The world of whisky has been a man’s domain for most of its history. But a band of few spirited women is breaking that mould, as female distillers and master blenders lead the way. Stephanie MacLeod, Director of Blending, Scotch Whisky, Bacardi, is one such. One the occassion of World Whisky Day (May 18) — the Master Blender of the Year (awarded by the International Whisky Competition (IWC) every year since 2019 — discusses her blending journey, and the many accolades that have come her way.
Stephanie joined John Dewar’s and Son’s in 1998, after specialising in sensorial sophistication. “I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Food Science ( University of Strathclyde, Glasgow), and was soon invited to join a research group as a sensory analyst to study the maturation and structure of scotch,” she explains.
Becoming Blender Designate in 2003, Stephanie initiated her official three-year training with the then Master Blender, Tom Aitken, before becoming the first female Master Blender for Dewar’s in 2006, and has since created six blended scotch whiskies, 21 single malt progressions, and numerous cask expressions.
Meeting the market
Stephanie — who now heads blending scotch whisky for Bacardi — is also behind creating the award-winning Dewar’s Double Double series with a unique four-stage ageing process. She says, “The art of whisky-making is deeply rooted in historic traditions, which are combined with modern techniques to create spirits of the finest quality.”
As millennials explore whisky, with their higher disposable incomes and rich travel history, the spirit has crossed over to meet them. “I have witnessed our whiskies evolve in a variety of ways to better meet the preferences of our consumers. The age profile of our whiskies has changed as we focus on creating spirits of greater maturity, with more attention paid to the types of casks used in the maturation process.” The eight year cask series developed with her guidance has blazed a trail in experimenting with various spirit casks to age blended whisky.
Stephanie is buoyant about whisky prospects in India. “I am excited by the growing interest in our whiskies from significant global markets, notably India. Modern consumers are not just curious but deeply invested in understanding the origins and craftsmanship of their whisky.” An indication of this interest is a growing number of Indian whisky connoisseurs travelling to Scotland on whisky trails.
Finally, as Stephanie’s rich blending journey crosses the quarter century mark, as one of the few women leading the fray in the whisky world, is it lonely at the top? “Currently, my team comprises more women than men, all of whom are experts selected for their extensive skills,” she says, adding, “My personal blenders and whisky stocks team boasts of exceptional blenders from Scotland, India, and Estonia. We believe that this diversity in experiences and backgrounds strengthens our team and helps us better understand the varied preferences of our global audience of whisky enthusiasts.”
