Nc’Nean organic peat-free whisky (try a dram!)
Nc’nean Organic Malt Whisky (Scotland) is the first malt whisky to be made without peat. Featuring notes of citrus, peach, apricot and spice – it’s perfect for drinking neat, on the rocks or in cocktails.
Carefully crafted from Scottish barley, this whisky is matured in red wine and American whisky barrels, and sold in a recycled glass bottle.
Whisky is one of the world’s most popular spirits. Named after the Gaelic term for ‘water of life’, it’s a distilled alcohol spirit made from fermenting grain mash (barley, corn, rye or wheat), then aging in wooden asks.
It has a minimum of 40% alcohol and tends to be made in Scotland, Ireland or the Deep South (bourbon is made from at least 51% corn and aged in charred oak barrels).
Most artisan spirits are mixed with tonic water, and quinine should be avoided for some medical conditions (and pregnancy/nursing, but then hopefully you’re not drinking vodka anyway). Also check medication before consuming grapefruit or rhubarb tonic waters. Keep citrus fruit garnishes away from pets.
For glass bottles, cork is too dense to compost, so recycle at off licenses or send off in bulk to Recorked (don’t leave them lying around, they are choking hazards).
Why Avoid Peat in Whisky?
Most brands of whisky use peat for flavour. But this has a huge environmental impact, as peatlands are essential ecosystems for biodiversity and carbon storage, the reason why eco campaigners ask people to never buy peat compost).
The whisky industry actually uses a small amount of that extracted, but it’s enough to damage. Peatlands are carbon sinks, so when harvested, accelerate climate change and also remove vital habitats for endangered wildlife, and even cause floods.
Around 80% of UK peatlands are already degraded, much of it in beautiful Scotland, which is where of course most whisky is made. Sustainable brands are now using other methods (like heather, seaweed and local wood smoke) to replicate the same whisky flavours, without peat.
One innovative idea is also to use ex-peated casks that give the same smoky aroma, without extracting new peat. Many people also prefer lighter floral and citrus whiskies, over the heavily almost medicinal tarry profile of peat whisky.
The founder of this brand spent four years building a distillery on Scotland’s west coast, which is powered by clean energy. You can even pop the biodegradable temper in your compost bin. The waste pot ale is spread on local farms as a fertiliser, and leftover barley offers a tasty meal for local cows.
Quiet Rebels is by the same whisky brand, a seasonal treat of spiced plum jam, candied orange peel and vegan crème brûlée.
There is even a limited edition ‘vegan malted teacake’ whisky!
NcNean Botanical Spirit (with organic Scottish plants)
Nc’Nean Botanical Spirit is a gin alternative, made with organic botanicals like juniper, coriander, angelica, liquorice, chamomile and grapefruit. Blended with local Scottish plants, for a malty fruity drink.
This spirit is from one of Scotland’s finest organic peat-free whisky brands, that has super policies on sustainability, from the packaging to refill schemes to organic ingredients and water usage.
How to serve NcNean botanical spirit
- Fill a glass with ice
- Serve with tonic water
- Garnish with a slice of grapefruit
