Chivas to build new Speyside distillery

Chivas Brothers is consulting with planners and locals after announcing plans to build a new Speyside malt whisky distillery.

An artist’s impression of the new Chivas Brothers distillery on Speyside

The current plan is for the construction to take place on the banks of the River Spey near Carron, at the site of the old Imperial Distillery, which has remained inactive since 1998 and was acquired by Chivas Brothers in 2005.

It is thought the site will be visible from the Speyside Way walking trail, so the company has said they will ensure the distillery’s external façade will blend with the surrounding riverside area.

Chairman and CEO Christian Porta said: “This new distillery will supply high quality Speyside malt whisky for many of our blends in the years to come.

“This is another example of our sustained investment in our Scotch whisky operations which, combined with consistent innovation and marketing, will continue to drive the growth of our business.”

The new distillery will supply Speyside malt whisky for Chivas Brothers, part of Pernod Ricard, to use in blended whisky.

Earlier this year, Chivas Brothers announced plans to grow its malt whisky distillation capacity by 25% by April 2013, with the re-opening of Glen Keith distillery and expansions at four existing Speyside distilleries.

It also increased the capacity of The Glenlivet Distillery by 75% in 2010 in light of increasing sales.