Braeval

Braeval is the highest distillery in Scotland, a title it shares with Dalwhinnie. It stands at 350 metres, on a mountain ridge near Chapeltown in Banffshire.

The distillery was once known as Braes of Glenlivet. Brae is Scottish Gaelic for "hillside" or "steep bank".

Braeval is owned by Pernod Ricard.   

Braeval produces a light, sweet Speyside single malt Scotch. The spirit is floral with common tasting notes including vanilla and honey.   

Braeval was one of the first wholly automated distilleries in Scotland. All the equipment is located in an open-plan space and the entire process can be overseen by a single member of staff.

The distillery has a pagoda roof, despite having never malted onsite. Unpeated malt is supplied by an industrial maltster.

There are six pot stills: two wash stills and four spirit stills. The wash stills are pear-shaped with a rising lyne arm that promotes a lighter spirit. Similarly, the spirit stills are fitted with a reflux bowl that causes vapours to drop back into the pot to be distilled again. The end result is an exceptionally pure new make.

Single malt bottlings are rare. Most of the distillery's output is blended with grain whisky to create blended Scotch. It features in Chivas Regal, in particular.

The majority of the spirit is matured in refill bourbon hogsheads from the USA. However, some independent bottlings have been matured in ex-sherry butts.

The distillery has a potential capacity of around 4 million litres per annum.   

Braes of Glenlivet was founded by the Seagram-owned Chivas Brothers in 1973. It was built at the same time as Allt-a-Bhainne and the two distilleries were used to supply spirit for the Chivas blends.

The Livet Glen was well-known for illicit distillation in the 18th and 19th centuries. However, Braes of Glenlivet was only the third legal distillery in the area, after The Glenlivet and Tamnavulin. Fearing reprisal from their famous neighbours, the name was changed to Braeval in 1994.

Pernod Ricard took over Seagram’s whisky business in 2001. By 2002, the new owner had mothballed Braeval. That decision was soon being overturned, thanks to a booming single malt market. The distillery was refurbished and production resumed in 2008.

2017 saw the arrival of the first official bottling. A 16-year-old single malt was made available at Chivas distillery visitor centres. Further releases followed in July 2019 as part of the Secret Speyside Collection. The range included 25, 27 and 30-year-old Braeval bottlings. There is also now an 18-year-old cask strength offering in Chivas’ Distillery Reserve Collection.