The Tasting Panel magazine

April 2018

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20  /  the tasting panel  /  april 2018 I nternational Women's Day is cel- ebrated annually on March 8, and although it may have taken more than 100 years since the inaugural commem- oration in 1911, leading Scotch whisky brands both small and large seem to finally be pushing the efforts of women among their ranks to the forefront. But as the days pass since last month's holiday, I wondered from my own perspective as a vet- eran in the industry of how things have truly changed for women in whisky, and whether brands "celebrat- ing" women represents tangible progress or is mere virtue signalling. In particular, two recent releases stand out: the Jane Walker Edition of Johnnie Walker Black Label (40% ABV; $34 SRP) and Compass Box's Hedonism The Muse (53.3% ABV; $275 SRP). Both are limited editions, though they vary widely in scale—250,000 bottles of Jane Walker, a U.S. exclusive, compared to a worldwide release of just 3,060 bottles of The Muse (some 1,380 will be available stateside). They also both come from companies noted for their commitment to equality of opportunity and the creation of a diverse workforce: Compass Box notes that more than half its staff are women, and Diageo has strong female leadership in its marketing, blending, and senior executive teams. The whiskies themselves, however, could hardly be more different. While the Jane Walker Edition merely repackages the standard Black Label blend, Compass Box's effort is a true one-off created by Whiskymaker Jill Boyd. That isn't to say there isn't some heft behind Diageo's release: The company says it will donate up to $250,000 in proceeds to charitable organizations championing women's causes. Now, it would be easy to dismiss this type of thing as mere politically- correct tokenism or to detect a patron- ising tone. But consider the direction of travel: These are not "whiskies for women" (now that would be patronising) but steps on a journey. In the industry I joined three decades ago, the idea that women might actually drink and enjoy whisky—let alone serve as brand ambassadors, distillery managers, or blenders—was rarely considered. There is much more progress to be made, but that the industry has come a long way cannot—and should not—be denied. As Diageo and Compass Box demonstrate, women have immeasur- ably enriched this great industry and continue to do so: That accomplish- ment warrants recognition much more than one day per year. Breaking Up The Boy's Club TWO RECENT SCOTCH RELEASES PLACE WOMEN AT THE FOREFRONT by Ian Buxton Compass Box Whiskymaker Jill Boyd is the woman behind the company's new release, Hedonism The Muse.

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