Ashley Smith: I’ve learned from the best blenders in Scotch
Counting the likes of Rachel Barrie, Stephanie Macleod, Ron Welsh and Sandy Hyslop among her teachers and mentors, Loch Lomond blender Ashley Smith is one of Scotland’s most exciting whisky makers.
“I’ve always had a sensitive nose,” says Ashley Smith, whisky blender at Loch Lomond Group. “I’d hate when anyone would wear perfume – it would trigger me into a rage beyond control, and when food is off in the fridge I can smell it with the door shut. I’ve always known I had a heightened sense of smell, but I never knew that skill would be useful in a professional capacity.”
Smith studied Spanish and marketing at university, hardly subjects vital to the role of a whisky blender. Her plan after all was always to pursue a career in marketing, but the day she stepped foot in the samples lab at Beam she realised her sensitive nose had other plans.
“I joined Beam’s graduate programme as an administrator but just fell in love with the operations side of the business,” she explains. “Ron Welsh was master blender at the time so became my mentor. We found out by accident when setting up samples that I had a really sensitive nose, so he took me under his wing. It just lit a fire for me – blending allowed me to straddle the art, science and creativity of whisky.”
Loch Lomond Sonata: Smith’s submission for the Demeter Collection is a masterpiece
After Beam merged with Suntory in 2014 Smith moved across to Chivas Brothers, this time working under the tutelage of master blender Sandy Hyslop. “They have so many Scotch distilleries, so it was a real exposure to different styles of whisky, a masterclass in how spirit matures, how it blends out, how you bring different components together – it was a really cohesive set up and a real education.”
Smith worked across many of the Scotch producer’s most popular brands, including Chivas Regal and Ballantine’s, managing the distillery exclusive casks as well as the composition of different batches of the cult favourite, Aberlour A’bunadh. It’s a role she’s extremely humble about. “As a blender you’re really only a custodian – the liquid is front and centre and you're only responsible for it for a brief period of time.”
Importance of mentorship
Most blenders can only dream of learning from two luminaries in Scotch, but Smith also counts two additional blenders among her mentors: Rachel Barrie, the now master blender for Brown-Forman who Smith worked with during her tenure at Beam, and Stephanie Macleod, director of blending at Bacardi.
She says: “Rachel and Stephanie have both been really encouraging in terms of what it takes to be a blender. I’m still in touch with them; Stephanie is a huge advocate for mentorship and has always been there to offer words of advice and encouragement.”
In 2019 Smith moved to Loch Lomond Group to work alongside master blender Michael Henry within the blending team. Working from the distillery in Alexandria, she is responsible for managing bulk for private labels, as well as the single and exclusive cask programme across Loch Lomond, Glen Scotia and Littlemill.
Loch Lomond Sonata, a one-of-a-kind set, is presented in a bespoke, oak carved display case
If you’re going to be a whisky blender, learning from five of the most influential palates in Scotch isn’t a bad place to start.
“There’s always a common thread with the blenders I’ve worked with – they demonstrate strategic thinking with a creative flair. They've all been open – they don't gate keep their knowledge, and they’re very honest and encouraging, often seeing something in you that you don’t see in yourself. I’ve had to handle imposter syndrome and to have someone notice and encourage something in you is very heartwarming.”
Mentorship is something Smith clearly resonates with. It’s one of the reasons she was so keen to create a bespoke submission for the Demeter Collection, the OurWhisky Foundation’s upcoming fundraising auction.
The Demeter Collection
“Mentorship is a huge cornerstone of encouraging people to come into the industry,” she explains. “My career is built on the shoulders of representation and mentorship, and that’s also the key focus of OurWhisky.”
Smith was inspired by the story of Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest and grain, deciding to select not one but three 30-year-old single cask whiskies that explore one vital component: malted barley.
“I view single casks as individual notes or players in a larger musical ensemble, and when you build them together they become a whole orchestral score. That’s how we came up with Sonata; these single casks are shining examples of three individual styles: unpeated, medium peated and heavily peated.”
She adds: “We’ve never done this with Loch Lomond before, it’s a first for the distillery showing three single casks together. It speaks to what we can do as a distillery.”
Singular note: Each bottle in Loch Lomond’s Sonata collection plays a different tune
The only variable within the three whiskies that comprise Loch Lomond Sonata is the level of peat in the malted barley – each was distilled in the same season on Loch Lomond’s straight neck stills, and matured in refill Bourbon barrels in the same warehouse onsite.
The difference in flavour between the three is extraordinary – because varied cut points are needed to pull out more or less phenols, the development of flavour, texture and smoke between the whiskies provides a real exploration of Loch Lomond’s style.
“Sonata is a wonderful showcase of how diverse Loch Lomond is, and that’s just picking out one variable. There are so many more we can play with; there’s an infinite number of songs, scores and tunes we can make.”
Playing tunes
For Smith, Sonata is about more than just the whisky in the bottles. The funds raised from its auction will provide opportunities for other women in the industry to learn and develop through mentorship, something she’s personally benefited from.
“It’s super exciting to be involved in the inaugural Demeter Collection. It’s nice to be able to give back. I know how good it feels and how important it is to be encouraged, especially when you don't believe in yourself. If this helps other people to engage with the industry and shows how much it is open, caring, exciting and vibrant, then it’s important to be a part of.”
Smith has often found herself to be the only woman within blending teams, so understands personally just how important representation is to inspire future generations. Although she admits she’s not one for the limelight, Smith wants to be part of change for the industry.
“Representation is absolutely vital,” she states earnestly. “It’s one of the things that encouraged me.
“Visibility of female leaders will inspire more women to pursue a career in whisky. The industry has had a reputation as being male dominated and an old boys’ club, but having that representation with Rachel and Stephanie, as well as others including Kirstie McCallum (master blender at Whyte & Mackay), was certainly a huge relief for me to know it was possible and that the industry was – sort of – diverse. It showed whisky was a welcoming place to be.”
The Demeter Collection auction will run 29 March - 8 April 2024 at whiskyauctioneer.com.
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