Dalmunach
Type: Distillery
Eight copper pot stills stand in a circle at Dalmunach, while red brick and washback wood from Imperial, its predecessor on the site, live on in the building.[1] Beside the River Spey at Carron, this Speyside malt whisky distillery brings a new production plant to old distilling ground. Built for Chivas Brothers, it supplies spirit for Chivas Regal, Ballantine's and Royal Salute.[1][5]
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Carron, Moray, beside the River Spey.[1][5] |
| Area | Speyside.[8] |
| Ownership account | Chivas Brothers, part of Pernod Ricard, according to the producer; checked November 2026.[1] |
| Official opening | 22 June 2015, performed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.[2][6] |
| Installed capacity | Not reliably established from the supplied record. |
| Stills | Eight copper pot stills in the producer's construction account; checked November 2026.[1] |
| Washbacks | Sixteen stainless steel vessels in the same account.[1] |
| Visitor access | No visitor centre or public access, according to the producer; visible from the Speyside Way. Checked November 2026.[1] |
What Dalmunach is known for
Dalmunach is a new distillery, not Imperial operating under another name. Imperial was demolished rather than refurbished; its land, selected materials and design details became part of the project that followed.[1][5]
Its purpose is straightforward. The producer identifies it as a source of Speyside spirit for three blended whisky brands: Chivas Regal, Ballantine's and Royal Salute.[1] Blending is the starting point for understanding Dalmunach, rather than treating it primarily as a visitor attraction or a stand-alone single malt brand.
Even the name keeps the story close to home. According to the producer, Dalmunach takes its name from a nearby pool in the River Spey.[1] River, site and salvaged materials anchor a distillery built to serve a much larger whisky business.
From Imperial to Dalmunach
Imperial was founded in 1897 by Thomas Mackenzie, a co-owner of Dailuaine and Talisker, according to the trade history. Its spirit went mainly into blends, including Teacher's, Ballantine's and Old Smuggler.[8] Dalmunach's blending role has a predecessor on the same ground.
Imperial was mothballed in 1998.[2][6][7] Pernod Ricard acquired it with Allied Domecq in 2005, when it was already silent, according to the trade account.[8] By the time the Dalmunach project arrived, production at Imperial had long since stopped.
The same history records that Imperial needed substantial work. Chivas chose demolition over refurbishment.[8] What followed was a new construction project, rather than a restart of the old plant. Dalmunach's links to Imperial would be carried through the site, selected design references and reused materials.
Production and site timeline
| Date | Recorded event |
|---|---|
| 1897 | Imperial founded by Thomas Mackenzie, according to the trade history.[8] |
| 1998 | Imperial mothballed.[2][6][7] |
| 2005 | Pernod Ricard acquired the already silent Imperial with Allied Domecq, according to the trade history.[8] |
| 22 June 2015 | Dalmunach officially opened by Nicola Sturgeon.[2][6] |
The ceremony on 22 June 2015 marks the official opening. The construction and opening accounts cover different stages of the project; they do not establish an exact date for the first distillation.
Inside Dalmunach's production design
Dalmunach's eight copper pot stills were arranged in a circle as part of a fresh design, rather than fitted back into Imperial's former buildings. In its construction account, the producer explicitly describes this circular layout as a departure from tradition.[1]
Their shapes, however, look back. The wash stills, which handle the fermented liquid, are tulip shaped. The spirit stills, used for the subsequent distillation, are onion shaped. According to the producer, both copy Imperial's stills.[1] This carries forward a particular design feature, without establishing that the resulting spirits are identical.
The scale becomes clearer beyond the stills. The same account records sixteen stainless steel washbacks for fermentation and a mash tun measuring 9.5 metres in diameter.[1] In the mash tun, grain and water meet to extract fermentable material. Together, these details describe the equipment and its scale, though not a complete production recipe.
Water provides another thread of continuity. The distillery uses the site's original distilling water sources, described by the producer as spring water. Heat recovery technology was incorporated into the build.[1] The result is a new plant that retains an established supply while taking a new approach to the production equipment around it.
A building shaped around barley
A sheaf of barley inspired Dalmunach's architecture, according to the producer.[1] The reference suits a malt distillery, but its most tangible links with the past are brick and wood.
Reclaimed red brick from Imperial's mill forms a feature wall at the entrance. Wood from its washbacks forms the entrance drum and clads the tun room gables.[1] These materials give Imperial a physical presence in the new building, even though its buildings were not preserved intact.
