Kirsty Mackinnon

Brand Manager for Wemyss Malts

I’m Kirsty Mackinnon, Brand Manager of the blended malts & scotch for Wemyss Family Spirits. 

I came into the spirits industry after several years working in London. Specialising in restaurant, food & drinks branding, I felt it was time to come back to Scottish roots. What a better industry to work than in whisky! 
I am entering into my fourth year at WFS and WOW it has flown by. I started by looking after the Blends & Single Casks and recently acquired Lord Elcho, a blended scotch. I look forward to nurturing this new product and seeing its growth in current and new markets. 

What I like about working in drinks? Without a doubt the people! We are a closeknit team and work well together. Another special part of the job is being out and about, meeting those who work in the on-trade.

Peat Chimney is my favourite blend from our Core Collection, I enjoy this expression neat, with a dash of soda or even in mixed in an espresso martini! 
My favourite release? This may seem like a cheap answer but the Core Collection is really special. We are one of the only brands I can think of that curates their own blend from start to finish, and all in-house. Our Production Direction Isabella Wemyss is quite the master blender. She has sourced barrels of whisky, stored them, kept an eye on them and used her experience in the industry and blending more generally, to know when the time is right to use them. All three expressions are special, and I really want to tackle the stigma around blends and tease people into appreciating the liquid for what it is - balanced, complex, unpatronizing and award winning.