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.
Reubs (35480) reviewed David's Not So Bitter from Spey Valley Brewery 12 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5
Bottle@yespr’s - amber pour with small off-white head. Toasty malty, caramel, brown sugar, bready, sight floral notes, medium bitter finish.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Sample from 50 cl. bottle. Clear, amber-golden with a small, white head. Sweet aroma with toffee, bread, fruits and caramel malts. Some butter. Taste is sweet. Lighter body with a soft carbonation. Finishes sweet with butter and toffee. The butter notes is not overpowering. However, still a bitter on the sweet side.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5
500ml bottle from Alesela. Pours clear copper, thin white head. Herbal aroma, light red fruit notes and sugar sweet. More like butter on the taste though. Teeth-coating sweetness too. Light body, thin finish, abrupt finish. Not so good.
allmyvinyl (21071) reviewed Stillman's IPA from Spey Valley Brewery 12 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 4
500ml bottle from alesela. Pours clear amber, thin white head. Aromas are mostly butterscotch, hazelnut and light floral hops. Taste is butter and sugar. Not very good.
Ungstrup (52110) reviewed David's Not So Bitter from Spey Valley Brewery 12 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Bottled. An amber beer with a thin beige head. The aroma has notes of fruit, malt, and straw. The flavor is sweet with notes of malt, straw, and caramel, leading to a bitter finish.
Pinball (15907) reviewed David's Not So Bitter from Spey Valley Brewery 12 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 2 | Flavor - 3 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 3.5
bottle at yespr, clear brown, smooth light brown head. aroma is overly buttery and some caramel, flavor is buttery, caramel, malts. way too much butter. i cant drink this.
yespr (55501) reviewed David's Not So Bitter from Spey Valley Brewery 12 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 4.5
50 cl bottle. Pours clear and golden yellow with a small white to fully gone head. Aroma is butterish and toasted malty. Mild smoked. Caramelish and toasted malty. Flat butterish finish.
Scopey (25115) reviewed Stillman's IPA from Spey Valley Brewery 12 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5
Bottle at home. It pours clear amber with a medium beige head. The nose is wood, toast, leather, brown bread, candy and grain. The taste is smooth, caramel, wood, light toast, spice and some citrus peel with a dry finish. Medium body and fine carbonation. Very ho hum. Malt driven beer with not much going on.
Theydon_Bois (46224) reviewed Spey Stout from Spey Valley Brewery 12 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Bottle split on the train from Thurso to Inverness, from Tomlinsons, 20/10/13. Extremely dark mahogony brown with a thin light tan covering. Nose is dark toffee fudge, light roast, hint of smoke. Taste comprises dark fruits, liqourice, earthy, smokey tang, molasses, light roast. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, lgiht smokey notes in the finish. Decent stout.
Fergus (31329) reviewed Spey Stout from Spey Valley Brewery 12 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6
Bottle split thanks to Mr Bois. Aroma is socks, caramel, peat. Caramel copper colour. Halo of tan head. Falvour is peat, roasted barley, caramel. Light body, medium thin palate. Some metalic flavours in the finish.