MacLeod secured the title of Master Blender of the Year in the International Whisky Competition in 2019 (All photos: Aberfeldy)
In 2019, whisky history was made when Stephanie MacLeod, malt master of luxury Scotch whisky producer Aberfeldy, secured the title of Master Blender of the Year in the International Whisky Competition. Last year, she clinched the top prize for the fifth consecutive year, altering the whisky scene forever as the world knows it.
MacLeod, who has been with Aberfeldy since 1998 and its malt master since 2006, was not always the accolade-clinching force she is today. After completing her studies, she started off in the soft drinks industry. That experience was brief, as she was soon approached by her former university supervisor to consider studying the art of crafting Scotch whisky.
The idea was not an instant hit.
“I didn’t think I knew anything about Scotch whisky and it didn’t seem particularly relevant to me,” she says. “But when I started, I was drawn into it immediately and became fascinated.”
The uninitiated may be puzzled by what makes the golden spirit so captivating for those who make, savour and collect it. For MacLeod, it was the deep complexity behind the process and its never-ending “myriad of flavours” comprising water, malted barley and yeast, aged in humble oak casks, could develop.
Freshness feeds the soul, and even after more than 20 years in the trade — the last 17 as Aberfeldy’s malt master — MacLeod lights up when she notes how much she has yet to experience and learn about her work.
“The whisky industry is so diverse and interesting that it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long,” she muses. “There’s always something new to learn about it, and that’s what kept me in the field. I’ve enjoyed every second of it.”
The whisky business and its surrounding community are known to have masculine roots and a primarily male demographic. MacLeod does not deny the field is male-dominated — most of her mentors in her starting years were men. That said, she reports that even with this gender imbalance, she has “never felt like an outsider”.
“I felt like I was brought into the fold. For Scotch whisky, we use other companies’ whiskies in the process. We exchange our products, and from that point of view, the industry is very open in the way it interacts. While there have been times when I was the only woman in the room, I always felt like a part of the group. I’ve never felt like I was struggling to be heard.”
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As a leading figure, MacLeod takes it upon herself to also be a proponent of change, delighting in the fact that most of her blending team are women, with some even coming from around the globe.
“I think it is important that I have as diverse a team as possible, because whisky isn’t just enjoyed in Scotland but all over the world,” she explains, adding that the country’s whisky industry is a huge employer, and so naturally attracts women as the rate of those in the general workforce reaches new heights.
Even with the rapidly changing attitude towards women going against traditional gender roles by leaving the household and earning independent income, MacLeod realises the fight is not yet over.
“I don’t think we can ever say our job’s done, that we can stop doing,” she states. Representation is key, something she notes from her own experience.
“When you don’t see people like you in the industry, then you don’t see yourself in it. When I was a student, it wasn’t that visible to me, and now I want it to be so for students and graduates so they actually consider it as a career. We need to keep shooting for diversity so we track that not just for a year, but for generations to come.”
Beyond nurturing a welcoming workplace, Aberfeldy itself has been highly involved in cultivating a new generation of whisky makers and lovers of all genders, races and ethnic backgrounds. This is achieved primarily through their internship and graduate programmes, in which MacLeod is highly involved. Selecting the right individuals to join the label includes fierce rounds of presentations and interviews, and the malt master was excited to see an increasingly large fraction of successful female applicants.
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“It wasn’t a box-ticking exercise or a case of positive discrimination,” she says. “They were just the best people for the job.”
Guiding youths through the whisky line has offered a new aspect of fulfilment to MacLeod’s work. After all, great leaders set up a bright future for those who come after them instead of pulling up the ladder as they rise through the ranks.
“We have these young, brilliant women coming up through the ranks and influencing how we do things. It’s been so wonderful to see, because when you’ve been in the industry for a long time, you start to take how great it is for granted. When you have these youths come on board, it just gives you a boost. Their enthusiasm is infectious.”
As women everywhere broaden their horizons and start chasing dreams their mothers and grandmothers were barred from, MacLeod hopes they keep their options open and find a place within the whisky community.
“No matter what they want to do, their ambitions can be met by joining us at Aberfeldy and the wider whisky industry,” she says, adding that regardless of one’s background in work and academia, there is a niche for them to find purpose in, from human resources and communications to lab work and finance.
This International Women’s Day, she hopes girls and women will “use that day as a platform to realise your hopes and aspirations. Take the steps to ensure you are doing what you want, and not what someone else tells you to”.
This article first appeared on Mar 4, 2024 in The Edge Malaysia.
