Braeval Distillery: History, Owner, Range and Visitor Guide
Updated: 2 days ago
Braeval is a Chivas Brothers distillery at Chapeltown in the Braes of Glenlivet, Moray. Built in 1973 as Braes of Glenlivet, it shares with Dalwhinnie the title of highest distillery in Scotland and is almost never seen as a single malt. This profile covers its history, owner, production and visitor status.
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Braeval at a glance
Distillery fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Location | Chapeltown, Speyside |
Region | Speyside, Scotland |
Founded / established | 1973 |
Owner | Chivas Brothers / Pernod Ricard |
Bottles documented | 2 named expressions in Whisky Clan's bottle database |
Visiting | See visitor information in the original research below. Check official opening and booking details before travelling. |
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Braeval history, people and production
Where is Braeval distillery?
Braeval is at Chapeltown in the Braes of Glenlivet. The address is Braeval Distillery, Chapeltown, Moray, AB37 9JS. Scotchwhisky.com says the Braes were a major location for illicit stills and that the first road there was laid in the 1960s.
Braeval history
Seagram chose the site, reportedly for the quality of its water. Scotchwhisky.com says the first mash took place before the roof was on, because the chairman was travelling from Canada to inspect the distillery. It was one of the first wholly automated distilleries in Scotland and one of the first with all equipment in one open plan space. It has a pagoda roof but has never malted.
1973: built as Braes of Glenlivet by Chivas Brothers, then a Seagram subsidiary. Scotchwhisky.com's introduction says 1972.
1975: two stills added, bringing the total to five.
1978: a sixth still is installed.
1994: renamed Braeval to avoid confusion with The Glenlivet.
2001: Chivas Brothers joins Pernod Ricard and the distillery is mothballed. Wikipedia says it closed in October 2002.
2008: reopened.
2017: first Braeval single malt released, according to Wikipedia.
How Braeval makes its whisky
Scotchwhisky.com lists a traditional infusion mash tun of 6.7 metres diameter, 13 stainless steel washbacks of 42,000 litres, a 74 hour fermentation, two wash stills of 21,000 litres and four spirit stills of 7,500 litres with boil balls, and new make strength of 68 to 70%. It notes thin necks and upward sloping lyne arms.
Water comes from Preenie and Kate's Well, with the Pitilie Burn used for cooling. The malt specification is under 1 ppm phenol.
Who owns Braeval?
Chivas Brothers, part of Pernod Ricard. Seagram owned it from 1973 to 2001.
Braeval range
Scotchwhisky.com says Braeval is rarely seen as a single malt and that even independent bottlers scarcely have any. Wikipedia notes the first release in 2017. No ABVs were found in the sources used.
Visiting Braeval
The distillery is not open to the public.
Where the sources differ
Founding is given as 1972 or 1973, and the mothballing as October 2002 by Wikipedia against 2001 by Scotchwhisky.com. The highest distillery claim is shared with Dalwhinnie in Scotchwhisky.com's wording. Chivas Brothers' own page was not loaded for this profile.
Braeval whisky bottle range and cask comparison
Here are named expressions documented from producer or specialist sources, including the available age and ABV. A missing strength is deliberately left as 'Check bottle' rather than estimated.
Bottle / expression | Age | ABV | Cask maturation / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Braeval 25 Year Old Secret Speyside | 25 years | Check bottle | Official limited age-stated expression, not standard core |
Braeval 30 Year Old Secret Speyside | 30 years | Check bottle | Historic/rare age-stated expression |
Regular and rare releases are distinguished in the Whisky Bottles database; a historical catalogue listing does not prove current availability.
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Frequently asked questions about Braeval
Where is Braeval distillery?
At Chapeltown in the Braes of Glenlivet, Moray.
Who owns Braeval?
Chivas Brothers, part of Pernod Ricard.
Why was it renamed?
In 1994, to avoid confusion with The Glenlivet.
Is Braeval the highest distillery in Scotland?
Scotchwhisky.com says it shares that title with Dalwhinnie.
Can you visit Braeval?
No. It is not open to the public.
Sources and photographic credits
Cover image: Braeval Distillery, geograph.org.uk via Wikimedia Commons.
Featured photograph: original credited image from the Whisky Clan distillery media library. If you own this image and would like the attribution updated, please contact Whisky Clan.
About the author
 | Filip Janczak Storyteller, drinker and explorer of all things whisky. Read more about the person behind Whisky Clan and explore additional reviews and distillery guides. |
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