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What is Peated
Whisky?
What is peated whisky?
As far back as Roman times, peat, a type of fossilised vegetation, was used as an alternative fuel source to wood. In time it was adopted by Scotch whisky producers to heat the pot stills. This lent the whisky a distinct, smoky flavour. While today the sills are heated in a more modern and efficient way, peat remains integral to the production of Islay whisky.
Islay's Peat
Many Islay whisky brands, including Bowmore single malt whisky, are celebrated for their unmistakable peated notes.
To create peated scotch whisky, peat and barley are harvested separately, dried, then taken for 'malting'. Here, barley is soaked, germinated, and later smoked using peat in a kiln.
This is the case for a proportion of our traditional floor-malted barley at Bowmore. Alternatively it can be dried using hot air with peat introduced after kilning.
Peat is an indivisible part of Bowmore's rich and storied history. Because there is currently no alternative to using peat in achieving our whisky's complex smoky flavour, it is paramount that we continue to harvest and use it with the utmost care and responsibility.
