One of Scotland’s oldest working distilleries has announced major changes to their future production plans.
Glenturret have revealed that they intend on navigating away from using peated malt in their production from 2025. The Lalique-owned brand will subsequently remove peat products from their core range in 2026.
Peated malt was first introduced into Glenturret’s production in 2009 after using predominantly unpeated for much of the 20th century. Historically Glenturret has been used for blending and creating peated whisky allowed the distillery to offer a more diverse range of spirit for this purpose.
Commonly known as Ruadh Maor, meaning ‘Red Warden’ or ‘Big Red’ in Scots Gaelic, peated Glenturret is also revered among independent bottlers. The first peated Glenturret to enter their core range arrived in 2015 and has remained an essential part of their portfolio since.
Two reasons have been given for the reason to drop peated whiskies from their range. The first is to allow Glenturret to focus on creating a singular signature house style, and the other is related to their sustainability initiatives.
In a statement Glenturret have said that since the Lalique takeover in 2019 they have been on an “ongoing journey to define its signature style.” The transition away from using peated malt “has been made with a clear future house style in mind, that celebrates the distillery’s distinctive light and fruitful new make spirit, nurtured in predominantly American oak sherry seasoned casks.”
Brand manager Jennie Baernreuther elaborates on this idea further, noting how Glenturret’s growing presence in international markets also played a role in this decision. It is hoped having a single signature style will increase consumer confidence in the brand.
Baernreuther said “We have been collaborating closely with our global partners and whisky making team, to understand and truly define what a consumer should expect when savouring our range. The last few years of new ownership have allowed us the space to dedicate our time and resources, into crafting something that celebrates both our incredibly rich heritage and the unique terroir of our Perthshire home.
“Refining both our production and style gives us confidence in the future, that alongside the unforgettable depth of craftmanship in everything that we produce, our distinctive fruit notes and American oak sherry influence will be instantly recognisable as a Glenturret Single Malt.”
Glenturret was recently announced as Walpole’s Sustainable Luxury Brand of the Year, in recognition of the distillery embedding sustainable practices across their production process. Annual energy consumption has been reduced at the site by 27%, while an estimated 1 million litres of water annually is also saved.
In terms of sustainability, the use of peat in whisky production is a contentious issue. It has been estimated that the Scotch whisky industry only uses 1% of the total peat extracted in the UK. On the other hand, peat is a non-renewable energy source and is undeniably far from the most environmentally friendly form of fuel. Additionally, natural peatlands are important for storing carbon and roughly 80% of UK peatlands are considered ‘degraded’.
While Glenturret’s announcement doesn’t directly address these concerns regarding peat, their move away from using peat will be another notable string to their sustainable bow.
Fans of Glenturret’s peated output need not immediately worry. As stated, their Peat Smoke editions are currently still available and will be included in next year’s annual output. For those who desire a more exclusive smoky offering from the distillery, Glenturret also have a limited number of private casks containing peated spirit available for purchase.
