned Butt Cask Strength Single Cask Highland Single Malt Whisky (750ml) (ships as 1.5L) ($109.99)

The wonderful Balblair Distillery has long been under the radar. In the little town on Edderton on the northern coast of Scotland at the southern edge of the Dornoch firth, this great distillery has never garnered the fanfare of its prominent neighbor just a few miles down the road in Tain. The distillery was originally founded in 1790 and then rebuilt in 1895, but closed during World War I. It wasn’t until 1949 that Hiram Walker fired the old plant up again. Many buildings from the 1870s still stand on the site, but the excellent malt has remained more less unknown to modern drinkers. It was not until Inver House Distillers took control of the distillery in 1996 that we began to see the malt available internationally, and a large investment by Thai Beverage in 2001 set a course for a new chapter in the excellent distillery’s history. Over the last two decades the distillery has become famous for its vintage bottlings and odd squat bottles. Our buyers, Andrew and David, visited the distillery in spring of 2019 to select a cask and meet distillery manager John MacDonald. This barrel is Spanish oak, unlike the vast majority of oloroso butts we see. In addition, it held for many years oloroso wine vinified outside of the sherry triangle, about 140 miles northeast in the region of Montilla-Moriles. The combo of Spanish oak and old Montilla is a rare and welcome surprise. The resulting malt is a big, dark oloroso bomb with powerful spice and unctuous texture.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 09, 2020

The wonderful Balblair Distillery remains more or less unsung except for a few lucky drinkers who go out of their way to find releases from this special distillery. Gordon & Macphail has also bottled a number of extremely high quality casks, as well as including the line in its wonderful “Distillery Label” series. Our first cask of Balblair came last year with the opening up from most of the Inver House Distilleries to this new wave of OB single cask bottlings we’re currently seeing. So we thought it appropriate to see the distillery and traveled to the very north of Scotland to meet distillery manager John MacDonald. He’s good fun and a wealth of knowledge, but the real star of the day was this awesome cask from 2006. There were some older whiskies on offer that day, but this bad boy checked all the boxes and amazingly the distillery honored the pre-tariff pricing that was agreed upon when we ordered back in spring of 2019. Let’s see how it tastes. Color: Auburn. Nose: It starts a bit subtle, which is a surprise considering the color. With some air we start to take off! Graham crackers, Christmas cake, sandalwood, coffee caramel candy, burnt Seville orange peel and English breakfast tea. Palate: Full bodied. Weighty, round, oily. Up front dried golden raisins, roasted almonds, building clove and touches of pepper. Long, lingering, warming spice builds on the finish. A tiny drop of water opens the nose, but retains the a similar profile. Adding red fruits, cherries and currents, on the palate we’ve totally opened up. The spice is turned down a bit with the caramel and dark cherry coming through up front. As it travels tons of sweet orchard fruits—apricots, plums and poached pears—come through. Extremely open and drinkable after a drop of water, but never dropping the bold complexity and unbelievable texture. This is probably a sleeper considering how few people understand the potential of this great distillery, but few sherried malts will offer so much and cost so little this year. If the Glendronach 11 year wasn’t bold enough for you, then this gorgeous cask will probably suit you perfectly.

Don’t miss these incredible whisky deals!

We’re taking up to 43% some of the biggest brands in whisky (Hakushu, Highland Park, Talisker, anyone?).

These deals are around for a limited time only (and while stocks last) – head over to our whisky sale to take a look for yourself.

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Nestled in the valley of Forgue, deep in the East Highland hills, is The GlenDronach, one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, creating the finest richly sherried single malts for nearly 200 years.

BROWSE OUR FULL THE GLENDRONACH RANGE HERE

Saturday August 1st, 5:30PM:  The Macallan

Established in Speyside in 1824, Macallan has produced some of the most highly-sought after whiskies in the world. Discover scotch history, behind-the-scenes distillery knowledge, and learn about new and rare releases at this virtual tasting, with distillery representatives and whisky experts present for all your whisky questions.

Tasting Pourlist:

Macallan 12 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask

Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask

Macallan 15 Year Old Double Cask

Click Here to RSVP

10% Off all Macallan with coupon code ‘VIRTUAL‘ at checkout

Barclays backs Glasgow Distillery’s global growth plans

The Glasgow Distillery Company has secured a £5.5m asset based lending facility from Barclays to support its international growth plans. In addition, Barclays has assumed full day to day banking for the distillery which re-opened in 2014 becoming the first independent single malt whisky distillery in Glasgow for over 100 years.

