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Braeval
Distillery & brand
The Braes of Glenlivet was a major location for illicit stills in the 18th and 19th centuries, and if local rumours are true, the practice continued until relatively recently. This remote, sheltered, high pasture land was ideal for moonshining – the first road to ‘the Braes’ was only laid in the 1960s. The distillery followed in 1972.
Braeval distillery
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Braeval has steadily grown in capacity and is now home to six stills (two large wash and four smaller spirit) all with thin necks and upward sloping lyne arms helping to generate a lighter style with some floral notes.
It is rarely seen as a single malt – even independent bottlers scarcely have any. It shares the honour of being the joint highest distillery in Scotland with Dalwhinnie.
Braeval History
The site was chosen by Seagram – at that point still in pursuit of The Glenlivet – purportedly because of the quality of its water. Famously, the first mash took place before the roof had been put on the distillery because the chairman was coming from Canada to inspect his new baby.
It was one of the first wholly automated distilleries in Scotland and one of the first to contain all of the equipment in a single open-plan space. Although it sports a pagoda roof, no malting has ever taken place.
It became part of Pernod Ricard’s portfolio when the firm took over Seagram’s Scotch whisky division in 2000. The following year, its new owner mothballed it for six years. It is now in full production.
Originally known as Braes of Glenlivet it changed its name to Braeval to avoid any confusion with its more famous neighbour.
Timeline
- 1973 Chivas Brothers, then a subsidiary of Seagrams, builds the Braes of Glenlivet distillery
- 1975 Two stills are installed, bringing the total tally to five
- 1978 A sixth still is installed
- 1994 The distillery changes its name to Braeval to avoid confusion with its large neighbour
- 2001 Chivas Brothers joins Pernod Ricard
- 2001 Braeval is mothballed
- 2008 Pernod Ricard reopens the distillery
Braeval Facts
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- Capacity (mlpa) i
- 4.2
-
- Condenser Type i
- Shell and tube- 2 wash condensers with water separator for heat recovery
-
- Fermentation Time i
- 74hrs
-
- Grist Weight (t) i
- 9
-
- Heat Source i
- Steam
-
- Malt Specification i
- Less than 1ppm
-
- Malt Supplier i
- Crisp
-
- Mash Tun Size i
- 6.7m diameter
-
- Mash Tun Type i
- Traditional Infusion
-
- New-make Strength i
- 68-70%
-
- Single Malt Percentage i
- 0%
-
- Spirit Still Charge (l) i
- 7,500
-
- Spirit Still Shape i
- Traditional Speyside with boil ball
-
- Spirit Still Size (l) i
- 7,500
-
- Stills i
- 2 wash, 4 spirit
-
- Wash Still Charge (l) i
- 21,000
-
- Wash Still Shape i
- Traditional Speyside
-
- Wash Still Size (l) i
- 21,000
-
- Washback Size (l) i
- 42,000
-
- Washback Type i
- Stainless steel
-
- Washbacks i
- 13
-
- Water Source i
- Preenie & Kate's Well (distilling), Pitilie Burn (cooling water)
-
- Yeast Type i
- Mauri liquid
Owners
Parent company
- Pernod Ricard 2001 - present
Current owner
Previous owner
- Seagram Distillers 1973 - 2001
Contact
- Address
-
Braeval Distillery
Chapeltown
Moray
AB37 9JS
United Kingdom - Phone
- +44 1542 783042
- Visitor Opening Hours
- Not open to the public
Map
See also
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Brand