Writer, Abbie Moulton, explores the relationship between House of Hazelwood’s most influential female figures and the role they have played in curating an unrivalled inventory of rare and aged Scotch Whisky.
Many words have been given to the myriad influences that shape a whisky: water, raw material, the shape of the still, cask, time, and tide - all play their part. And then, of course, whisky is shaped by the hands that guide it: the makers and blenders. But like any great creation, its success is owed to more than just those in the spotlight. Behind every great dram are many great minds - some shaping the liquid itself, others shaping its story, its business, its journey from warehouse to world. The commercial and creative vision that brings it to life. And those who guide and advise, perhaps not always from the office but from but from somewhere much closer to home.
Nowhere is this presence more inherent than in a family business. House of Hazelwood is built on skill and on stories, both passed through generations - and throughout those generations, one woman remained a constant. Born in 1901 and living until 2012, Janet Sheed Roberts carried a living memory of her grandfather, William Grant, and was still here when the sixth generation stepped into the family business. A matriarch who bridged generations, Janet connected the past to the present - and was a woman ahead of her time…
"A pretty radical feat for a woman of her time"
In an era when few women had the opportunity to pursue higher education, Janet earned a law degree in 1927. "A pretty radical feat for a woman of her time," as Andy Fairgrieve, curator of the family archives, reminds us. An independent spirit, Janet built a career of her own before marrying and was well-travelled, joining her husband on business trips across Asia and continuing to explore the world after his passing. "But she never lost the grit of the northeast," Fairgrieve adds. "If someone was talking nonsense, they’d be put right quickly."
At the heart of the family, Janet, or ‘Wee Jannie’ as she was known, was there for the defining moments of the company’s history. From the early days of William Grant & Sons through more than a century of whisky evolution, the rise of single malts, and global expansion, she witnessed it all. Her role was not one of decision-making but of quiet influence, a steady presence within the family. "The proof is in the dram," says Andy. House of Hazelwood honours her legacy with releases dedicated to her.
"She was always impressive, even in old age," recalls Kirsten Grant Meikle, director and fifth-generation member of the family business. "My memories of coming to the family home, House of Hazelwood, when Jannie was still living there are filled with parties. We all spent time there. In her later years, we’d visit often - the younger ones would play the piano for her. There were house parties, crowds around the piano for Jannie’s 100th, her 110th," Kirsten remembers.
Like Janet, Kirsten Grant Meikle had a career of her own before stepping into the family business. Every family has its rebels, and for Kirsten, that rebellion took the form of a career in wine rather than whisky - a path that led her in a different, yet not entirely unrelated, direction before whisky eventually called her back.
When asked about it, she laughed. "My family are very encouraging, there’s absolutely no requirement to work in the family business. So that makes a difference to your working life. If you, you know, actually like your family and you get on with them."
How does she, or anyone in her position, balance heritage with individual identity? How does one honour legacy without being bound by it? "You can’t separate the two," she says. "It’s just what it is."
It’s both a privilege and a challenge. As a brand, House of Hazelwood has the freedom to carve its own identity, but Kirsten understands the importance of preserving and sharing what’s already there. "That heritage comes with rich stories. House of Hazelwood wasn’t built with big design agencies or marketing tactics. Its whiskies are built on stories, memories, and family connections." For Kirsten, the whisky speaks for itself. She values in storytelling over marketing. "Just let the liquid do the talking," she says. House of Hazelwood is about history, about memory, about the people who shaped it. It’s more than just the liquid in the bottle.
"I don't think of myself as a 'woman in whisky'. I'm just doing my thing."
In stepping into the whisky world, Kirsten naturally became an advocate for women in the industry - not by design, but simply by being in the space. "I don’t think of myself as a ‘woman in whisky.’ I’m just doing my thing," she says. She acknowledges the progress made in the UK but notes that in emerging markets, the gap remains noticeable. "Hopefully, things are changing," she reflects. "The changes happening here will follow elsewhere."
In Wee Jannie’s incredible one hundred and eleven years, the whisky industry saw immense change, and she was there through it all. A steady presence through the generations, just like the whisky resting in its casks. Eilidh Muir, blender at House of Hazelwood works with whiskies that were laid down decades before she was born. She understands better than most that whisky is a long game, shaped by the decisions of those who came before, and influencing those who will come after.
"There are pinch-me moments when you step back and really think about what you do and the people involved all those years ago," says Eilidh. "You can almost feel the hands of time, and not as a burden, but as a presence. I often think about all the change, all the advancements in technology over the years, while that liquid has effectively rested there. It’s quite calming. "
Like the women of House of Hazelwood before her, Eilidh has built her own professional path. With a background in chemical engineering, she brings scientific precision to blending yet acknowledges that whisky is more than chemistry. "We know there are hundreds, if not thousands, of flavour compounds in whisky, and you can analyse it down to the molecular level, but there’s always something intangible - something that can’t be measured, only felt."
“Some whiskies are flavour-led, others are story-led. The best ones are both,” says Eilidh. The art of blending requires a balance between data and instinct - knowing when to shape a whisky and when to take a hands-off approach. “We don’t force whisky into a profile. Sometimes, you just have to let the cask speak for itself.”
"Hopefully, we'll get to a day where speaking of women in the industry won't be remarkable at all anymore."
And if these casks could talk? They’d speak of past, present, and future. “Hopefully, we’ll get to a day where speaking of women in the industry won’t be remarkable at all anymore,” Eilidh reflects.
After all, women have always been in whisky - they just weren’t always written into the story.
