Discerning Character

Brendan McCarron, master distiller at Distell, shares on how his career matured

- Aaron Pereira

When asked if he was born with the nose or acquired the skill over the course of his career, Brendan McCarron, master distiller at Distell, assures us that while there is a certain base level of innate skill involved, it can be picked up as well.

“I generally have a pretty good sense of smell, and I enjoy different flavours, but I think the way I honed my skills, throughout my 16 years in the industry was by constantly doing different things— from moving countries to gaining experiences from different brands and locales. It finally boils down to practice,” McCarron reveals.

“I nose and taste most days of the week. Anywhere you see me, I’ll always have little samples, and I’m checking out new spirits. There needs to be a certain level of inherent ability, but most people can do it,” he adds.