CASK88 - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cask 88 Team
- Sales Manager
Adam is a self-proclaimed enthusiast of fine craftsmanship. Whether that be classic cars, intricate watches or the liquid gold that is Single Malt Whisky. He offers some wise words, an invitation to indulge in a little hedonism: "Take a moment to really appreciate the years of expert knowledge and brilliance it takes to create these luxuries, it's incredible."
Someone who truly knows how to make the most of life, Adam has spent the last decade absorbing all the world has to offer. From driving classic cars, to selling bungy jumps, and exploring no fewer than 23 different countries in the last 10 years, his journeyed career so far has empowered him to engage his passions through multiple business development roles.
This seasoned traveller has arrived in the beautiful city of Edinburgh, and a country that is truly the home of that noble drink, Usquabae, the water of life - and it seems this is where Adam has settled. Bringing a wealth of worldly experience, and passion for engaging with people, to the Cask 88 team, Adam is always more than happy to connect over a dram.
Cameron is from Edinburgh, though his family hails from the isle of Skye originally. He's back up to the beautiful island frequently, to sample his favourite dram - Talisker Port Ruighe - in its proper setting.
Cameron has led an international life for the last decade, promoting the twin virtues of Scotland and Whisky in London, Paris and Sydney, so he knows the diversity of whisky and whisky drinkers well. He is fully trained in actuarial science, which essentially means that he is able to see into the future. This is an excellent trait for anyone in the whisky industry to have, so test out his predictive powers in a cask consultation when you can.
Cameron plays an appalling round of golf, slightly better football and has a deep and nerdy appreciation of film when he comes to rest. Through nominative determinism, his favourite cocktail is a Whisky Mack.
Job Titles:
- Head of Sales
- Member of the Cask 88 Team
- Sales Manager
Introducing Carl from Carlisle - don't let the ginger beard and love of single malts fool you - this Cumbrian boy's whisky journey began and momentarily ended with a generous nip of Famous Grouse, supplied by his grandad Jim. Several years later, and a venture further north, Carl joined The Gleneagles Hotel as a Sales Manager where he spent six years working with a variety of global clients, to deliver the highest level of Scottish hospitality and to share the unique experiences this country has to offer.
While he is not exploring the quirkiest corners of Scotland, searching for that perfect dram, he can be found on the golf course or building a special home for his whisky collection - made from an upcycled cask of course! Whether you are a self-proclaimed whisky connoisseur or are yet to start your journey, Carl believes everyone should have the opportunity to own their own small piece of Scotland. Carl is always happy to assist clients with their whisky needs, and answer their most burning questions - so feel free to reach out and put his knowledge to the test!
Sherry bombs, early mornings in the Highlands and late night drams; a few of Cat Marney's favourite things. Cat received two simultaneous educations in Scotland's capital city: one studying language and writing at the University of Edinburgh and the other studying all the facets of whisky at The Scotch Whisky Experience. She put her language skills to the test in that role, giving tours to people from all over the globe and hosting tastings for large groups of whisky novices. Upon finishing her degree Cat went back to Glasgow to work as a Finance and Marketing Assistant for the newly opened Clydeside Distillery. There she managed to gain some hands-on experience with the art of making Scotch whisky, as well as switching her role during whisky tastings, from presenter to note-taker, fastidiously taking down details to share with the extended whisky world. Since 2020 Cat has been managing Cask 88's social media accounts, as well as writing blogs and working on Cask 88's Youtube series.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cask 88 Team
- Operations and Whisky Manager
Dean was born and raised in the Highlands, in the shadow of the great Invergordon grain whisky distillery. As an 8 year old with scuffed knees, he once kicked his football over the fence into the distillery grounds and had to pluck up the courage to ask the gatekeeper to take him to recover it. Walking past the warehouses on that day, wee Dean had no inkling that 15 years later he'd be working for Whyte and Mackay in one of those very warehouses, shouldering the cold and the hard graft before being promoted to operating the whole distillery, one of the biggest in Scotland.