The funding will provide working capital to invest in increasing whisky stocks and continuing The Glasgow Distillery Company’s international expansion. While Europe is currently its biggest export market, the company has seen strong growth in Asia this year. New retail contracts have been secured in Russia with distribution deals currently being developed in Belgium and Luxembourg.

New product development is core to the distillery’s growth plans and in the last two months it has successfully launched two new products, further expanding its award winning range.

The Glasgow Distillery Company has remained operational throughout the current pandemic and pivoted its business to add hand sanitiser to production schedules and maximise e-commerce opportunities, growing online direct-to-consumer sales by 500%. The team has also created a virtual tasting experience, investing in a fully equipped tasting room which will be used to take the distillery tour to international buyers, tackling the challenge of travel restrictions.

Ian McDougall, Finance Director and Co-founder of the Glasgow Distillery Company said “We’re delighted Barclays has chosen to back the next stage of our growth plans, especially in such difficult economic circumstances. This investment will help finance our strategy to respond to increasing worldwide demand for our products. We have ambitious plans and, with the support of Barclays, our customers, suppliers and employees we are confident of our future success.”

The Barclays team was led by Stuart McAleese, Relationship Director, and Mike Kempton-Smith, Asset Based Lending.

Stuart McAleese, Relationship Director at Barclays Corporate Banking said: “The Glasgow Distillery Company is a great example of an organisation with a solid forward-thinking business plan that’s clearly focussed on continued and strategic growth. We worked closely with the founders, applying our industry expertise and understanding of the whisky sector to tailor a bespoke asset based lending funding package that will support further expansion of their award winning product range and international market reach.”

Founders Liam Hughes, Mike Hayward and Ian McDougall revived The Glasgow Distillery Company which originally opened in 1770 before closing in the early 20^th century. The business now employs 24 staff and produces The Glasgow 1770 Single Malt Signature range and Malt Riot Blended Malt as well as Makar Gin, Banditti Club Spiced Rum and G52 Botanical Vodka.

Notes

About Barclays 

Barclays is a British universal bank.  We are diversified by business, by different types of customers and clients, and by geography.  Our businesses include consumer banking and payments operations around the world, as well as a top-tier, full service, global corporate and investment bank, all of which are supported by our service company which provides technology, operations and functional services across the Group.

Glenfarclas Distillery and BI Wine and Spirits team up to bring the Spirit of Speyside to all

Though the Spirit of Speyside whisky festival, set to take place in late April, had to be cancelled due to Covid-19, the family owned Glenfarclas distillery and London based merchant BI Wine and Spirits have teamed up to release the 2020 distillery exclusive. BI will be donating 10% of sales of this unique whisky to the Moray Food Plus foodbank. The foodbank was selected in recognition of the amazing work that they do to help tackle the difficulties of food insecurity in the local Speyside community.

‘The impact of the pandemic has been widespread and has affected all in some form or another, so teaming up with BI to ensure the 2020 release was made available to those unable to make it up to the distillery was an easy decision to make’, says George Grant, Glenfarclas Sales Director and 6^th Generation family member.

Each year, different members from the Glenfarclas distillery team choose a whisky to be sold as the limited release at the festival. The honour of choosing the 2020 exclusive went to the team at the very heart of the whisky making process – the still men. John, Jimmy and Graham enjoyed a break from their day job and were delighted by the opportunity to sample some of the great casks resting at the distillery. Rumour has it, the chosen cask was the first that they sampled – but ever the professionals they are, they tried many more, just to be sure.

The so-called ‘Stillmen’s Dram’ is a single cask bottling of 2009 liquid. Aged for 10 years in First-Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt #1446, this release was bottled at a cask of 60.1% resulting in a limited run of 658 bottles. Offering a complex balance of rich candied fruit and sherry oak spice, this dram is a must have for any lover of Glenfarclas.

The bottles will be made available for purchase from the 18^th July 2020 through BI Wine and Spirits’ online platform with an RSP of £100.

Gary Boom, BI’s Managing Director, said:

“BI has always been proud to work with the Glenfarclas distillery. It is a rare family owned business that has retained its integrity throughout the years. That integrity shines through with this bottling and the decision to donate 10% of profits to the Moray Food Plus was an easy decision to make. I am delighted that BI is able to team up with Glenfarclas to bring the release to collectors and drinkers who were perhaps unable to make it up to the distillery due to the global pandemic. I am thrilled the Spirit of Speyside lives on.’

