Buy Spey | Home of Malts

Over more than two decades, starting in 1962, founder George Christie and stonemason Alex Fairlie converted an old 18th-century barley mill into a distillery – it was only in 1990 that the Speyside Distillery near Kingussie finally began operating.

Spey stands for a soft, floral Speyside style, produced only in small quantities, with a fruity, nutty character. The SPEY Chairman's Choice is the current entry point into this especially traditional distillery's range in our selection.

SPEY Chairman's Choice

Food information

contains Colour

Content: 0.7 Liter (€111.41 / 1 Liter)

Available, delivery time: 1-3 business days

€77.99

Details & Buy

How did a barley mill become a distillery?

The building that now houses the Speyside Distillery was originally an 18th-century barley mill. George Christie acquired the property on the River Tromie near Kingussie in 1962 and, together with stonemason Alex Fairlie, spent almost 30 years converting it into a working distillery, deliberately run on a small, traditional scale. Production only began in 1990.

What is the status of the distillery today?

The lease on the Kingussie site expired in 2025; the distillery has ceased operations there and is planning a move to a new site at Strathmashie. Existing cask stocks and current bottlings such as the Chairman's Choice remain unaffected and continue to be available.

The most popular bottling

1. SPEY Chairman's Choice
The approachable entry point into the house style.
Taste: Fruity and nutty with soft, floral sweetness.
Serving suggestion: Neat, as a gentle introduction to Speyside.

Facts and figures

Address (previous site): Drumguish, near Kingussie, Speyside. Founded: 1990 (after almost 30 years of conversion work) by George Christie. Current status: operations at the previous site have ceased, with a move to Strathmashie planned.