Dean's love of whisky soon led him to its heartland in Speyside, where he moved into an onsite cottage attached to Tamnavulin single malt distillery and immersed himself, figuratively, in whisky. He joined the select club of fewer than 1,000 people to be in charge of distilling Single Malt Whisky before his 30th birthday.
Dean's knowledge of the whisky industry is comprehensive, learned through practical experience at distilleries at both ends of the size scale. In his role as operations and whisky manager at Cask 88, he will use that experience to source and care for the best casks Scotland has to offer.
When he's not doing that, you'll catch him playing sports, fine dining, or hiking up a remote Scottish hillside with a collection of miniature whiskies jangling merrily in his pack.
A graduate of Business Administration and Finance, Devielyn ensures our international business continues to run smoothly and efficiently. With experience at a loan cooperative, and an extensive background in book-keeping, she has spent the last three years with Cask 88 and is key to the operations of all staff across the globe. When she's not managing accounts, Devielyn is supporting our customer service team, ensuring that our clients are well-informed and supported at all times. Devielyn loves nature and is most happy when she is by the sea.
Job Titles:
- Lead Graphic Designer, Asia
With extensive experience in multimedia, marketing and print design under her belt, Ellaine joined the Cask 88 team right at the start of our journey in Asia in 2015. She knows that a love of whisky not only depends on the taste and aroma: strong aesthetics are also key. She helped shape the visual identity of Cask 88 and is now focused on creating whisky label designs for numerous projects, both in-house and for clients who have chosen to bottle their cask with us. She also turns her creative eye to the creation of business proposals, presentations and engaging social media graphics when the need arises. When not working on designs for Cask 88, she is an avid photographer and finds her inspiration through Korean drama and music (She knows the words to every song released by BTS).
Every single whisky journey is unique, and Fraser's is no exception. After 25 years within Sales and Sales Management, that included a spell running his own business, Fraser is now living his whisky dream with Cask 88. He is a proud Scot; and cites the history, heritage, landscape and its people as a continual inspiration: "To be able to promote our incredible quality and range of Scottish Whisky to a global marketplace is both an honour and challenge in equal measure. My own whisky collection has grown along with an ever-increasing desire to taste, find and offer more incredible liquid each new day."
Fraser is always happy to offer advice and guide clients in an honest and straightforward way, and prides himself on customer retention and the loyalty of his clients. If not in Castle Street, he can be found stravaiging the hills and mountains, visiting a distillery or warehouse, soaking in the historical monuments and sites of Scotland, or just relaxing with a rather large dram.
Edinburgh born Graham hails from the world of fine dining restaurants and luxury hotels. Having spent close to ten years at The Witchery by the Castle, he has grown a love for great food, fine wine and especially whisky. Graham has spent years training, organising private tours and exploring the countless variations of whisky. He puts his whisky knowledge down to two things, exposure to wonderful and varied whiskies and practice.
Graham has played rugby for 20 years for local club Dalkeith and although he admits he's not the most glamorous of players, he gets the job done. Being in the pack, He was known for "finding someone with a different coloured jumper on and just running over them".
Whisky being his true passion, Graham always has time for tastings, training and finding people new favourite whiskies to enjoy. He especially loves the stories and romance behind the distilleries and takes care to find the right cask for its new owner with Cask 88.
Guy was born in Edinburgh and grew up in the picturesque town of North Berwick, 25 miles east along the coast. While studying economics in Stirling, Guy enthusiastically drank whisky because it seemed like the cool thing to do (correct). That doesn't mean that he liked it immediately, though - that came later. One night spent around a campfire, passing around a bottle of Ardmore, and the spell was cast; Guy was a fan of whisky for real.
He joined the Scotch Malt Whisky Society where his enjoyment turned to fascination as he learned everything they had to teach, especially the joy of ever-changing selections of Single Cask Whisky.
After a year with the SMWS, he went out into the field as a salesman for AMEX, and though he enjoyed the travel and the social nature of the job, he missed whisky terribly. We hope we can provide Guy with the best of both worlds as he joins us as a Cask 88 sales manager.
