Whisky makers are turning their backs on peat

Image source, Renaud Lampaert

The colored houses of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull can be seen from the distillery.

"We want to create delicious spirits that exist in harmony with nature - putting planet, people and profit on an equal footing," says founder Annabel Thomas.

Ms Thomas launched her first whisky in 2020 after setting up a distillery on her parents' farm. She didn't consider using the substance. Peat fires were used in the past to dry malts.

Peat burning is unsustainable. Peatland creation is a very long process. She says that they are a great carbon sink and house a lot of different things. Carbon is released into the atmosphere when it is cut and burned.

Ms Thomas agrees that using peat makes a big difference to the taste of whiskies, but it's not everyone's cup of tea.

She says you can taste it right away. Some people say that it tastes likeTCP.

It wasn't difficult for Ms Thomas to remove her whiskies from the process.

She says that there is a misconception that all Scotch is made with water.

Image source, Jim Manthorpe

For hundreds of years, whiskey has been distilled in Scotland from a variety of grains.

The malt grain is spread out over the floor and the smoke is produced from the burning of the peat.

Peat is a vital component in the making of whiskey, and it's not the only one.

Peter Bignell's family farm is where Belgrove is located.

The distillery is noisier than most others.

Mr Bignell said that the chip oil burner was the reason. Being creative is something I enjoy. My experimentation in the distillery is driven by it.

A waste chip shop is being used to make biofuel. The spent mash is fed to the sheep after the grain is grown.

Image source, Belgrove Distillery

Mr Bignell is trying to get more out of the precious resource by using unconventional methods.

A modified industrial clothes dryer is where most of the smoking takes place. I smoke the green malt with the grain in it.

He re-wets the grain to increase the smoke level.

The smoke comes from the re-wetting of the grain part.

Mr Bignall wets the dry grain. The smoke goes through the grain bed.

It takes a lot more smoke to absorb the same amount of grain.

Mr Bignall smokes the inside of a barrel before he fills it with spirit.

A lot of smoke is lost during the process of making a beverage. I found more when I smoked a wet barrel than when I passed it through a still. It has a very different taste profile.

By burning sheep dung on his farm, Mr Bignall was able to eliminate the use of peat completely.

Image source, Angela Gallego-Sala

Peat lands are wet.

The decomposition of organic materials in these soils takes a long time due to the lack of oxygen for the microbes. Thousands of years after they were buried, well-preserved bodies have been found.

Carbon can't escape back into the atmosphere because of the lack of decomposition

Peatlands store at least twice as much carbon as all the world's forests.

They play an important role in the water purification process. Around 85% of drinking water is found in Ireland and the UK.

Many rare, threatened and in decline species are found in the peatlands.

The environmental impact of damaged peatlands is more than one thing.

Image source, Angela Gallego-Sala

She is a professor at the University of Exeter. She studies the environment.

The issue goes beyond carbon when it comes to the whiskies industry.

Prof Gallego-Sala says you have to drain the entire peatland to extract the bricks.

She says that you affect the entire peatland. You're breaking the system. The water cycling, the carbon cycling, are all lost.

We have a choice, according to Prof. Gallego-Sala. We need to make an informed decision if we love it so much.

The distillery was founded in the Scottish Highlands. In the last few years, they have been experimenting with flavours from wood charring.

Image source, Whyte and Mackay

Peat is a fundamental aspect of the industry. There is a history for each distillery and for many of them itInvolves Peat.

She thinks that people are becoming more open minded to new flavours.

She says that Fettercairn has a tropical style of flavor. Hopefully, we will still be doing it hundreds of years from now, because we're building towards the future with local oak and grain.

Is it possible for people to live without peat? Is it a good idea to have them?

The ecosystems are resistant. We don't have a lot of time to act. It's easy to make sure we reach net zero.

Ms Thomas is optimistic about the future of the whisky industry.

Replacing fossil fuels to power the distilleries and addressing unsustainable agricultural practices are things I hope the whisky industry will do quickly.