The heart of the peatlands lies in the north and west of the Scottish uplands. Secluded and remote yet full of iconic wildlife, this environment rules the landscape and provides a valuable fuel for the whisky-making process.
Established in 1894, our Distillery Knockdhu, is one of the most enchanting in the Scottish Highlands and belted by a bounty of natural resources perfectly suited to making whisky. Knockdhu sits just under Knock Hill – the home of pure, clear water springs – and sits on the doorstep of a region rich in barley and peat.
Peat, a natural resource, was historically embraced as fuel to fire the still and dry the barley for the distillation of whisky. Peat is traditionally cut by hand using several traditional cutting tools.
Peatiness can be controlled by the amount of peat burnt and the humidity of the barley. The peat smoke generates phenols, and it is the phenol content that allows a whisky’s ‘peatiness’ to be measured. The phenol content is expressed as PPM (parts per million) and to ensure consistency, Peatheart uses barley, specified by our Master Blender, malted to 40 PPM.