Job Titles:
- Creative Illustrator & Designer
Born and raised in Edinburgh, Hannah is a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art and firmly grounded in her native Scotland. Her creative energies flow in directly from the natural and the slightly more supernatural worlds. A lover of nature; Hannah is adept in creating rich illustrations of flora and fauna with an eye for biological detail, but she is equally able to lavish illustrative detail on the mythical plants and animals from the Celtic tradition. It's even more exciting when her own imagination gets fired up and creates entities as yet unknown to story or science.
As a freelancer, she has illustrated prints, greetings cards, music albums, children's books and - of particular excitement to us - labels for several alcoholic spirits, including releases from Berry Bros & Rudd. In this, she follows her father who also spent many years as a designer of whisky packaging. Continuing the dynastic tradition of illustrating exciting and beautiful bottles of whisky: truly it is a noble calling. We are delighted to release her creative imagination within Cask 88's corridors.
We've managed to persuade Harry to come indoors for at least a few hours per day and join the Cask 88 sales team. His love of Scottish Whisky is strong, and his knowledge of the land that produces it is second to none.
Job Titles:
- PR and Social Media Assistant
After being immersed in the world of multimedia journalism throughout her degree, Iona harnessed skills in various styles of news reporting, digital content creation and gained an invaluable knowledge of the media landscape. All of which equipped her well for her role as PR assistant at Cask 88. She spends her days assisting in the coordination and delivery of media campaigns, managing and maintaining relationships with our key press contacts and creating social media content.
Raised in Perth and Kinross-shire, Iona was lucky enough to grow up in some of Scotland's most beautiful countryside. When she's away from her desk Iona loves discovering new spots in Glasgow's exciting hospitality scene, taking road trips around Scotland and running.
Job Titles:
- Business Development & Research
Whilst studying for his law degree at the University of Cambridge, James became president of the university whisky society and decided there and then that his future lay not in the courts of England but in the vivacious world of the drinks industry. Starting in Japanese saké and completing a kurabito apprenticeship in Takehara, Hiroshima, James developed a love for the complexity and ingenuity of craft spirits and wine. Eventually the allure of Scotch whisky was too great and James moved to Speyside to work in Trade Marketing for Gordon & MacPhail. He spent three years hosting tastings, large consumer and trade events and working to promote a wide variety of brands through advertising. He was also a member of the sensory panel assessing the whiskies and helping to write tasting notes for new bottlings.
Now based in Edinburgh, James's love for Scotland and Scotch whisky drives his work at Cask 88. His passion for storytelling and his fascination with the science, processes and history behind the spirits guide his research and we look forward to seeing what exciting new stories he can find.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cask 88 Team
- Operations Manager
- Operations and Whisky Manager
The study of Chemical Engineering at the University of Bath has provided a solid technical background for James' career in the wine and spirits industry. Whisky making is, after all, one of the greatest feats in this delicate art. Starting as a Wine Advisor with Oddbins, James moved quickly into the world of whisky, spending four years at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society as a brand ambassador. In that role, he hosted large groups of up to 1,300 whisky enthusiasts for master classes, conducted intimate tastings for small groups, and managed stalls at whisky festivals. His nose was entrusted with the delicate task of choosing which casks to present to the society.
While a Single Malts Brand Ambassador for William Grant & Sons and Whyte & Mackay brands in the MIddle East and North Africa, James encouraged trade and consumer appreciation and understanding of the single malt category. James brings warehouse experience, consumer engagement skills and a finely-tuned nose for whisky appreciation to the Cask 88 team in Edinburgh.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cask 88 Team
- Operations Assistant
Honouring the Auld Alliance, Kelia now lives in Scotland, having been born and raised in France. Her love of whisky, however, was forged in another country famed for its whisky expertise. Kelia worked in the hospitality business in Japan for 10 years, a significant part of which were spent with a classic Japanese highball in hand. With time, she weaned herself off the soda water and discovered the joy of a neat dram, particularly of Suntory's whiskies.
