Hall of Fame

Stephanie Macleod is accomplished in the sensory analyses of whisky, with specific training in the fine art of blending. She began her career in whisky as a sensory analyst at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, working on a project which attempted to unlock the maturation secrets of Scotch whisky. In 1998, Macleod joined John Dewar & Sons in the spirit-quality laboratories at the company’s head office in Glasgow. Becoming blender designate in 2003, she began her official three-year training with former master blender Tom Aitken, before stepping in to the role herself in 2006, becoming the first female master blender for Dewar’s. With the expansion of the Scotch whisky portfolio in 2014, John Dewar & Sons launched multiple age expressions from all five of its malt distilleries, and malt master was added to the master blender title. Painstakingly nosing each cask to monitor maturation and flavour development in John Dewar’s & Sons extensive cask inventory, the traditional use of Macleod’s expert sensory skills ensures that every whisky bottled is complex, balanced, and brimming with distillery character.