A NEW distillery specialising in organic whisky has raised nearly £1 million in crowdfunding to support the launch of its debut release next year, writes Scott Wright.

Nc’nean, which began distilling in Lochaline in the Morvern area of the Highlands in March 2017, said it will also use the funds raised on the Seedrs platform to buy bottling equipment and develop its portfolio.

The distillery, founded by Annabel Thomas and Derek Lewis in 2013, is inviting investments ranging from £12 to £25,000 to support its plans, with backers receiving perks in return for their outlay. By last night 95% of the target, or more than £950,000, had been raised. Some 5.68% of the firm’s equity was available in the drive. Ms Thomas said: “We’re set to establish Nc’nean as a leader in experimental spirits and a pioneer in sustainable production. We’ve seen a real consumer demand for authentic and sustainable brands, and we believe the Scotch category has yet to tap into a new audience base by attracting them with innovative products, which is where we’re looking to build further on our success to date.”

Nc’nean has released two products to raise its profile as its whisky matures, Botanical Spirit and Aged Botanical Spirit. Botanical Spirit has been described as a mix between whisky and gin.