Whisky Focus - Rachel Barrie First Female To Join Whisky Magazine Hall Of Fame

Rachel Barrie, Master Blender for Brown Forman’s Single Malt Scotch Whisky Distilleries, has been inducted into the Whisky Magazine’s Hall of Fame.

Today Rachel holds the position of Master Blender for Brown Forman’s The GlenDronach, BenRiach and Glenglassaugh distilleries but over her 26 years in the Scotch whisky industry she has held positions with the Glenmorangie Company and Morrison Bowmore overseeing Scotch whisky brands such as Ardbeg, Glenmorangie, Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch.

On Friday 7th December, during a lunchtime ceremony the Whisky Magazine recognised her expertise and 26 year of service to the whisky industry by inducting her into their Hall of Fame, which is the highest accolade The Whisky Magazine can bestow and is their permanent tribute honouring individuals who have made a lasting contribution to the whisky world.

It may come as a surprise to you to hear that Rachel is the first woman in Scotch whisky to be recognised in this way given the amount of talented, creative and innovative females like Rachel there are in the whisky industry, but I am sure we will see others joining Rachel in the Hall of Fame in the future.

Rachel’s love of whisky began in her childhood, growing up in rural Aberdeenshire, a county in Scotland which has one of the highest concentration of distilleries in the world. Rachel studied chemistry at the University of Edinburgh 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. Earlier this year, Ms Barrie became the first female master blender to be given an honorary doctorate by the University of Edinburgh.

Commenting on her induction, Brown-Forman’s Scotch brands Master Blender, Ms Barrie said: "Being inducted into the Whisky Hall of Fame is an absolute privilege. My ambition has always been to unlock a deeper understanding of the distillation, maturation and provenance of Scotch Whisky, to develop and nurture richness of character and taste and celebrate it with the world; it’s wonderful to be recognised for this.

"Master Blenders and Distillers are guardians of quality: honouring the legacy and tradition of the past, protecting spirit quality in the present, whilst innovating and continuously improving for the future. The decisions made today provide the foundations for growth that will be built on by the master blenders and distillers that follow. Everyday I am thankful to play my part alongside our talented distillery teams in creating some of the finest whiskies in the world."

Christopher Coates, Scotch Whisky Editor of Whisky Magazine said: "Induction into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame is the most prestigious honour that we bestow on members of the global whisky industry. This was a particularly special occasion as Rachel is our first female inductee from the Scotch whisky industry and only the 55th individual to be elevated to the Hall of Fame in the twenty-year history of our publication. For more than two decades, Dr. Rachel Barrie has been at the forefront of developing some of our nation’s best-loved Single Malts and we were delighted to honour her achievements."

If you want to sample some of The GlenDronach, BenRiach and Glenglassaugh whiskies which Rachel is responsible for today you will find the current ranges available from specialist online whisky retailers such  as The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky Shop and Master of Malt although the outstanding recently re-released GlenDronach 15 Year Old Revival can prove a little difficult to get hold of due to its popularity but it is certainly worth seeking out or at least keeping in mind for the future.
 

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