Could you taste whisky for a living?

We may be experiencing a recession but the Scotch whisky industry is thriving with record exports of £2.5bn within the last year. The industry however, is a very male one, and Caroline Martin (pictured above) is one of the few female master blenders around. She works for the prestigious Diageo whisky brands which include Johnnie Walker and Bell's. Did you think that whisky is the preserve of middle-aged men? It may be, but there are growing numbers of women who are indulging in 'uisge beatha' - the gaelic term for whisky meaning 'water of life'. Since 2005, women account for almost a quarter of new memberships to the Scotch Whisky Society. So what sort of a job is master blender? Caroline Martin spills the cask on what it's like to create new whiskies in (and mostly for) a man's world.

Q: What exactly does a whisky master blender for do?

A: My job is to develop new whisky products for the scotch portfolio. I select cask samples from our maturing stock of single malt and single grain whiskies and blend prototypes which I think will appeal to consumers. Throughout the blending of those prototypes, I assess them by nose and taste to ensure they deliver what I'm after. The end result can be a single malt, blended malt (ie mixture of several single malts) or a blended scotch (ie mix of malt and grain whiskies)

Q: How did you become a whisky master blender?

A: In terms of family background, I'm the pioneer as I'm the only member of the family to become a master blender. I graduated with a BA in Home Economics. I originally started off in new product development with gins and vodka and this taught me the skills of blending. I then went on to be a sensory analyst and from there, hooked into the whisky industry. I've been working as a master blender for the last seven years.

Q: What's does a typical working day entail?

A: There is no typical working day and the variety makes it exciting. One day, I may look at spirits that have just come off the distillery; or I may be looking at samples that have fully matured. I could be pulling samples from casks matured from several varieties. I'm also involved in quality assurance which means making sure that current blends of all the whiskies are consistently good.

Q: Do you sometimes wish there were more women in your profession?

A: There are less females than males in the industry and yes I do hope that my work will encourage more women to become master blenders.

Q: What is your favourite part of the job?

A: I love the 'blending' aspect of the job. I'm also passionate about the consumer reaction - you can normally tell if they like it or if it's way off the mark from their body language. I also like the fact that you know if your blending of whiskies has been successful by whether it disappears off the shelves!

Q: What is your least favourite part of the job?

A: I don't like admin but you've got to work through paperwork and systems - it's part of the job.

Q: What skills and qualities do you need to become a master blender?

A: You need exceptional sensory capability and the ability to pick out slight variations in taste. You also need a passion, sheer determination and the ability to innovate to create great whiskies.

Q: What's your biggest challenge as a master blender?

A: The challenging aspect of the job is to get an understanding of what different consumers from different countries like. In the Asian market, they have a particular sensitivity to harshness so it's about understanding the component part of whisky that gives that harshness.

Q: Has your sense of taste changed over the years?

A: My tastes have changed significantly. When I came into the industry, I didn't drink much alcohol but I've progressed to appreciating single malts such as Caol IIa and Talisker and I'm much more aware of our portfolio of whiskies.

Q: What happens if you catch a cold? Do you stop tasting the whisky?

A: Having a cold affects 'nosing' and is the worst thing that can happen to a master blender. I manage a team of three and a trained sensory panel is used in most of my work. This allows work to continue if any one of us has a cold. Thankfully, I've got a robust immune system!

Q: Doesn't spending so much time tasting whisky put you off it?

A: Definitely not! It has made me appreciate the different flavours that can be found in whiskies and how I can use this experience to blend something new and exceptional.

Q: What's your favourite whisky?

A: Each malt whisky has its own distinctive character - it's really down to personal preference. But my favourite is Caol Ila - a single malt form Islay which is smoky and peaty and great to sip sitting by an open fire on a cold winter's night - and there are plenty of cold winter night's in Scotland!

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