Peat and its importance in Whisky
A peat fire to dry the malt brings the smoke into the whisky!
Peat plays a crucial role in the production of whisky, especially in Scotland. Large areas of the country are covered by bogs with a layer of peat several metres thick, which has formed over the past 1,000 to 5,000 years from dead plant remains. Each bog grows by about one millimetre per year. If a bog is three metres thick, it is therefore around 3,000 years old.
The influence of peat on whisky begins at the malting stage, an early step in the production process.
What is peat?
Peat is a fossil fuel that consists of dead plants. It is formed in swampy and humid regions where dead plant material is not completely decomposed due to a lack of oxygen. This slow process leads to the formation of layers of peat that can be up to several metres thick. Peat is particularly widespread in Scotland, as the climatic conditions there are ideal for its formation.
Peat extraction for whisky production
For the production of whisky, peat is extracted and dried to be used as fuel during the malting process.
Peat has been used as a source of energy since time immemorial. It was a necessity as Scotland is very sparsely wooded and therefore wood or charcoal fires were too expensive. It was not until the middle of the 19th century that peat took a back seat as a source of energy. Peat is cut into narrow strips and piled up in small pyramids to dry. The dried, so-called 'briquette' contains the energy of the dead plant remains, similar to coal, and gives off a large amount of heat when burned.
Modern methods of peat extraction allow the peat layer to be extracted over a large area. This extraction does not resemble open-cast lignite mining, but rather the harvesting of a cultivated foodstuff. The agricultural machinery used for the work certainly contributes to this.
The cut strips of peat are still dried into briquettes on large piles from which the water drains away according to the laws of gravity.
Use of peat in whisky production
The barley is dried over a peat fire, whereby the rising smoke penetrates the barley grains and gives them their characteristic flavours. This method is particularly common in the production of Islay whiskies, which are known for their intense peat flavour.
IMPORTANT: Neither the heating of the stills with peat nor peaty water have any influence on the smokiness of a whisky. Only the drying of the moist malt over a peat fire brings the smoke into the barley grain and thus ultimately into the whisky. If you would like to find out more about malting, please read on here .
Influence of peat on the whisky flavour
The strong flavours and peaty notes in the whisky come from the peat, which is burnt over a peat fire when the malt is dried. Burning the peat releases phenols, which accumulate in the malt and later pass into the whisky during distillation and maturation.The different smokiness of the whiskies is due to how long the barley grain is exposed to the acrid peat smoke during the drying process. The kilning time for wet malt is around 30 hours. Of these 30 hours, around 18 hours are spent drying over a peat fire at Laphroaig. In contrast, a non-smoky whisky, such as Glengoyne, is dried over an unpeated fire. This produces a wide range of whiskies, from extremely smoky to almost smokeless. This is because the malt grains themselves are a speciality, as they give the whisky a slightly smoky note even without a peat fire.
Peat as an important component of whisky culture
Peat has established itself as a symbol of Scottish whisky culture. Lovers of heavily peated whiskies in particular appreciate the complexity and depth that this raw material lends to spirits. The use of peat is an ancient craft that is still practised today in order to preserve traditional aromas and flavour profiles.
Over the last few decades, the popularity of smoky, or peated, whisky has steadily increased. The distilleries on the island of Islay in particular produce highly smoky whisky. Above all Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Caol Ila, Ardbeg and Bowmore. The smoky flavour of these whiskies is so strong that even when diluted with water at a ratio of 1:20, they still show clear smoky notes. Even blending smoky single malt with mild grain whiskies cannot diminish the smoky flavour.
Sustainability and peat utilisation
Recently, the issue of sustainability has also become increasingly important in the whisky industry. The extraction of peat has an ecological impact, as it is a limited raw material that is difficult to regenerate. Some distilleries are therefore opting for sustainable alternatives or reducing the use of peat in order to improve their environmental footprint. It starts with the fact that some of the peat is now cut using a special machine. This means that the turf is immediately sealed again as soon as the peat is extracted.
Distilleries such as Bowmore grind the peat into a coarse powder which is put into a normal fire to produce the necessary smoke and increase the smoke yield of the peat.
Modern large maltings such as Port Ellen, Glen Esk and Glen Ord utilise the peat industrially much better than the traditional dry fire in the distillery can. In a closed system in a large-scale malting plant, the smoke is channelled over the barley grains until it is optimally utilised. The distilleries that order the malt provide the malting plant with the smoke specification for the malt they require so that their whisky has exactly the desired flavour.
Projections have shown that more peat grows in Scotland than is extracted by the whisky industry! The popular flavour is therefore preserved for peat lovers!
Conclusion
Peat is more than just a fuel for whisky production; it is an essential ingredient that contributes significantly to the distinctive character of many whiskies. The flavours that result from the use of peat make some whiskies unique and sought-after worldwide. But there are also critical notes!
However, with growing environmental awareness, the focus is also on sustainable practices to harmonise the tradition of peat use with ecological requirements.
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