Nc'Nean Huntress Malted Teacake (2017/2026)
With its Huntress Series, the sustainable Highland distillery Nc'Nean keeps putting a single building block of its production into the spotlight. For the Malted Teacake it's the yeast – a strain borrowed from brewing Belgian-style malty ales that gives this whisky its buttery, malty signature. Maturation from 2017 to 2022 in STR Red Wine, Bourbon and Oloroso casks, bottled in January 2026 at 48.5 % ABV.
The panel
Mean 81.0 · spread 2
Value for money 2/5
- Distillery
- Nc'Nean
- Type
- Single Malt
- Region
- Highlands
- Country
- Scotland
- Strength
- 48.5% ABV
- Character
- mellow
Tasting
Nose
Very malty and grain-forward, with fresh garden herbs and a crisp Granny Smith acidity. Freshly cut, slightly damp grass, a leafy peach, and the soft creaminess that the Belgian yeast strain quietly leaves behind in the background.
Palate
Malty at the core, immediately framed by honey and warm buttered toast. A spicy layer takes over – crema catalana with its caramelised crust – alongside a velvety, almost beery undertone from the Belgian ale yeast.
Finish
Medium length. The peach from the nose returns, riper now, carried by a spicy oak grip and a last toast note that lingers.
Verdicts
Marcel
Flavour-wise it's genuinely fine – malty, buttery, with a charming Belgian-beer twist. But pricing-wise it's simply bananas: for €135 per litre I expect more depth or at least an age statement to justify the bill. What's left is a likeable Highland malt with a nice story – the 80 points are for the liquid; the rest you'll have to negotiate with your own bank statement.
Sascha
Tastes great and has a lovely buttery, creamy texture, carried by a pleasant harmony of sweetness and spice. The Belgian ale yeast adds a slightly beery, malty twist you really don't get every day, while the STR maturation puts a clearly spicy frame around the bourbon vanilla and oloroso sweetness. In a few spots it still feels a touch young – a couple more years on wood would have added depth. For me, still a successful experiment that clearly carries the distillery's signature.
What it is worth
We do not yet hold bottle-level auction results — that sits behind Whisky Hunter’s authenticated feed. What follows is the market for Nc’nean as a whole, which sets the weather for this bottling without pricing it.
Latest mean bid £57 across 75 lots · 2024-08