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.
Holmen2 (8836) reviewed Spey Stout from Spey Valley Brewery 11 years ago
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.
Stuu (34525) reviewed Sunshine on Keith from Spey Valley Brewery 11 years ago
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.
ianwelby (4686) reviewed Stillman's IPA from Spey Valley Brewery 11 years ago
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.
fonefan (84534) reviewed David's Not So Bitter from Spey Valley Brewery 11 years ago
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]
Oakes (33493) reviewed Stillman's IPA from Spey Valley Brewery 11 years ago
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.
Oakes (33493) reviewed David's Not So Bitter from Spey Valley Brewery 11 years ago
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.
Oakes (33493) reviewed Spey Stout from Spey Valley Brewery 11 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
On cask at The Old Mill Inn. Medium brown, bubbly head. Aroma is breadcrusty malt, maybe a touch of peat, at least by osmosis or something. Light body, just a whiff of dark malt character and a bit of tartness in there as well.
In the bottle. Bottle. Dark brown. Has dark malts - mostly choc, and light leafy hop note. The palate has mostly choc/roast character, maybe w a touch of butter. 4 7 7 4 14
Scopey (25115) reviewed David's Not So Bitter from Spey Valley Brewery 11 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 3.5
Bottle shared at Yespr’s. It pours clear amber with a small off-white head. The nose is wood, earth, varnish caramel, butter and must. The taste is wood, earth, dank, buttered popcorn, medicinal notes, twiggy, dirt and varnish with a dry finish. Light-medium body and average carbonation. Pretty poor all-round!
Anders37 (30296) reviewed David's Not So Bitter from Spey Valley Brewery 12 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5
Bottle @ yespr. Pours a clear amber color with a small off-white head. Has a fruity malty buttery caramel aroma. Sweetish malty caramel flavor. Has a sweetish malty caramel finish with weak buttery hints.
allmyvinyl (21071) reviewed Spey Stout from Spey Valley Brewery 12 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
500ml bottle from alesela. Dark brown pour with a reddish tinge. Very small tan head, big bubbles. Aromas of liquorice and molasses. Big sweet taste, light burnt sugar bitterness. Sticky finish. Ok.