Rachel Barrie is a whiskey master blender at Morrison Bowmore and graduated from the University of Edinburgh with an MSc in Chemistry in 1991. Early life Rachel grew up in the Garioch district in the Highlands, famous for the single malt produced by Glen Garioch Distillery. Her family shared an appreciation for whisky and she took this with her to university where, after a long day’s study, she would reward herself with a dram from the bottle of Bowmore she kept in her desk. The world of whisky After graduating with an MSc in Chemistry in 1991, Rachel demonstrated an amazing ability to identify different fragrances. This skill landed her an internship as a Research Scientist with the Scotch Whisky Research Institute and she has been honing it ever since. In 1998 she became a Product Development Manager with Glenmorangie, and worked with them for five years before earning the title of Master Blender in 2003. She has developed a range of whiskys, including the Glenmorangie Signet, which won Best Highland Malt 2011 in Whisky Magazine. New horizons After 13 years with Glenmorangie, Rachel took the position of Master Blender at Morrison Bowmore, where she still works, developing new and innovative single malts. Her most recent creation has been Bowmore Mizunara Cask Finish, a marriage of Scottish and Japanese whisky traditions, with the scotch flavoured by Japanese oak. Find Rachel on Twitter @theladyblender This article was published on 2024-03-06