Kelia moved to Scotland to pursue whisky, eager to learn everything she can about the national drink and put that knowledge to good use. She learned the ropes of Scotch at the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh, before joining Cask 88 in operations. This means that Kelia is deeply involved with everything to do with cask and warehouse logistics and management, making sure that every cask we have is given the best level of care and attention. When she has a free moment, Kelia is off exploring the distilleries of Scotland, and beyond!
The cornerstone of our business, and an oracle about all things Cask 88, Laarni has been in this role for the last eight years and has extensive experience in the world of whisky. As a graduate of Information Technology and Computer Programming, she has the technical expertise to keep her colleagues on track and is a real ‘jack of all trades' when it comes to digital. She manages the team in Asia, but has her eye across the international business, ensuring that our customer experience is second to none. She's a devoted mother and likes to spend her free time knitting, crocheting, and enjoying all manner of crafty activities.
Job Titles:
- Public Relations Specialist, Asia
A graduate of Information and Communications Technology, Leah has her finger on the pulse of all the trends in technology, social media and marketing. She has combined this passion and experience with a long held love of whisky in a role at Cask 88, where she drives the strategy for customer experience to ensure our clients thoroughly enjoy their cask ownership journey and are supported along the way. With a passion for travelling, and many years of experience in luxury leisure and corporate travel, Leah was the obvious choice to manage our client concierge. When our clients visit Scotland in search of whisky adventures, Leah ensures the trip is seamless and secure. If you're seeking the best of luxury hotels or restaurants, chances are Leah has a recommendation or two.
When Leah is not taking care of our clients, she is treating her seven dogs to long walks and endless cuddles, or exploring the far reaches of the globe with her family.
Born in Spain, in the region of Murcia, Lola is an equal blend of kindness and curiosity, with notes of shyness and tenacity.
She graduated in Music History and Music Sciences at the University of Granada (Spain) before moving onto Graphic Design, which she studied both in Granada and Edinburgh.
Lola is most passionate about all things art, history and music. She has an unending pool of inspiration for her work thanks not only to her musical and arts background, but also because she spends maybe a bit too much time checking the latest trends on social media and magazines. Her next idea could come from either a 15th Century painting she's seen, a gif of a 15th century painting online, or while listening to music during one of her hikes anywhere in ‘Bonnie' Scotland.
When it comes to what she prefers doing as a Graphic Designer, Lola doesn't hesitate: anything you can ‘touch'. This means Editorial work, Typography and all things printed.
While not long ago she didn't know much about whisky, Lola has recently become more and more passionate about the Scots' ‘Water of Life'. She'd always known that Whisky is very much attached to the concept of ‘being Scottish' and just how important this drink is to them, but she's now starting to understand just why it is so.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cask 88 Team
- Office Manager
Lyndsey originally hails from Banchory, Aberdeenshire. She has a varied career under her belt, having produced DVDs and Blu Rays with multi-national distributors, and spent may years among the rough and tumble of Edinburgh's property market. When she felt the call of whisky from her Scottish roots, she jumped at the chance to join Cask 88 as our Edinburgh office manager.
Lyndsey does not manage the office alone - assisted by her black lab Nikka; together they provide support to our UK Sales and Operations Director & manage and organise the Cask 88 team providing effective and efficient administration.
When she is away from her desk, Lyndsey loves being outside walking Nikka with her family, cooking, bootcamps and being an ambassador for vegan skincare. Incidentally, with Nikka's, we were worried the name betrayed a secret greater love of Japanese than Scotch whiskey, but Lyndsey has assured us that she values both evenly, as is sensible. As for Nikka herself, we couldn't say…
Job Titles:
- Auction Curator
- PR & Communications Strategist and Curator of Cask 88 Online Cask Auctions
Since graduating from the University of St Andrews with a Masters in English and Creative Writing - having cut her PR teeth with clients in books, theatre, music and cinema - Miriam has managed media and communications strategies for businesses, small and large, and independent professionals, in the spirits industry and luxury retail. Her appreciation of a good dram, and a love of the hospitality world, with all its warmth and energy, have led her to represent Cask 88 and be involved in a variety of their projects. She knows the virtues of Scotch whisky inside and out, and is on a mission to spread the good news.
