Dalmunach Distillery Pernod Ricard, Scottish Whisky Building in Speyside, Chivas Brothers, Pictures

Dalmunach Distillery, Scotland

Chivas Brothers Scotch Whisky Speyside Building, Moray, northern Scotland design by Archial Norr Architects

page updated 25 May 2019 ; 23 Jun 2015

Dalmunach Distillery Speyside

Design: Archial Norr (Inverness Studio)

With a plan inspired by the shape of a sheaf of barley, the design is a conscious balance between the honest aesthetics of a crisp modern industrial building and one with a strong sense of place.

photograph © Archial Norr Inverness

A new malt whisky distillery in Speyside has been officially opened on the site of the former Imperial Distillery in Carron. “Chivas Brothers executives never considered keeping the Imperial name for the new distillery, which was demolished in 2012 after being mothballed in 1998″, according to whiskycast.com. “It is the 14th malt distillery in the Chivas Brothers Scotch whisky portfolio, second only in size to Diageo’s 28 malt distilleries”.

photograph © Archial Norr Inverness

The French-owned Chivas Brothers Ltd, part of Pernod Ricard, built the £25m Dalmunach facility on the site of a former distillery near Carron in Moray, reports the BBC. It is Scotland’s 115th working whisky distillery.

The Dalmunach Distillery in Speyside – named after a nearby pool in the River Spey – is capable of producing up to 10 million litres of spirit a year. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon performed the opening ceremony on Monday.

Laurent Lacassagne, chairman of Chivas Brothers, said the new facility would satisfy a growing demand. The distillery has eight copper pot stills, with a tulip shape used for the wash stills and an onion shape used for the spirit stills, replicating those from the Imperial distillery which was situated on the site until 2012.

photograph from Chivas Brothers

Dalmunach Distillery Building – Chivas Brothers page on this new building

Location: Carron, Scotland

Dalmunach Distillery, Moray : 2015 RIBA National Award Winner

The new distillery, which is Chivas Brothers’ 14th operating malt whisky distillery, is named Dalmunach after the nearby pool in the River Spey on whose banks the distillery sits.

Built using the latest innovations and environmental expertise such as heat recovery technology, the distillery is capable of producing up to 10 million litres of high quality Speyside style spirit per year to support the growing global demand for the bestselling blended whisky brands within Chivas Brothers’ portfolio, which includes Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s and Royal Salute.

“As global demand for Scotch whisky increases year on year, our confidence in the long-term growth prospects for the category remains strong. The construction of the new Dalmunach distillery is a clear demonstration of our confidence and also of our commitment to invest to meet the significant growth potential ” Laurent Lacassagne, Chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers

Inspiration
The distillery architecture has been inspired by the shape of a sheaf of barley reflecting the core ingredient of single malt whisky. It houses eight unique copper pot stills, with a tulip shape used for the wash stills and an onion shape used for the spirit stills, replicating those from the Imperial distillery which was situated on the site until 2012. In a departure from distillery traditions, the stills have been positioned in a circular design that provides a unique aesthetic for the future.

photograph from Chivas Brothers

Heritage and modernity
Other original features from the previous distillery have been carefully incorporated to ensure a sense of heritage remains intact. Red brick from the original mill building has been reclaimed to create a feature wall in the new entrance area, and wood from the original washbacks has been used to form an entrance ‘drum’ and adorn the gable walls of the new tun room which contains 16 new stainless steel washbacks. A new 9.5m diameter mashtun has been installed which draws spring water for production from the site’s original distilling water sources.

Situated on the banks of the River Spey, the Dalmunach distillery will not be open to visitors but will be visible from the nearby Speyside Way walking trail. Great care has been taken to ensure the external façade of the distillery is in-keeping with its surrounding environment and the traditional architectural style of the region.

It has already had a positive impact on the local economy with companies from the Speyside area heavily involved in the construction, while an additional eight permanent employees have joined the Chivas Brothers production team.

photograph from Chivas Brothers

The construction of the distillery was managed from start to finish by Douglas Cruickshank, who stepped back from his role as Chivas Brothers’ Production Director last year to concentrate on the new build. The project is a fitting end to Cruickshank’s career prior to retirement which began at the age of 15 at the Imperial Distillery and has now come full circle as he restores distilling to the same location after a 16 year slumber.

Dalmunach Distillery Speyside building images / information from Chivas Brothers

Location: Speyside, Scotland

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