George Grant, Glenfarclas Sales Director and Sixth Generation Family Member, said:

“The impact of the pandemic has been widespread and has affected all in some form or another, so teaming up with BI to ensure the 2020 release was made available to those unable to make it up to the distillery in late April was an easy decision to make. The Moray Food Plus was an obvious charity to pick as the work that they do across the Speyside community is nothing short of outstanding.”

Available at www.BIwine.com 

About BI: 

Established in 1997, BI (www.biwine.com) has grown to become a leading global fine wine merchant. Founded by South African-born Gary Boom, BI’s aim is to make the world of fine wine accessible to a broader audience. The Company has offices in London, Hong Kong, Singapore and Los Angeles, as well as a rapidly growing international customer base.

In July 2018 BI was named ‘Bordeaux Specialist of the Year’ at both the International Wine Challenge Merchant Awards, having previous won this award in 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010 and 2008. In addition in 2016 and 2015 BI was named ‘Fine Wine Retailer of the Year’ by the industry’s leading publication, The Drinks Business, and was awarded ‘Bordeaux Specialist Retailer’ at the 2015 and 2014 Decanter Retailer of the Year awards.

Innovation has always been at the heart of the business.  In 2009 BI launched LiveTrade, the world’s first online wine trading platform; as the only provider of live bid and offer prices for top Bordeaux and other regions, LiveTrade guarantees liquidity to the fine wine market.

This has certainly been a colourful year, one we hope you will remember for all good reasons. For us it has been a time of great togetherness, bringing our members around the world closer with a huge shift in activity onto our ‘virtual’ Members’ Rooms. We have done everything we can to keep the Society spirit alive and well online and we are grateful to have you as part of our whisky family.

VIEW THE SOCIETY IN ACTION

BIG THANKS FROM US

There are no words to express just how much we appreciate you staying with us through these difficult few months, without your support the Society would cease to exist, it is as simple as that. With this in mind, we would like to offer some Society gifts that say a BIG THANKS from us.

SAVE £10 ON TASTING TICKETS

We are looking forward to physically enjoying a dram (or five) with our members in the coming weeks. We expect our tasting programme to be fully up and running again from August. So you don’t miss out, we would like to offer you a £10 saving on a local tasting ticket for you and a guest. Alternatively, use our online promo code now to enjoy a £10 saving on a Virtual Tasting pack.

To enjoy the online offer, use the promo code ALLTOGETHERTASTINGTWO when booking your tasting tickets OR Virtual Tasting pack. The discount can be applied to two tickets or packs in your basket. Both offers are valid until Wednesday 30, September.

SAMPLE OUR HAND-PICKED BOTTLINGS

We have selected two bottles to mark the times, whiskies we know will be much-loved among members. Cask 35.265: Meditation and medication and 7.246: Conversations and ruminations have been hand-picked in recognition of our members coming together through lockdown.

From now until Wednesday 30, September, visit us at a local tasting and enjoy a free take away dram from one of these special bottlings to enjoy at home. Get in touch soon to arrange your tasting tickets and avoid any disappointment, bottles are limited in availability.

SAVE £15 ON YOUR FAVOURITE

If you fall in love these hand-picked bottlings, you will be able to enjoy a £15 saving on each. Just ask us when you visit or click over to our website. Bottles will be available to buy from Monday, 20 July.

SEE BOTTLING LIST NOW

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN VISITING US

We’ve had to make a few changes to meet Government guidance surrounding re-opening our Members’ Room, as you can imagine the health and safety of our members is our top priority. Click over to our blog for more details on what to expect when visiting, along with opening hours.

MORE DETAILS

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

We’ve updated our auction schedule and from this month all auctions will now start on a Monday and run for 7 days. Closing dates for the auction remain the same; on the first Sunday of each month. This allows us to extend our bottle deadline, giving you a little more time to get your bottles in to the month’s auction.

Please check out our updated auction schedule here!

All the best from The SWA Team in Glasgow.

mail@scotchwhiskyauctions.com

Scotch Whisky Auctions · Unit C 139 Lancefield Street · Glasgow, Scotland G3 8HZ · United Kingdom