As one of only a handful of female master blenders in the world, Rachel Barrie's refined tastes and keen sense of smell are key to creating some of the finest Scotch whiskies.
Now in her 30th year in the industry, she grew up in Aberdeenshire in Scotland and learned to surf at Sandend bay, which Glenglassaugh overlooks, while also going gliding in the Speyside sky looking over BenRiach.
Barrie was educated at the Inverurie Academy and studied chemistry at the University of Edinburgh, graduating with honours before beginning her career as a research scientist at the Scotch Whisky Research Institute. She has received numerous industry accolades for her work developing award-winning whiskies, in addition to judging international spirits competitions and serving on numerous industry committees.
Barrie moved into production at The Glenmorangie Company, where she worked on Glenmorangie, Ardbeg and Glen Moray single malts, as well as Bailie Nicol Jarvie and Martin’s blends, becoming master blender in 2003 - the first woman to do so. During this time she also managed the stocks for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, giving her a deeper insight into a great many more distilleries.
She moved to Morrison Bowmore Distillers in 2011, developing the Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch single malts, as well as working latterly with Laphroaig and Ardmore.
Then in 2017, she she joined the Brown-Forman family as master blender for The GlenDronach, BenRiach and Glenglassaugh distilleries.
In July 2018, Barrie was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Edinburgh for services to the whisky industry and for her understanding of the alchemy of whisky.
We last wrote about you four years ago when the honorary degree was given - how has the business you work for and the wider industry changed since then?
The industry continues to evolve. When I first started working we were in a very different place and even over the last four years, the sector has continued to change.
I’d have to say firstly that increasingly collaborative ways of working and improvements in communications and analytics have led to greater inclusion and sharing of ideas and information. Nowadays, it’s getting easier to join everything together in terms of whisky creation, from the distillery to the warehouse, quality, delivery and the end drinker, across the world.
I think the love people have for Scotch whisky across the world just keeps getting stronger. It connects people and stimulates discussion, as people can understand the diversity of style and richness of character.
As an industry, there is a tremendous camaraderie, which just keeps increasing day-by-day. We are all connected through the Scotch Whisky Association, the Scotch Whisky Research Institute, and even through the various whisky communities on social media.
Our collective quest as an industry is to educate and introduce Scotch whisky to new consumers across the world. There is much to share and celebrate.
Your production team in Scotland is now 60% female, but during your time in the sector, how has the gender disparity changed - and what more could be done?
Over the past 30 years, it has been wonderful to observe and influence the growth of diversity and inclusion in the whisky industry.
With the most diverse and complex spirit in the world, the industry mirrors this through its people, employing a balanced workforce, both male and female, and from baby boomers to millennials.
The whisky business celebrates the individuality of character seen both in its people and whiskies. With a focus on skills, competency, creativity and collaboration, we share fresh perspectives, find solutions, learn from each other, work together, innovate and break new ground. The opportunities to positively disrupt the norm and grow for good have never been greater.
It’s a great time for women to be working in the industry. Without a doubt, there are more women involved in whisky-making than ever before. With increasing skills, knowledge, experience and competency, women are influencing production and marketing, finance and sales, and through inclusive discussion and education, a broader audience can be reached, enriching the experience for all.
Last year we recruited Kirsten Ainslie into the role of assistant blender, so it’s been fantastic working with her on spirit quality, product development and innovation, cask selection, whisky and wood management.
It’s a really exciting time for Benriach, The GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh and welcoming Kirsten to the team signals our long term commitment to investing into and growing our wonderful single malts. Nurturing young talent is an important part of what we do at Brown-Forman and she certainly has a good nose for the job.
How is Brown-Forman looking to improve things in this area?
When I first started working for Brown-Forman, they invited me to be part of their Women of High Spirits event. It was a gathering of women who worked in what as then, a very much male-dominated world of spirits production.
For me, to be alongside other female leaders in the beverage industry at the time was innovative. Even back then, Brown-Forman was leading the charge. I don’t think there are many other beverage companies elevating the profile of women in whisky like it.
I strongly believe that developing and supporting women as they rise is key to attracting and retaining talent and this is something that Brown-Forman continues to do. To improve things in this area, Brown-Forman doesn’t just shout about the number of women in certain senior positions, I think it’s more about the offerings and attitudes shown on a regular basis to empower its employees.
Brown-Forman is working hard to support female employees, with many goals set for 2030.
That encompasses various development programs for women, such as the Black Female Experience Initiative focused on career progression; a women’s resource group; our GM Readiness Program to groom women for general management; internal mentorship programs; leadership goals that reflect monetary investment in female employees; advancements in employee perks - especially around personal time off and parental leave; wellness options; and goals to reach at least 50% women in the company’s professional and leadership positions.
And finally, I'm intrigued as to what your average day entails - how much is exact science and how much is nasal opinion?
A typical day can involve so many different things, so it’s hard to pin down the specifics, but let’s go for a week.
In an average week I check the quality of the distillate off the still for each distillery, manage the inventory and recipes, select the casks and approve each vatting for bottling, create new whiskies for product development and limited editions, as well as managing the wood policy and wood procurement requirements for our three distilleries.
On any day, I could be nosing whisky and writing tasting notes, planning the cask programmes for the year, or hand-selecting any of the 160 or so cask bottlings released per annum across the three distilleries.
As well as whisky-making, I have the opportunity to travel for five to six weeks each year to all corners of the globe, spreading the word of The GlenDronach, Benriach and Glenglassaugh, as well as sourcing oak casks for maturation, from Kentucky to Spain. A big part of my job is to shape the future of each distillery, and bring each to life through bespoke, considered maturation in quality oak casks.
The master blender role comprises equal parts chemistry and artistry.
While science underpins the creation of any great whisky in terms of technical analysis, management of inventory and quality control, my role has a real creative element to it, which I often liken to an artist pulling different elements together to form a composition.
This equilibrium is one of my favourite things about the job, and it reflects who I am as a scientist and artist.
Don't miss the latest headlines with our twice-daily newsletter - sign up here for free.
