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.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
500ml bottle from Appellation Wines, Dalry Road. Thanks to Ashton McCobb. Pours a lovely copper amber with a thick off-white head. Aromas of yeast spice, honeycomb. Taste is red fruit, rich tea biscuit. Tannins. Decent.
McCash (16021) reviewed 1814 Lager from Spey Valley Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Bottle from Appellation Wines. Appearance - golden with a thin head. Nose - sweetcorn and light honey. Taste - more of the same. The honey is dominant though. Palate - light bodied with a creamy texture and a finish that is just too sweet. Overall - could be fresher.
allmyvinyl (21071) reviewed 1814 Lager from Spey Valley Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
330ml bottle from Appellation Wines, Dalry Road. Thanks to Ashton McCobb. Pours clear golden with a thin ring of white head. Aromas of cooked corn, faint lemon. Taste is light sweet. Not a lot going on.
McCash (16021) reviewed Spey Stout from Spey Valley Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Bottle from Appellation Wines. Appearance - opaque black but a hint of orange around the rim. Nose - milk chocolate, probably verging on drinking chocolate. Taste - creamy chocolate, light caramel biscuits. The lengthy finish gets even more caramel and biscuits. Palate - close to medium bodied with a creamy texture and a long dry crunchy finish. Overall - a really good traditional stout.
McCash (16021) reviewed Stillman's IPA from Spey Valley Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Bottle from Appellation Wines. Appearance - golden amber with a nice fluffy head. Nose - light red fruit. Mostly grain and biscuit. Taste - strawberries but very metallic. Grainy again. Palate - light bodied with a crunchy texture and a long dry crunchy finish. A bit astringent. Overall - ok.
Stuu (34525) reviewed David's Bigger n Bitterer from Spey Valley Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Bottle at the water of leith. Pours clear amber, nose is grainy, musty, toffee, taste is sweet toffee, cereal, floral.
Stuu (34525) reviewed 1814 Lager from Spey Valley Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Bottle at the water of leith. Pours clear golden, nose is grassy, floral, malty, taste is sweet, grassy, bitter, floral.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Copper... Massive tan head... Soft sweet toffee fruit nose... Soft sweet juicy toffee malts.. Dry bitter toffee fruit Bottle at home... Copper thin tan lacing.. . Soft sweet caramel toffee fruit.. Caramelised fruits.. Soft toffee malts... Ling bitter 3.2
cagarvie (40076) reviewed 1814 Lager from Spey Valley Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Bottle on water of leith pokemon hunt... Dark amber... Thin white lacing.. Soft sweet metalic toffee fruit nose... Light fizz.. Dry metal toffee fruit
Harrisoni (26233) reviewed Sunshine on Keith from Spey Valley Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Cask handpull at The Berry Walmer. Clear gold lasting white head. Lightish in mouth but almost some honey and lemon flavour. Touch of lime on thd finish. Certainly hoppy. A little wheat. Vague soap. Odd. Didn’t expect this. Good bitterness on the finish. odd but entertaining in mouth. Good condition