McCallum joins Scottish Leader as lead blender

Scottish Leader has appointed Kirstie McCallum to the newly created role of lead blender. 

Kirstie will be supported by a 15-strong blending team, dedicated to batch producing its premium Scottish Leader blends. With nearly 400 years’ combined experience, the blending team offers an high level of expertise to consistently produce perfectly-balanced, full-bodied whiskies, that are enjoyed across the globe.

Kirstie has extensive technical experience in the industry, coupled with her knowledge and passion for the brand, she was the obvious choice to take the Scottish Leader brand forward. Having worked at Burn Stewart Distillers and Distell for nearly 10 years, Kirstie has an acute understanding of the Scottish Leader blend. Her dynamic, forward-thinking outlook is the epitome of the brand's ‘new perspectives, richer possibilities’ ethos and this will be key, as Scottish Leader evolves and innovates to meet the needs of whisky lovers old and new.

As a relative newcomer to the blended Scotch market, Scottish Leader has taken a more contemporary and collaborative approach than many of the brands in the market, which focus on heritage and tradition. 

Kirstie McCallum says: “Being at the forefront of such a forward-thinking brand is really refreshing. The collaborative approach will allow us to excel in producing the unique, quality blends that Scottish Leader is known for, while also creating the opportunity for the brand to innovate as part of its journey in the future and to attract new audiences.”

Michael Lloyd, global marketing manager for Scottish Leader, says: “This change is timely as it allows us to further embrace our ‘new perspectives’ ethos and move away from the heritage-driven requirement to have a master blender in order to evoke authenticity.

“Having entered an extremely established market, Scottish Leader is an unapologetically young brand, that aims to challenge tradition and break the mould. By adopting a collaborative approach to producing premium blends, introducing innovations and embracing ‘richer possibilities’, the brand will breathe fresh life into an ageing sector with a ‘new perspective’.”

6 June 2016 - Rebecca Sterritt Paragraph Publishing, content manager