Plenty of choice as single malts gain favor

"Our whisky brands have distinct heritages and what makes them popular are the stories behind them. Our distilleries have legacies that date back a hundred of years or more, and our whiskies have won gold medals in competitions," she says.

She likes the honey and heather notes of Aberfeldy due to its longer fermentation process and the exotic fruits flavor and smoldering end to a dram of 17-year-old Craigellachie.

Another fun part of her job, she says, is breaking down the age-old stereotype that whisky is a male drink.

"It will take a while, but we'll get there," she says, advising women that it is not that they don't have a palette for whisky, it is just a matter of trying them "until you find the right one".

She recalls that she didn't like the taste of whisky when she first drank it at the age of 19. But she kept trying various whiskies until and she fell in love with the "water of life" - drinking it in cocktails and drinking it with chocolate on the side. In fact, she says there are many different ways to enjoy it.

"You can try your whisky neat on a hot summer's day. Add water to it. Or, you can put it into a glass and add a lot of ice, and add soda. As for myself, I like whisky in coconut water," she says.

In her early years at the Edinburgh University, Bell got a part-time job at a bar to support herself financially, and this is where she first learned bartending and started learning about whisky.

After graduating in 2010, she then furthered her studies and gained a diploma in distillation at the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and won a scholarship award from the London-based Worshipful Company of Distillers.

xulin@chinadaily.com.cn