Dalmunach Distillery: History, Owner and Production Guide
Updated: 2 days ago
Dalmunach is one of the newest large distilleries in Speyside. It was built by Chivas Brothers to supply the Chivas Regal blends. This guide covers where it is, how it came about, who owns it and how it is set up.
In this guide
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Dalmunach at a glance
Distillery fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Region | Speyside, Scotland |
Ownership | Chivas Brothers / Pernod Ricard |
History | Officially opened 2015 on old Imperial site |
Whisky and production | Independent bottling, not a regularly marketed distillery core single malt |
Named expressions | Dalmunach 7 Year Old The Single Cask |
Visits | Verify public access, current tours and opening times with the distillery before travelling. |
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Where is Dalmunach Distillery?
Dalmunach is in Carron, in the Speyside whisky region. Its address is Carron, Aberlour, Banffshire, AB38 7QP. It sits beside the Speyside Way and Moray Way long distance footpaths. The name comes from a nearby pool on the River Spey.
Dalmunach history: 2012 to today
Work started in 2012. The distillery occupies part of the former site of the old Imperial distillery. It was officially opened in June 2015 by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. The Drinks Business reported the cost as 25 million pounds.
The building won the Royal Institute of British Architects Award for Scotland in 2015. Its design is said to be inspired by a sheaf of barley, and it was built to be energy efficient using renewable energy.
Most of the spirit goes into the Chivas Regal blends. The first single malt bottling came in 2019, a 4 year old single cask release.
Who owns Dalmunach Distillery?
Dalmunach is owned by Chivas Brothers, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard.
How big is Dalmunach?
The distillery has a capacity of 10 million litres a year. One engineering case study says that makes it the second highest capacity distillery Chivas owns, behind The Glenlivet.
Eight copper pot stills: four wash stills and four spirit stills
Wash stills are tulip shaped, and spirit stills are onion shaped, a nod to the former Imperial distillery
A 12 tonne Briggs full lauter mash tun
16 stainless steel washbacks
Can you visit Dalmunach Distillery?
Difford's Guide lists the visitor policy as not generally accessible. Check with Chivas Brothers before publishing in case this has changed.
Dalmunach Distillery FAQ
When did Dalmunach open? It was officially opened in June 2015.
What was on the site before? Part of the old Imperial distillery.
Where does the water come from? Wikipedia names the Ballinom Burn, which rises in the Mannoch Hills. Other listings give Balintomb, so confirm the spelling and source.
From Imperial to Dalmunach
The Single Cask's July 2026 guide says Thomas Mackenzie built the Imperial distillery at Carron in 1897, naming it for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. It spent the next century moving between mothballing and short bursts of production, fell silent in 1998 and was demolished in 2013.
Chivas Brothers then built a new distillery on the site between 2012 and 2014 for a reported 25 million pounds. It is named after a pool on the Spey beside the site. The first spirit ran in October 2014 and it was formally opened in June 2015. The guide says the building won a RIBA award for Scotland in 2015, and that red brick and timber from Imperial were reused in the new structure.
Production as described by the guide
Owner: Chivas Brothers, part of Pernod Ricard.
Capacity: around 10 million litres of pure alcohol a year.
Water from the Balintomb Burn, rising in the Mannoch Hills.
Twelve tonne mashes in a full lauter tun.
16 stainless steel washbacks and a fermentation of around 54 hours.
Eight stills: four tulip shaped wash stills and four onion shaped spirit stills, the latter modelled on Imperial's.
Unpeated malt, filled into cask at 63.5 percent.
Range
The guide says nearly all production goes into Chivas Brothers blends, Chivas Regal and Ballantine's above all, and that official single malt releases are occasional distillery exclusives and travel bottlings. Independent bottlings have appeared since about 2019, such as The Single Cask's own cask 51, a 7 year old bottled at 66.3 percent.
Visiting
The guide says there is no visitor centre and the site is not open to the public. It can be seen from the Speyside Way, which passes close by.
Sources and gaps
Further sources checked 20 October 2026: The Single Cask guide 'Dalmunach Distillery: Speyside's 25 Million Newcomer' (17 July 2026). Gaps: no Chivas Brothers page was read. Opening is given as June 2015 by this guide, so check against the existing Wikipedia based text above if dates differ.
Wikipedia, Dalmunach distillery (read 20 October 2026): history, award, stills, mash tun, washbacks, first bottling
The Drinks Business, 22 June 2015: 25 million pound cost and 10 million litre capacity
The Spirits Business, 22 June 2015 (search snippet): eight pot stills and shapes
Robertson case study and Difford's Guide (search snippets): capacity ranking and visitor policy
Gaps to fill before publishing: official Chivas page, current single malt range and ABVs, water source spelling, and whether Dalmunach is still closed to visitors
What makes Dalmunach distinctive?
Independent bottling, not a regularly marketed distillery core single malt
Dalmunach whisky bottle and expression comparison
These are producer- or archive-documented expressions; historical editions are not current stock guarantees.
Rare and historic whisky releases
A closed distillery or a past limited batch cannot be assumed to be still producing this whisky.
Bottle or expression | Age or release | ABV | Verified context |
|---|---|---|---|
Dalmunach 7 Year Old The Single Cask | 7 years | Check bottle | Independent bottling, not official core |
This compares documented expressions, not live shop stock. Strength, age, casks and availability can vary by release; check the producer's bottle information.
Dalmunach whisky is sometimes available through independent bottlers rather than a permanent official distillery range. This seven-year-old single malt is The Single Cask's independently bottled cask 51, not an official core Dalmunach release.
Pictured: The Single Cask Dalmunach 7 Year Old, cask 51, bottled in 2023 at 66.3% ABV. Historical limited independent bottling.
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Frequently asked questions about Dalmunach
Where is Dalmunach based?
Dalmunach is in Carron, in the Speyside whisky region. Its address is Carron, Aberlour, Banffshire, AB38 7QP. It sits beside the Speyside Way and Moray Way long distance footpaths.
Who owns Dalmunach?
Chivas Brothers / Pernod Ricard
What is an important date in Dalmunach's history?
Officially opened 2015 on old Imperial site
Which whiskies are associated with Dalmunach?
Dalmunach 7 Year Old The Single Cask. Release status changes.
Can you visit Dalmunach?
Confirm tour availability, visitor rules and hours with the distillery; production-only sites may not offer public visits.
Sources and editorial checks
Original historical research and source notes are preserved in this guide. Producer details, distillery access and releases may change.
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Dalmunach 7 Year Old cask 51 independent bottling photograph from The Single Cask. Copyright and reuse permission not independently confirmed.
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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