Peat is the origin of the smoky and earthy side, which is found in several whiskeys. Flavors which appeal to some fans as much as they disgust others, but which form the identity of many Scottish juices. Produced from the decomposition of organic matter in wetlands with dense vegetation and stagnant water, peat is also a considerable carbon trap. It is partly because of this essential role in preserving the planet that the English government intends to strongly restrict its exploitation, particularly for commercial uses.
Until now mainly used in gardening as a natural fertilizer, its use is gradually being reduced as national bans come into force. Once these measures are fully established, the whiskey industry – which consumes only a small part of all the peat taken for human needs – will become one of the last to exploit it intensively. This could accelerate pressure to remove him from the process altogether, according to Fast Company..
The British government recently designated some 10,000-year-old English peatlands as national nature reserves. A new law proposed earlier this year aims to strengthen bans on open burning within these ecosystems. This is part of a last-ditch attempt to restore English peatlands already considered 80% degraded.
A little taste of carbon
The United Kingdom, which is home to 13% of the world’s peatlands, wants to consolidate their protection. These environments cover only 3% of the earth’s surface, but store nearly a third of the world’s carbon. Mary Creagh, British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Nature, emphasizes on this subject: “Our peatlands are our country’s Amazon, supporting our most precious wildlife, storing carbon and reducing flood risk.”
While the majority of whiskeys are not necessarily peated, those that are hold a special place in the hearts of enthusiasts. This emblematic taste comes from the stage where the malted barley is dried over a peat fire, the smoke of which impregnates the grains with its very particular aromas. Doing without peat for certain distilleries would mean putting aside know-how dating back to the 18th century, a taste heritage anchored in Celtic lands.
But not doing so also means missing the opportunity to make the whiskey industry – often criticized for its appetite for water and energy – more sustainable, in an environmentally friendly future. Other sectors have already moved away from peat: in gardening, for example, it can be replaced by coconut fiber, wood chips or even rice husks.
If these alternatives prove effective for plants, we will undoubtedly have to redouble our ingenuity to try to reconstitute the iodized aroma, sometimes medicinal, that peat gives to whiskey… without harming the planet.
