Our People
Rachel Barrie
Master Blender
Our Master Blender Rachel Barrie has long held an affinity for The GlenDronach, having grown up not far from the distillery and introduced to our Single Malts as her Dad’s favourite dram. Rachel is a true master of her craft. Her many years of experience and expertise are brought to bear in our highly awarded Single Malts. Since joining the distillery team, Rachel has been recognised for her contributions to the Scotch Whisky industry; with an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Aberdeen, inducted as a Keeper of the Quaich and welcomed into Whisky Magazine’s illustrious ‘Hall of Fame’.
James Allardice
Founder of The GlenDronach Distillery
James Allardice was our visionary founder and the original pioneer of The GlenDronach’s exceptional sherry cask maturation. Having inherited the Boynsmill estate in 1800, Allardice had an abundance of means, methods and mastery to make his distillery vision a reality in 1826. He named The GlenDronach after the ‘Dronac Burn’ that flows through the Boynsmill estate, meaning ‘Valley of the Brambles’ in Scots Gaelic. He was a resourceful character, passionately sharing his ‘guid GlenDronach’ with the local community and on regular trips to Edinburgh. He wasted no time acquiring fresh yeast from his nephew Robert Davidson – who was an inventive chemist – and high-quality barley from local farmers Robert Stuart and John R Thain. To this day, we take great pride in honouring the legacy laid down by James Allardice; an early innovator of sherry cask maturation, and a most enterprising, charismatic and skilled whisky maker.
Stewart Buchanan
Global Brand Ambassador
Former Benriach distillery manager Stewart Buchanan is now our well-travelled Global Brand Ambassador for The GlenDronach. He is a highly experienced and passionate whisky expert, whom we rely upon to spread the word of our award-winning Single Malts amongst connoisseurs around the world – just as James Allardice once did across Scotland. Stewart is the Brand Ambassador for The GlenDronach, and also the Benriach and Glenglassaugh distilleries.
Kirsten Ainslie
Assistant Master Blender
Kirsten is our Assistant Blender to Rachel Barrie, working closely with her on all aspects of the blender’s craft, including spirit quality, product development and innovation, cask selection, whisky and wood management. After experience bartending during university, Kirsten moved into production, building her foundations in whisky and gin distillation in Edinburgh. She looks forward to building on the legacy of maturing and marrying different casks at Benriach, crafting whiskies to be enjoyed by newcomers and connoisseurs alike.
