Dave McCabe Appointed as New Master Blender at Irish Distillers
Irish Distillers has announced the appointment of Billy Leighton to Master Blender Emeritus as Dave McCabe steps into his predecessor’s role as the new Master Blender at Irish Distillers.
Billy Leighton will remain at the business supporting Irish Distillers’ brands as Master Blender Emeritus following a 47 year career at Irish Distillers. Billy originally started as a trainee accountant, in the then Irish Distillers owned Old Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim. He then moved into production, working in a variety of roles across bottling, warehousing, maturation, and blending before being appointed Master Blender at Midleton Distillery in 2004.
As blender, Dave McCabe has spent several years working closely with Billy gaining experience, knowledge, and an in depth understanding into the art of blending. Dave joined the business in 2010 and held several roles, including Irish Whiskey Academy Tutor, International Whiskey Ambassador, and Process Technologist, before being appointed Blender in 2018.
Image credit: Irish Distillers.