Braeval Distillery
About the distillery
Braeval is located in Chapeltown in Moray and is a Speyside distillery that makes single malt Scotch whisky. It is known for a lighter style, supported by six stills, thin lyne necks, and up-running lyne arms. The distillery is also notable as one of the highest-located in Scotland.
History
Braeval was built in 1973 by Chivas Brothers, which at the time was a subsidiary of Seagram, on a site chosen because of the quality of the water. The first mashing took place before the roof was in place, because the chairman came from Canada to see his new distillery. Already in 1975, two stills were installed, bringing the total number to five, and in 1978 a sixth still followed. Originally, the site was called Braes of Glenlivet, but in 1994 it was renamed Braeval to avoid confusion with the more famous neighbor. In 2000, the distillery entered Pernod Ricard’s portfolio through the acquisition of Seagram’s Scotch whisky division, and the following year it was put on hold. After six years, Pernod Ricard reopened the distillery in 2008, and since then it has been in full production.
Raw materials and production
Braeval uses a traditional infusion mash tun and a mashing time of 74 hours. Mauri liquid yeast is used, and the washbacks are made of stainless steel. The distillery is equipped with two wash stills and four spirit stills, all with a traditional Speyside shape, where the spirit stills have boil balls. The entire setup is designed for a lighter spirit: the stills have thin lyne necks and up-running lyne arms, and the lit-described production is presented as one of the first fully automated in Scotland, where all equipment is gathered in a single open room. The malt specification is under 1 ppm, and there has never been malting on site, even though the building has a pagoda roof. The water used for distillation comes from Preenie & Kate's Well, while Pitilie Burn is used as cooling water. The reported annual capacity is 4.2 mlpa.
Whisky style and flavor profile
Braeval is associated with a light whisky type, where the floral notes are clearly evident. The low malt specification points toward a clean and almost uplifted profile without any real smoky character. At the same time, it is the stills’ construction that drives the style in a lighter direction rather than toward heavy richness.
Visiting the distillery
Braeval is not open to the public, and there are therefore no visitor experiences, tours, or tastings for guests. The official contact information simply states that the distillery does not receive visitors. For whisky lovers, this means that Braeval is primarily experienced through bottles and write-ups, not as a place to visit.
The reported opening hours are Not open to the public.
Philosophy and craftsmanship
Braeval’s craftsmanship is characterized by a very controlled and automated production. The distillery’s design is aimed at a light spirit, and the low malt specification of under 1 ppm underscores the desire for a clean style. At the same time, a traditional infusion mash tun, stainless steel washbacks, and a still setup have been chosen to promote lightness and floral tones.