Whisky and peat go back a long way together. But is it time to put planet before palate?

With a possible ban on industrial peat use in Scotland, some whisky makers are experimenting with other aromaticsThe UK's peat bogs are remarkable. Apart from their damp beauty, they are home to rare wildlife, act as a water filter and a ballast against flooding, and, perhaps most crucially of all, are a somewhat unsung hero of the battle with the climate crisis given their carbon-capturing power. Peat bogs are Scotland's largest carbon store.That combination of attributes means peatlands have long been an environmental cause celebre, and explains why even this most part-time, pallidly green of governments has at last seen a reason to protect them, with the most high-profile piece of legislation so far being a ban on peat products for domestic gardeners, which will see composting products - already pretty much infra dig - entirely absent from garden centres by the end of 2024. Continue reading...