Speyburn

About the distillery (kort om destilleriet)

Speyburn sits in a narrow, wooded valley near the River Spey, where Granty Burn flows into the distillery and gives the whisky its distinct character. It is a Speyside distillery, founded by John Hopkins in 1897, built into the landscape by Charles C. Doig, and known for a light, soft and fruity style with a clearly floral, airy touch.

History

John Hopkins was already a successful brandy merchant when, in 1897, he set out to build his own distillery and toast Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee with a whisky from Speyside. He found the site at the hidden Granty Burn, an untouched freshwater stream near the River Spey, and asked Charles C. Doig to shape the distillery so that it followed the valley’s topography. The result was a three-storey building and the iconic pagoda fan that allows air to flow over the grain. Production began on 1 November 1897, and on the last night of the year the first cask was filled, while work continued without doors, windows or a roof. Speyburn was sold to The Distillers Company Limited in 1916, closed in 1939 during the war, when two Scottish Artillery Regiments were housed on the site, and reopened in 1947. In 1950 the business moved from horse and cart to tractor, in 1962 from coal firing to indirect steam heating, and in 1967 the legendary drum malting ceased. Since then, the distillery has come under Inver House Distillers in 1992, capacity was doubled in 2014, and in 2023 Speyburn opened its doors to the public for the first time as part of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

Raw materials and production

Speyburn’s process is built on the same basic elements as in 1897: water, malt, mashing, distillation and maturation. The water comes from Granty Burn, which the distillery describes as its only water source. The malt is of high quality and is purchased from suppliers the company has worked with for decades, and it is crushed in a 10-ton twin-roller ‘Boby’ mill in 5.6-ton portions. In the mash tun, the freshly milled grist is mixed with warm water, and the sugary wort is cooled before it is sent on to washbacks. Fermentation takes place in both stainless steel tanks and wooden washbacks, and the long fermentation times are a deliberate part of the house style. Distillation is carried out twice in a wash still and two spirit stills that work together with traditional worm tub condensers. Speyburn highlights that the large wash still produces a lighter spirit with fresh apple, citrus and floral character, while worm tubs contribute a richer, fuller body. The combination results in a spirit described as clean, floral and sweet, yet also deep, complex and rich.

Maturation and cask types

Maturation begins with transfer to casks that previously held bourbon or sherry and takes place in the traditional dunnage warehouse. Here, the whisky rests and gradually becomes softer, sweeter and more flavourful, while the oak provides colour, aroma and complexity. In addition to the classic maturation, Speyburn works with clear finishing and exclusive releases: Rum Cask Finish starts in bourbon casks and then completes in rum casks, while distillery-exclusive bottlings show more extended courses, including the 1975 release, which was matured in first-fill and refill European oak butts and American oak hogsheads before being finished in first-fill Oloroso sherry casks towards 2026. It is a maturation practice where classic Speyside maturation meets distinct cask changes and experiments.

Whiskies

The core range consists of three permanent expressions: Bourbon Cask, 10 Year Old and Rum Cask Finish. Bourbon Cask is the fresh and direct version of the house style, 10 Year Old is the classic reference with an award-winning profile, and Rum Cask Finish takes the whisky in a more tropical direction. In addition, there are 15 Year Old and 18 Year Old, which expand the range with more mature depth and a clearer layered character. Outside the core range, you’ll find distillery exclusive single casks and travel exclusive bottlings, where Speyburn works with bourbon, sherry, Bordeaux and rum notes without letting go of the underlying light Speyside identity.

The style and flavour profile of the whiskies

Speyburn’s style revolves around fruit, sweetness and mild spices. 10 Year Old offers orange, red apples, toffee, butterscotch and a long vanilla finish. Bourbon Cask layers green apples, honey, lemon, vanilla, brown sugar and sweet cream on top of the pure spirit. Rum Cask Finish moves in a more tropical direction with pineapple, mango, warm banana, caramel and cinnamon. Taken together, it creates a whisky profile where light fruit, creamy sweetness, vanilla and a subtle layer of spice are the clearest markers.

Visit the distillery

Speyburn has opened to the public and takes part in the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival with special events. The distillery has a shop where the distillery-exclusive whiskies can be purchased. The visit is therefore aimed at whisky enthusiasts who want to get close to the distillery and bring home special bottlings. The official text does not state fixed opening hours or booking terms, but it confirms that you can visit the site in connection with the festival activities and shop there.

Philosophy and craftsmanship

Speyburn’s working philosophy is simple and concrete: use water from Granty Burn, work with long fermentation times, distil through worm tub condensers to preserve fullness, and let the whisky be bold, bright and full of character. The house seeks a style that is easy to drink, but still clearly shaped by place, water and craftsmanship.

Prices and recognitions

• Gold - 2025 (2025, Gold, Speyburn 10 Year Old)

• Silver - 2025 (2025, Silver, Speyburn 10 Year Old)

• Silver - 2024 (2024, Silver, Speyburn 10 Year Old)

• Gold - 2024 (2024, Gold, Speyburn 10 Year Old)

• Gold - 2023 (2023, Gold, Speyburn 10 Year Old)

• Silver - 2025 (2025, Silver, Speyburn Bourbon Cask)

• Silver - 2025 (2025, Silver, Speyburn Bourbon Cask)

• Silver - 2024 (2024, Silver, Speyburn Bourbon Cask)

• Silver - 2023 (2023, Silver, Speyburn Bourbon Cask)

• Silver - 2022 (2022, Silver, Speyburn Bourbon Cask)

• Silver - 2025 (2025, Silver, Speyburn Rum Cask Finish)

• Silver - 2025 (2025, Silver, Speyburn Rum Cask Finish)

• Silver - 2025 (2025, Silver, Speyburn Rum Cask Finish)

Latest news

Join us for Spirit of Speyside 2025 – 2025-02-03

Speyburn is taking part again in the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2025 and highlights special festival events.

Speyburn unveils a vibrant new look and refreshed core range – 2024-05-23

Speyburn launches an updated collection and describes it as the distillery’s next chapter in Speyside.

Rejoining in the festivities at this year’s Spirit of Speyside – 2024-01-25

The distillery returns to the Spirit of Speyside festival after opening its doors to the public for the first time in 2023.

We are set to unveil 125 years of whisky-making by opening our doors – 2023-04-10

Speyburn announces that the distillery is opening to the public for the first time since its founding.

Two new travel exclusives – 2018-02-27

The distillery launches Speyburn 10 Years Old Non-Chill Filtered and Hopkins Reserve as travel exclusives.