Annabel Thomas is on a mission to make whisky her way. In 2013, she set out to change the way the world thinks about whisky, especially those that come from Scotland. As the CEO and Founder of Nc’nean Distillery on the west coast of Scotland, Thomas uses every ounce of her experience (she is a former strategy consultant), and taps into her well-tested ability to get things done the right way. At the heart of the company philosophy, innovation and creativity beat strong and true. As a nod to the world around them, Nc’nean Distillery has adopted an uncompromising focus on sustainability. In July 2021, Nc’nean became the UK’s first whisky distillery to be verified as Net Zero and all its products are certified organic. The dedication goes right down to the bottle, which is 100% recycled glass. In January 2022, Nc’nean announced it was certified a B Corp.
Their award winning, organic single malt whisky has been making waves since its launch in August 2020 (including a world record-breaking £41,000 bid for the first bottle). We are proud to celebrate her career, philosophy, and future success!
Enjoy this unique opportunity to get to know a legendary Woman in Whiskey!
Why did you choose the spirits industry?
I came to the spirits industry because I wanted to create Nc’nean – I really wanted to create a Scotch that was modern, sustainable, authentic, and reflected what I felt I wanted to buy and drink. I looked at this wonderful industry – creating delicious spirits, central to the Scottish economy and culture, with incredible traditions, but one that had also put up barriers. I felt that it needed a new perspective – a forward-looking, experimental point of view that championed sustainability. I wanted to bring this wonderful drink to a wider audience and ensure the industry would still be thriving in 50 years time. And that is what I set out to create at Nc’nean. I raised the money, built the distillery from scratch in a remote part of the west coast of Scotland, and we’ve been distilling since 2017. We’re known for creating light, fruity, delicious whiskies and pioneering sustainable production – we’re 100% organic, 100% renewable energy, and even our bottles are 100% recycled glass!
What was your first job in the industry?
My current job! Before starting Nc’nean I was a management consultant in London, and whilst I did work for consumers goods and alcohol clients, I definitely would not count that as in the spirits industry. So for the last 11 years, I’ve been immersing myself in the wonderful world of Scotch, of whisky, and of spirits. And suddenly, I’ve spent more time in the spirits industry than I’ve done anything else! Time flies when you’re having fun…
Who has influenced you the most in your career? Well, this may sound strange, but probably the founders of innocent drinks, which is a smoothie and juice business based in the UK. I was lucky enough to spend just over a year working for them as part of an ‘externship’ from my previous job. Looking back, it had a profound effect on me. It was really the first time I had seen business as a force for good in the world – prior to that I’d felt there were big corporates and charities and nothing in between. But in innocent I saw something very inspiring, and it was really seeing that the Scotch industry lacked this that inspired me to create Nc’nean.
What is your favorite part of your current role?
I think it has to be seeing people trying and loving what we’ve created with Nc’nean (especially if they thought they didn’t like whisky!). But a pretty close second is being at the distillery in the summer when it’s light until midnight and having a dram with our wonderful team in the place that it’s made.
What is your current favorite pour?
In summer I adore a “Whisky Six” on a Friday night after work: two parts Nc’nean Organic, four parts soda water, over ice with a mint sprig garnish. A classic whisky and soda, but there’s a reason this drink has endured for so long, and Nc’nean works particularly well in it. So refreshing, so much to it, and the perfect sipper at 6pm on a sunny Friday evening.
As a straight up dram, I am absolutely loving Nc’nean Huntress Orchard Cobbler at the moment. We released it in April this year and it is so delicious – jammy, fruity, baked goods, peppermint. It’s sippable, delicious, and super interesting. It is the result of a week in the year where we change between different spirit recipes in the distillery and it creates this incredible fruity spirit!
