Nc'nean Huntress Orchard Cobbler Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

Annabel Thomas was a management consultant in the United Kingdom. In 2013, she dreamed of having her family start a distillery. Annabel stepped away from her consulting job and trekked to Islay to learn how whisky was made. What she saw disappointed her.

 

She discovered that distilleries used non-organic barley and a lot of gas, electricity, and oil during production. Annabel believed a distillery could produce great whiskey while being Earth-friendly, so she started raising money to make that happen.

 

In the meantime, she consulted with Dr. Jim Swan to set things up as she wanted. Dr. Swan helped design the distillery, and four years later, Annabel was distilling her organic Highland Scotch whisky and releasing it to the public in 2020. The Nc’nean Distillery was no longer just a dream!

 

Nc’nean is, without a doubt, an unusual name. It is a shortened version of Neachneohain, an ancient Gaelic goddess known as the Queen of Spirits and defender of nature.

 

She procures her barley from Scotland’s east coast and tinkers with yeasts used typically for wine and rum production. Fermentation occurs over five days. The distillery is entirely fueled by renewable energy. Once fully matured, the whisky is packaged in 100% recyclable glass bottles. Nc’nean was the first distillery in the UK to do this.

 

Nc’nean is B-Corp certified, meaning it adheres to strict, verifiable, and often reviewed standards that include environmental issues and accounting, hiring, legal, and others. In 2021, it was the first whisky distillery in the UK verified as net zero emissions for scopes 1 and 2 and carbon neutral for scope 3.

 

Today, I’ll explore Nc’nean’s Huntress Orchard Cobbler Organic Single Malt Scotch Whisky, a limited-edition run of 6153 - 700ml bottles worldwide.

 

“We run two different spirit runs each year, one for whisky set to be released at a younger age, and one set to be released after ten plus years. The spirit matured for Huntress Orchard Cobbler comes from the distillation in the week after this spirit recipe is switched over – 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 desserts.”– Nc’nean Distillery

 

Huntress Orchard Cobbler is distilled from 100% organic Scottish barley. Both Anchor and Fermentus yeasts were used. Aged at least four years, Nc’nean was kind enough to provide a breakdown of the cooperage involved: 66% STR red wine casks, 31% ex-Bourbon barrels, and 3% former Sherry casks. The whisky was then bottled at 48.5% ABV (97°). It is non-chill filtered and certified organic as GB-ORG-06 by the Biodynamic Agricultural Association. It has a suggested price of $120.00.

 

I must thank ImpEx Beverages, the exclusive USA distributor for Nc’nean, for this #DrinkCurious opportunity. They were kind enough to provide me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I poured this whisky into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. Its color was bright gold. A medium rim formed, discharging thick, crazed tears.

 

Nose: The fruity, fragrant aroma included smells of peaches, apricots, pears, honey, and cherries. I inhaled that vapor into my mouth and encountered baked apples.

 

Palate: Huntress Orchard Cobbler’s texture was creamy, and it felt like it was melting across my tongue. I tasted cherries, apricots, and honey on the front of my palate. Next came flavors of honey, pastry, and almonds. The back included vanilla, oak, and a wisp of smoky peat.

 

Finish: That kiss of smoke stuck slowly built as the finish lingered. The whisky featured vanilla pudding, oak, apricots, honey, and pastry notes. The duration clocked in at 2:02, making it very long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: This unpeated Highland single malt Scotch will impress you if you enjoy fruity Scotches (who doesn’t?). Its peat-like smoke is more of a complimentary cameo than a note you’ll hone in on. There is absolutely nothing to dislike and everything to love. Nc’nean Huntress Orchard Cobbler is one of those whiskies where the price is irrelevant, and easily takes my Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.