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Description
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.
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
bottle at home ... golden copper .. soft ddry toffee fruit nose ... dry toffee fruit ... sweet malts ... soft fruits .. tiny metalic hints. ok
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Nov 2014
at 08:35
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
500ml bottle: BBD 28 Oct 15, shared between two on 24 Oct 14. Poured a red hued amber, thin, wispy white head and collar. Aroma was light molasses with a fruit basket close by, sprinkled with brown sugar. The taste the same: fairly sweet with the malts ruling the roost, the hops only appearing towards the end of each sip to give some balance and dryness to the mildly fruity brew.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Oct 2014
at 04:23
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Bottle from Tomlinson’s Beer Shop, Inverness. Pours deep mahogany in colour with a tan head. Aroma of chocolate, roasted malt, caramel and spice. Medium sweetness, bitterness and body, soft carbonation with some slickness to texture. Enjoyed this.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Sep 2014
at 04:08
4.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 4
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 4.5
Flaske delt med håndimportør Ovesen på Holmens aktivitetsdag sep-14: fint offwhite skum som varer. Farge i lyseste laget for en skikkelig stout. Aroma av karamell og mørk malt. Litt sur smak (lakris med ingefær?), vandig. Lang, røstet ettersmak. Den tørre ettersmaken var faktisk det beste ved denne.
Tried
on 07 Sep 2014
at 12:51
5.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Very dark brown. Beige head. Lots of toffee, caramel and berries in aroma. Also dark berries and caramel in sweet taste. Roasted barley in aftertaste. Oily mouthfeel.
Tried
on 07 Sep 2014
at 12:49
6.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Cask at SRAF. Pours golden, nose is sweet toffee, floral fruit, taste is sweet and thin, juicy, toffee.
Tried
from Cask
on 12 Jul 2014
at 10:08
6.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Dark golden beer with a bittersweet aroma. Flavour is slightly grapefruit-y with the hops and malt coming through more in the finish. Dry, crisp and very drinkable.
Tried
on 13 Jun 2014
at 15:25
4.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 5
Bottle 500ml. [ As Spey Valley Davids Not So Bitter ].Clear medium orange amber color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting to diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, toffee, butter. Flavour is moderate sweet and light to moderate bitter with a long to average duration, toffee, smoke. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is flat. [20140201]
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Mar 2014
at 07:43
5.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5.5
Bright dark amber colour is really attractive. Aroma has a lot of toasty hops. Thin, descended into a crackery, toasty character but also some bacteria / over tine this will show itself more. Problematic diacetyl.
Tried
on 11 Mar 2014
at 00:28
5.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5.5
Slightly hazy amber. A bit of sheepy pedio and some biscuity malts. A little tart in the finish...but not bad.
Tried
on 11 Mar 2014
at 00:27