Tokyo, London and New York are among the locations where Miriam has had the pleasure of hosting media and client events, with the aim to communicate the rich history, science and storytelling which surrounds a great bottle of whisky. She has more recently picked up the gavel (metaphorically speaking) to curate Cask 88's new online cask auctions, the first online platform dedicated to auctioning whole casks of Scottish whisky.
Natalia brings a well-practiced eye for style and, dare we say it; glamour, to the role of Social Media Manager for Cask 88. Natalia spends much of her time looking through the camera lens at the world, always seeking, seeking that elusive perfect image or video. She studied fashion communication in Edinburgh and thus knows how to showcase something at its most presentable - and our whisky bottles love the attention!
In her own time, Natalia is a keen advocate of personal fitness and enjoys putting in the time at the gym - and this virtue allows her to also justify taking the time to find some of the best places to eat in her hometown of Edinburgh.
Many of us at Cask 88 are dog people. No exception here, as Natalia is rarely happier than when receiving cuddles from her two Chihuahuas, Zoe and Chanel.
Job Titles:
- Sales Development Manager
Ola's career has seen her regularly immersed in the world of whisky, while developing her sales and business development experience in general. Three years spent at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society - where she was responsible for the accounts of approximately 200 corporate members and agencies, managing private events and whisky tastings, while supervising whisky stock. The SMWS is well known for the creative genius of its tasting notes, and Ola continues to have an inimitable flair for telling a whisky what it really is.
Those with a passion for motorbikes will have lots to discuss with Ola, given her couple of years as a sales consultant with Harley-Davidson in Edinburgh. One dream job led her to another, this time returning her to whisky, though you can still sometimes find her blasting around on a dirtbike when she's not got a whisky in her system. Ola's sense of adventure, her eye for detail and passion for a great dram are well-employed in her role at Cask 88. She is an enthusiastic and expert guide to all those wishing to explore the wonders that Scotland has to offer.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Cask 88 Team
- APAC Sales Director
- APAC Sales Director ( Cask 88 )
Born in New Zealand, but having spent his childhood in Edinburgh, Scotland, before attending University in Glasgow, Patrick's entry into the whisky industry is a tale of a hobby developing into a career. He started collecting whisky in 2011 with his brother, while working in the cocktail industry, which really sparked a passion for the high end spirits industry.
While completing an internship in Mongolia, Patrick noticed how enthusiasm for Scottish whisky was spreading rapidly across Asia and this helped him realise the market potential. When offered a role with Cask 88 in 2015, he took the chance to meld his passion and career. His fondness for whisky comes clearly across whenever he is given the chance to speak about it, and he has consulted for and hosted engaging tastings with prestigious clients, such as the Peninsula Shanghai, in locations as diverse as Singapore, Russia, China and the UK.
The first whisky Patrick really enjoyed was the Dalmore King Alexander III, which he remembers sharing with three friends on Jura after a week-long trip visiting all the distilleries on Islay and Jura. Patrick wants to share his great love for the Scottish whisky industry, which offers exceptional hospitality, warmth and conviviality - a warm-heartedness large enough to have spread far beyond Scotland's borders.
Job Titles:
- UK / Sales and Operations Director
Having spent a career immersed in the sale and presentation of premium craft spirits, Ryan now leads our UK-based sales team, while providing guidance to teams internationally. A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, where he studied Astrophysics, his analytical brain is now employed in a role that combines his expertise and his passion. He started on this path during his period of study, having graduated quickly from enjoying whisky and real ale tastings to hosting them himself. He has an undeniable taste for the finer things and brings a laser-sharp focus to whisky appreciation. Never a snob, though, he's equally happy with a cold tinny and a Scotch pie.
During time spent in various roles at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, he hosted over 200 masterclass tastings, festival events, participated in tasting panels and wrote official society tasting notes. Extensive experience with luxury hospitality brands, including the management of two bar and lounge outlets at The Caledonian Waldorf Astoria 5* hotel, and supervision of the bar at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, ensure Ryan is ideally positioned to manage our portfolio of premium brands and offer an unmatched luxury experience for our discerning client base.
