Braeval distillery information
Originally founded under the name of “Braes of Glenlivet” by Chivas Brothers Ltd. (subsidiary of Seagrams) between 1973 and 1974, the Braeval distillery changed it’s name to Braeval in 1975 in order to avoid confusion with The Glenlivet. The distillery is located in the deep south o the Speyside region, high up above the remote village of Chapeltown, Braeval is one of the 2 highest located distilleries in Scotland (the other one being Dalwhinnie. Both distilleries are around 350-355 meters above sea level, depending on which spot one measures at). Breaval has a lot in common with the Allt-A-Bhainne distillery; both were built by Chivas Brothers in the 1970s; both are constructed as fairly modern buildings with traditional touches (for instance both distilleries feature pagoda roofs, even though they’re purely decorational); both are constructed as very automated distilleries, intended to be ran by a single operator, and both distilleries predominantly produce whisky to be used in blends, with virtually none of their spirit finding its way into official releases (in Braevals’ case, no official bottlings have ever been released). Originally constructed with three stills, in 1975 two additional stills were added, and a sixth still was installed in 1978. In 2001, Pernod Ricard acquired Seagrams, and mothballed the distillery the year after in 2002. It was revived in 2008 in order to meet the rising demand for whisky. A new mash tun was installed in 2012.Braeval whisky
Whisky distilled at Braeval is not laid to rest in casks, but instead is filled into large tanker trucks and then transported to Keith. There have been no official bottlings, though a few independents have found their way to the market. Most of the produce is intended for blending purposes.Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Braeval |
| Region | Speyside |
| Country | Scotland |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Water source | Preenie Well, Kate's Well |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Pernod Ricard |
| Address | Chapeltown Ballindaloch Banffshire AB37 9JS Scotland +44 (0) 1542 783342 |
| Visitor centre | No |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 9 tonnes | 1 (traditional rake-and-plough) |
| Washback | 44,000 litres | 13 (Stainless Steel) |
| Wash still | 22,000 litres | 2 |
| Spirit Still | 7,500 litres | 4 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 4,000,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Braeval was originally founded between 1973 and 1974 as “Braes of Glenlivet” by Chivas Brothers Ltd, a subsidiary of Seagram. It was renamed Braeval in 1975 to avoid confusion with The Glenlivet.
Yes. Braeval sits high above the remote village of Chapeltown in the deep south of the Speyside region, making it one of only two distilleries in Scotland at this altitude, the other being Dalwhinnie. Both sit at around 350-355 metres above sea level, depending on exactly where the measurement is taken.
Braeval has a lot in common with the Allt-a-Bhainne distillery. Both were built by Chivas Brothers in the 1970s as fairly modern buildings with traditional touches, including purely decorative pagoda roofs, and both were designed as highly automated sites intended to run with a single operator. Both distilleries also produce almost exclusively for blending, with virtually none of their spirit reaching official single malt releases.
Braeval was originally built with three stills. Two more were added in 1975, and a sixth was installed in 1978.
Yes. Pernod Ricard acquired Seagram in 2001 and mothballed Braeval the following year. The distillery was revived in 2008 to meet rising demand for whisky, and a new mash tun was installed in 2012.
No official bottlings of Braeval have ever been released. Whisky distilled here isn’t matured in casks on site at all, but instead filled into tanker trucks and transported to Keith, with most of the output intended for blending. A few independent bottlers have released their own Braeval expressions, though.
No, Braeval does not have a visitor centre.