Robertson Group identifies itself as the project's contractor.[4] The producer names former Chivas Brothers Production Director Douglas Cruickshank as build manager.[1] For Cruickshank, the job was also a return: his working life had begun at Imperial.
Story box: a return to the same site
| Field | Record |
|---|---|
| Story title | From Imperial to Dalmunach build manager |
| Founding story | Built for Chivas Brothers on the former Imperial site at Carron; officially opened on 22 June 2015. Sources: producer's account and BBC opening report. |
| Turning point | Imperial was mothballed in 1998. Dalmunach's construction later returned distilling to the site. Sources: contemporary trade report and producer's account. |
| Key person | Douglas Cruickshank began his career at Imperial aged 15 and later managed Dalmunach's build, according to the producer's account. |
| Documented connection | Cruickshank's professional roles at both sites, as published in the producer's account. |
Verdict: Documented
Claim: Douglas Cruickshank began his career at Imperial and later managed the construction of Dalmunach on the same site.[1]
What the record shows: The producer identifies both roles and presents the project as a return to the place where his career began. The verdict follows the supplied fact sheet, retaining that attribution; it concerns Cruickshank's career, not a claim that Dalmunach is Imperial renamed.[1]
Evidence against or gap: None found in the supplied record.
Earliest known source: Not reliably established from the supplied record.
Source: Pernod Ricard, construction announcement, 2015.
Last checked: Exact date not established from the supplied record.
Dalmunach's place in Chivas Brothers
Dalmunach's opening completed a programme that increased Chivas Brothers' malt distilling capacity by 17%, according to contemporary trade reports.[6][7] This was one part of a wider expansion, not an isolated building project.
At the opening, Laurent Lacassagne was Chivas Brothers' chairman. The producer also reported that eight permanent production employees had joined.[1][6] Alongside the copper stills, stainless steel vessels and substantial mash tun, those appointments mark the practical work of bringing a new distillery into use.
The reported capacity increase describes potential scale rather than annual production. Dalmunach's stated job remains the clearest guide to its place in the business: making Speyside spirit for Chivas Regal, Ballantine's and Royal Salute.[1] Plant size alone does not describe the character of an individual bottle.
Seeing Dalmunach
Dalmunach can be seen from the Speyside Way, but the producer describes no visitor centre and no public visitor access.[1] A view from the route should not be mistaken for permission to enter the site.
Before travelling specifically to see it, check the producer's current information for any change in access arrangements. The riverside setting, new architecture and surviving Imperial materials make it an interesting distillery to understand, but it should not be planned as a conventional distillery tour.
Where to go next
- The Glenlivet: explore another Speyside distillery profile.
- Strathisla: add a second distillery to your reading about the area.
- Aberlour: broaden the comparison beyond Dalmunach's new-build story.
Sources
[1] Pernod Ricard. Chivas Brothers: new Speyside malt whisky distillery. Construction announcement, 2015. Producer's account.
https://www.pernod-ricard.com/en/media/chivas-brothers-new-speyside-malt-whisky-distillery
[2] BBC News. New Dalmunach Distillery opened by Nicola Sturgeon. Opening report, 2015.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-33203368
[4] Robertson Group. Dalmunach Distillery. Contractor's case study, publication date not supplied.
https://www.robertson.co.uk/case-study/dalmunach-distillery
[5] Scotchwhisky.com. Dalmunach. Distillery profile, publication date not supplied.
https://scotchwhisky.com/whiskypedia/2207/dalmunach/
[6] Shanken News Daily. Chivas Brothers Opens New Dalmunach Distillery In Speyside. 22 June 2015.
https://www.shankennewsdaily.com/2015/06/22/12727/chivas-brothers-opens-new-dalmunach-distillery-in-speyside/
[7] Whiskey Reviewer. Dalmunach Distillery Opens On River Spey. June 2015.
https://whiskeyreviewer.com/2015/06/dalmunach-distillery-opens-on-river-spey-062215/
[8] NewsBreak, WhiskeyPulse. 10 Famous Distilleries That Closed and Their Stories. Publication date not supplied.
https://www.newsbreak.com/whiskeypulse-292180567/4979898955311-10-famous-distilleries-that-closed-and-their-stories
This desk-researched article uses the supplied fact sheet, distinguishing producer and contractor accounts from independent reporting; it includes no site visit or first-hand tasting.
Last checked: November 2026