Rachel Barrie Inducted Into Whisky Magazine’s Hall Of Fame

Rachel Barrie, Master Blender for Brown-Forman’s Scottish stable of BenRiach, The GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh, has been inducted into Whisky Magazine’s coveted Hall of Fame. She is one of only a handful of female Master Blenders, the “top job” in the whisky industry.

Barrie’s expertise and service to the whisky industry for over 26 years was recognized by Whisky Magazine when she was inducted into their Hall of Fame during a formal ceremony on Friday, Dec. 7. The Hall of Fame is the highest accolade Whisky Magazine can bestow and is their permanent tribute honoring individuals who have made a lasting contribution to the whisky world. Earlier this year, Barrie became the first female Master Blender to be given an honorary doctorate by the University of Edinburgh.

“Being inducted into the Whisky Hall of Fame is an absolute privilege,” says Barrie. “My ambition has always been to unlock a deeper understanding of the distillation, maturation and provenance of Scotch whisky, to develop and nurture richness of character and taste and celebrate it with the world. It’s wonderful to be recognized for this.”

Barrie’s love of whisky began in her childhood, growing up in rural Aberdeenshire, a county in Scotland, which has one of the highest concentration of distilleries in the world. Barrie studied chemistry at the University of Edinburgh before beginning her career as a research scientist at the Scotch Whisky Research Institute. She has received numerous industry accolades for her work developing award-winning whiskies, in addition to judging international spirits competitions and serving on numerous industry committees.