Glen Moray forges ahead with new head of whisky creation role

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 31 October, 2019

Dr Kirstie McCallum is joining top Speyside distillery, Glen Moray, in a new role which puts creation and innovation at the top of the agenda.

McCallum is taking over from from Graham Coull who was master distiller at Glen Moray for 14 years.

She will enter the company in a completely new role, which will see her take “responsibility for whisky creation and stocks”, the company said.

McCallum joins from Distell International where she was senior blender for single malt brands Bunnahabhain, Deanston and Tobermory as well as the company’s blended whiskies.

In the role at Glen Moray, she will be focused on continuing and developing the legacy of brands like Glen Moray Single Malt, which has been a part of Speyside’s rural landscape since 1897.

She will also be working across other brands in parent company Martiniquaise-Bardinet’s portfolio, including Label 5 and Cutty Sark and Sir Edward’s, while looking at “opportunities to experiment with new cask types and to develop new expressions”.

The appointment comes after whisky was highlighted in William Grant & Sons’ Trending 2020 report, which catalogues the success of whisky at both the entry-level and top end of the pricing ladder.

Much of the movement at the higher end was driven by aged whisky statements.

“Higher end malt whisky brands [average price of £35+ per 70cl] now account for over £22m in the UK off-trade,” reads the report. “Similarly, malt whisky aged 15 years or more grew by over +12% in the UK on-trade compared to two years ago. This indicates healthy growth for the category, showing that shoppers and consumers are stepping further up the whisky ladder and driving significant value into the market.”

McCallum has a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Glasgow Caledonian Distillery.

She succeeds Coull who oversaw the expansion of the Glen Moray Distillery and developed several award-winning cask expressions which have become part of Glen Moray’s signature range.

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