Master Distiller

Master Distiller is the person who has the overall responsibility for production and distillation in a whisky distillery. The role includes planning, execution and quality control of the entire production chain as well as development of recipes and maturation strategies to ensure consistency, style and high quality.

Responsibilities

• Overall responsibility for the distillation process, including planning of mash, fermentation and distillation to achieve the desired style and yield.
• Development and maintenance of recipes (mash bill), selection of yeast and fermentation temperatures.
• Monitoring and adjustment of distillation parameters (temperature, time course, cut points, alcohol content) and ensuring consistency between batches.
• Planning of maturation and storage, including cask selection, temperature and duration of maturation, and decision on blending of different batches.
• Development and implementation of quality standards and sensory profiles; leading tasting panels and documentation of results.
• Compliance with laws, hygiene, safety and environmental requirements as well as internal company procedures.

Process Management

• Responsibility for optimizing distillation equipment, maintenance and safe operation; management of resource use and waste handling.
• Documentation of processes, changes and batch data for traceability and further development.

Quality and Sensory

• Selection and evaluation of raw materials (malt, water, yeast) and their impact on color, aroma and flavor.
• Setup of sensory tests and follow-up of results against target profiles.

Aging and Blending

• Establishing maturation strategies and cask logistics; monitoring development of flavor profile through storage.
• Decision on blending and adjustment of composition to achieve desired intensity and balance.

Collaboration and Leadership

• Leading production staff and cross-functional teams (quality, warehousing, research and development) and communication with management.
• Collaborating with the master blender or individuals responsible for final blending.

Education and Experience

• Typically background in food science, chemistry, biology or process engineering; many years of experience in a distillery.