# S17 E01: Stephanie Macleod, Director of Blending, Scotch Whisky at Bacardi

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-luxury-item-with-scott-kerr-1183959/s17-e01-stephanie-macleod-director-of-blending-scotch-whisky-at-bacardi
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-luxury-item-with-scott-kerr-1183959/s17-e01-stephanie-macleod-director-of-blending-scotch-whisky-at-bacardi.md
Podcast: [The Luxury Item with Scott Kerr](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-luxury-item-with-scott-kerr-1183959)
Published: 2026-03-17T04:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/17df6a7d
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/media.transistor.fm/17df6a7d/111b12df.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-luxury-item-with-scott-kerr-1183959/episodes/s17-e01-stephanie-macleod-director-of-blending-scotch-whisky-at-bacardi
Duration seconds: 2925

## Resource

Scott Kerr speaks to Stephanie Macleod, director of blending, Scotch whisky at Bacardi. Stephanie oversees the blending and innovation for some of the world’s top luxury whisky brands, including Dewar’s Scotch whisky and Aberfeldy single malt whisky. Macleod, one of the few women in her role, discusses her journey from food science student to Dewar's award-winning master blender—only the seventh one in brand's 180-year history. Stephanie talks about what goes into designing new whisky expressions to keep drinkers engaged and moving them up in price and status, tailoring expressions to compliment regional tastes and habits, why India is a major priority for Dewar's, and why she loves being a public-facing representative of the brand. Plus: How Stephane mentors the next generation of whisky makers Featuring: Stephanie Macleod, Director of Blending, Scotch Whisky at Bacardi (bacardi.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting (silvertoneconsulting.com) About: The Luxury Item is the leading podcast on the business of luxury, and an important resource for global industry decision makers who want to stay one step ahead. Listen to insightful conversations with leaders of the world's most influential luxury brands as they share the latest trends, insights, and strategies that are helping them forge a strong path forward. Stay connected: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Listen and subscribe to The Luxury Item wherever you get your podcasts. Tell a friend or a colleague!

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