About
Spey Valley Brewery was the first commercial “micro” brewery to be located in the heart of Speyside, creating the finest hand-crafted beers from the same water as Speyside’s world renowned malt whiskies.
The company was founded in 2007 by a distiller, David MacDonald, and a local farmer, Innes MacPherson, who set out to produce world-class beers on the farm in Mulben. Initially brewing from a tiny pilot plant, for the first four years the brewery survived on the owners’ day jobs and focused exclusively upon getting the recipes and the products right. Distribution was deliberately confined to a limited number of informed, local buyers and it wasn’t until 2011 that the first commercial casks arrived on the market.
The first product – Spey Stout – was enthusiastically received by consumers and critically acclaimed throughout the wider brewing world. Encouraged by this early success, the company expanded production in 2012 and began distributing more widely throughout the North East and further afield. In early 2016, production moved to a dedicated unit – still on the farm! – that has seen Spey Valley Brewery become the largest brewery in the local area.
Brewery closed in 2020 and relaunched in Summer 2023 with a different beer lineup.
The company was founded in 2007 by a distiller, David MacDonald, and a local farmer, Innes MacPherson, who set out to produce world-class beers on the farm in Mulben. Initially brewing from a tiny pilot plant, for the first four years the brewery survived on the owners’ day jobs and focused exclusively upon getting the recipes and the products right. Distribution was deliberately confined to a limited number of informed, local buyers and it wasn’t until 2011 that the first commercial casks arrived on the market.
The first product – Spey Stout – was enthusiastically received by consumers and critically acclaimed throughout the wider brewing world. Encouraged by this early success, the company expanded production in 2012 and began distributing more widely throughout the North East and further afield. In early 2016, production moved to a dedicated unit – still on the farm! – that has seen Spey Valley Brewery become the largest brewery in the local area.
Brewery closed in 2020 and relaunched in Summer 2023 with a different beer lineup.
4.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 4.5
Opalescent golden colour, medium sized not too stable off-white head; aroma of overripe peach, floral, tropical fruity, some earthy-wine cellary and caramel notes; taste of a fruit juce with some addedd bitterness - not that good
Tried
on 17 Mar 2019
at 20:45
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Cask at the Redgarth, Oldmeldrum. It pours hazy orange - amber with a thick, bubbly white head. The aroma is sweet, some stone fruit, bready malts, cake and marshmallows. The taste is dry, good biter of bitterness, green, weedy, grass, pine needles, pithy, grapefruit peel and a touch of peppery spice. Light to medium body and soft carbonation. Moreish. Works quite well.
Tried
from Cask
on 17 Feb 2019
at 13:11
5.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Bottle from Wrekin Whiskies, Shrewsbury. Copper-gold, but a bit more of the former, with a head. Fairly sweet bitter with an nice easy texture in part from its smoothness in the palate.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Jan 2019
at 22:25
6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Cask (gravity) @ #RHBCF2018 🧙🍻🇬🇧 [ The 11th Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival (The 43th. Nottingham CAMRA Beer and Cider Festival) ], The Motorpoint Arena, Bolero Square, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England NG1 1LA.
[ As Spey Valley Spey's Software ].
ABV: 4.0%. Cloudy - hazy matt medium yellow colour with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white to white head. Aroma is moderate malty, pale malt, dough - minerals, moderate hoppy, citrus, fruity hops. Flavor is moderate sweet and bitter with a long duration, citrus, fruity malt, fruity hops, minerals, pineapple notes. Body is medium, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is soft to flat. [20181017]
6-3-7-3-13
Tried
from Cask
on 31 Dec 2018
at 13:46
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Keg at Earl of Essex, Islington, London. An amber/orange/brown coloured pour with a medium white head on top. Hoppy, citrus, tropical fruit aroma. Tastes similar, hoppy, citrus, peach, tropical fruit. Decent.
Tried
on 26 Dec 2018
at 12:57
6.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Bottle. Dark brown color, weak brownish foam. Aroma: very spicy, cinnamon and nutmeg, caramel, a little orange peel, rum, sweetness. Taste: sweet and spicy, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, candied citrus, caramel, slightly warming, strictly for spice lovers.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Nov 2018
at 08:14
6.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6
Bottle 500 ml. Clear copper color, yellowish foam. Aroma: sweet jam, nectar, fruit, caramel. Taste: caramel and crystal malt, fruit and berry jam, a little toffee, light hop bitterness.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Nov 2018
at 08:09
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Bottle. Almost black/dark brown, creamy foam. Aroma: caramel, cake crust, sweet, jam, slightly wine. Taste: sweet caramel and jam, dried fruit and cake, slightly burnt crust, not bad.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Nov 2018
at 08:05
6.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle 500 ml. Golden, clear, almost white foam. Aroma: sweetish nectar or honey, floral, light citrus, malt with fruits. Taste: light, malt, a little fruit, medium hop bitterness, clean, moderately watery, very drinkable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Nov 2018
at 08:01
6.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6
Bottle 500 l. Reddish-golden color, clear, slightly yellowish foam. Aroma: sweetish malt, light fruitiness, jam, citrus. Rich malt taste, a little candy, soft fruitiness, light shades of citrus, grapefruit bitterness, drinkable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Nov 2018
at 07:57