Ever since his grandmother rubbed a few drops of her preferred blended Scotch on his gums to ease the emergence of his first teeth, Sam Laing has had a connection with whisky. Since moving to Scotland five years ago Sam has become ever more devoted to a good dram. His background in Biological Science focused his curiosity on the hidden science behind the spirit - the unique alchemy that each distillery works in creating its own style.
Sam spent a stint working at the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh where he introduced countless new aficionados to Scotch, uprooted the concerns of whisky sceptics and reassured those who had already taken first steps on their own whisky odyssey that their path was a righteous one. Sam brings this same spirit to Cask 88, guiding whisky enthusiasts and new converts alike along the path of whisky appreciation and cask ownership. He writes the Cask 88 blog with aplomb, and though his train of thought may skip stations on the route, we all arrive at the destination as better people.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Member of the Cask 88 Team
- Sales Executive
Hailing from sunny Australia, Siobhan's first appreciation for single malt whisky was for medicinal purposes; helping her endure her first Scottish winter ten years ago. Having grown up with an Irish mother, Siobhan was quickly convinced that there was more to the whisky world than Jameson. In between working her way through her Dad's ever growing whisky collection and helping out with the sheep work on the farm back in rural New South Wales, Siobhan found time to complete degrees in both law and history.
Having practiced as a commercial lawyer in Australia for a number of years, Siobhan was happy to pair a return to Scotland with a change in career, joining the Cask 88 team in the world of whisky.
Scottish through-and-through, Struan Logan grew up roaming the Ayrshire and Arran countryside before heading to the University of Dundee to gain his degree in History with a side study in craft beer and spirits. Struan first specialised his palate by working in several of the world's top craft beer bars. Loving an excuse to put beer and whisky together Struan has divulged his knowledge as a drinks writer for Ferment in the UK and Froth in Australia. All this, while also working as a comedian in some of the UK's biggest clubs, dozen of festivals and performing in countries around the world including Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand and Germany.
Struan's knowledge and travel experiences means he is a true lover of world whiskies as much as single malts from the motherland.With more opportunities for travel when working for drinks subscription Beer52 before joining Cask88. Around the streets of Edinburgh you might see Struan walking his trusty companion, Maisie the corgi. Feel free to say hello.
With experience of designing products for major luxury brands in the spirits world and beyond, Stu is the ideal candidate to make your whisky dream a reality. During a period of study at Northumbria University and Bristol School of Art & Design, he worked with many recognisable brands, such as TATA Motors of India, Michelin, Tag Heuer, Jones & Bowen of London. He has designed shop fit and visual merchandising for various blue chip retailers and, while working with a previous employer, designed drinks related products for a wide range of global, luxury brands, hotels and bars, including Absolut, Chivas Brothers, William Grant & Sons, Bacardi, The Savoy and The Connaught Hotel. If you're an avid spirits collector, you may already have one of Stu's designs on your shelf!
Stu nearly broke the internet in 2011 when his design was pinned on numerous websites internationally. The winner of a 2011 graphics competition, Stu's artwork is now a permanent installation mural in the Business and Law School at Northumbria University. Now turning his creative attention full on to whisky, we anticipate some breathtaking new designs.
Stuart is from the west coast of Scotland, for many years living in the same building as Simon Neil of Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro. A conscientious neighbour and respectful of Neil's career, Stuart never once asked him to keep the noise down.
Having worked in a plant that turned Scottish seaweed into pharmaceuticals and food, Stuart got interested in whisky when he realised that it was far tastier. His knowledge of whisky comes from holding tastings and handling sales at Ayr's legendary whisky shop - Robbie's Drams. His knowledge of whisky is unparalleled, and he knows how to talk a good game about it.
Aside from his love of whisky, Stuart has an honours degree in Property management, which he puts to good use finding fixer-upper properties which he enjoys renovating for sale. He loves spending his time with his wife and two young sons, whom he hopes to train up to be golf or football legends.
If you think you've seen his face before, you well might have - he has been a frequent extra in television shows filmed in Scotland.