Name: Georgie Bell-Leoni
Company: The Heart Cut
Job: Co-Founder & CEO
Website: theheartcut.com
Socials: theheartcut

How long have you been working in the whisky industry?
Fifteen years — my entire career to date. In fact, even before I worked full time in whisky, I wrote my undergraduate dissertation on whisky and regional identity.

What has been your biggest career highlight to date?
I have two major career highlights. The first was launching The Heart Cut, the independent bottler my husband and I founded in September 2023. We’re a relatively new name on the independent bottling scene, but in that short time we’ve won Independent Bottler of the Year twice at the Global Icons of Whisky Awards, and have just been announced as The Whisky Exchange’s 2026 Producer of the Year.

Having worked in whisky for 15 years, I had grown tired of independent bottlers focusing primarily on Scotch and the same ‘Glen-’ distilleries, often sourcing casks from brokers rather than directly from distilleries. This frequently results in a lack of transparency, with branding and marketing aimed solely at whisky enthusiasts rather than anyone who simply enjoys a great dram.

So we set out to do things differently and challenge the status quo. In two years, we’ve released 22 whiskies from 17 distilleries across 11 countries, all with the aim of inspiring a more exploratory drinking experience. We only buy casks directly from distilleries, meaning everything we release is a genuine collaboration between us and the producers.

My second highlight was the launch of Craigellachie 51 during my time at Bacardi. We had one cask and just 51 bottles. Instead of selling it for an eye-watering price, we chose to give it away — dram by dram — to whisky drinkers around the world. Over 1,500 people had the chance to try it, making it the most tasted 51-year-old whisky ever, and allowing us to create the world’s most uncollectable collectable whisky.

Can you remember your first dram, and indeed what it was?
I remember my first distillery visit, which was to Glenkinchie, just outside Edinburgh. At the time, I was working as a bartender in the city and visited as part of a team trip. It was there — and later during visits to The Macallan and Aberfeldy — that I truly fell in love with whisky.

What does whisky mean to you?
Whisky is community. Flavour. Stories. Producers around the world proudly creating exceptional spirits with a true sense of place. It’s friendship, deliciousness, history — and the future.

Where would you like to see yourself in five years’ time?
Hopefully still doing what I’m doing now, with The Heart Cut thriving.

What was your last dram?
The Heart Cut Barley, from one of our Pocket Pours. My husband and I are currently in Oaxaca for the month with our children, and we brought a selection of Pocket Pours with us — 30ml serves of our whiskies to enjoy while we’re away.

The Heart Cut Barley is our latest release, created in collaboration with five leading English single malt distilleries. It’s a small-batch English blended malt that, quite honestly, tastes of strawberry jam, cinnamon buns and fresh raspberries.

Do you have a favourite whisky and food pairing?
Whisky and chocolate. It’s a cliché, but it works every time — and I absolutely love it!

What’s your favourite time and place to enjoy a dram?
Sharing a dram at home with my husband once the kids are in bed, as we unwind and switch from ‘day’ to ‘evening’. Often with a beer on the side, too.

What do you think is the next big thing on the whisky horizon?
My hope is for greater recognition — from drinkers, shops and bars alike — of newer distilleries around the world. Those who are zigging where others zag, wearing their provenance proudly, and creating whiskies that rival the very best while still tasting unmistakably of ‘home’.
What’s the one dram you couldn’t live without?

The Heart Cut Barley. It’s our house pour — the whisky you don’t need to think about. You just know it’s going to be great.

Many thanks to Georgie Bell-Leoni. Who will be our next Whisky Insider? Click back soon to find out!