Smiling woman in a black sweater holds a bottle in a rustic room, standing before shelves of glassware and labeled bottles against a stone wall.
Nc’nean

Whisky revisited

  • 2 min read
  • by Merle Wilkening

  • Issue

    04/2023

  • Location

    London/England

  • Photography

    Nc’nean

Annabel Thomas wants to spearhead a transformative movement within the industry and imbue whisky with an elevated allure accessible to all.

You were a management consultant before founding Nc’nean. What prompted the switch?
My family had been fostering the idea for a long time. Knowing that I was ready to leave my job in London, I finally sat down and wrote a business plan. It took two years to raise the money and another two years to build the distillery on my parents’ farm on the west coast of Scotland. We started distilling in 2017 and released our first whisky in 2020.

What do you, as a young company, intend to do differently than traditional corporations?
Everybody says: “We’re doing things the way they’ve always been done,” and I can understand wanting to uphold tradition. But none of the Scottish distilleries I visited were focused on sustainable production.

Amber glass bottle with a cork stopper nestled in frost-covered leaves and twigs.
The modern-looking, illustrated bottles are made from recycled glass.

You make certified organic whisky that’s produced with renewable, on-site energy. You also follow a zero-waste concept.
That’s always been important to me. Our goal is to pioneer sustainable production and make delicious and creative modern spirits.

Whisky is often considered a male drink, and there are not many women in the industry’s top leadership positions. What’s your take on that?
The industry isn’t exactly doing much to change that stereotype. But in my view, a lot more women like whisky than people think. And although the industry appears to be male dominated, there are actually plenty of women involved. Our team is split exactly 50/50. I want to encourage more people to try whisky, regardless of gender.

How do you set yourself apart from your male counterparts?
Having as many women as men in the company brings diversity of thought and perspective, and maybe that allows us to think outside the box. Also, being female in a male dominated world makes us memorable.

Smiling woman in a pink top and dark jeans sits on a metallic sculpture indoors, holding a glass of wine near a large window.
A hand sprinkles grain flakes into a metal tray.
Smiling young woman with short blonde hair and hoop earrings, standing outdoors in front of a stone building with ornate architectural details.

Merle Wilkening

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As a Senior Editor at GG Magazine, Merle Wilkening writes about the people, places, and ideas that shape our world. She is most in her element interviewing personalities who speak about their passions with genuine enthusiasm. Driven by curiosity, her travels regularly take her toward the sun in search of unique encounters and the stories behind the world’s most captivating destinations. Her culinary pursuits range from local neighborhood gems to Michelin-starred dining.

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