Scotland’s oldest working distillery, The Glenturret, has announced that they have begun a transition plan to navigate away from using peated malt in their own production in 2025 and removal of peated expressions from their core range from 2026.
Although originally using peat in the 18th and 19th centuries, much of The Glenturret’s whisky making has been unpeated in style.
The distillery introduced Ruadh Maor, a peat smoked form of The Glenturret whisky in 2009, which alongside their unpeated spirit, has been produced annually.
The decision to no longer include peat smoked releases in The Glenturret’s award winning core range has been made with a clear future house style in mind, that celebrates the distillery’s distinctive light and fruitful new make spirit, matured in predominantly American oak sherry seasoned casks.
This latest development follows on from the distillery’s transformative acquisition led by the Lalique group in March 2019.
Five years on since purchase, every element of The Glenturret’s rich heritage and traditions continues to be reimagined.
Significant investment, time and expertise have elevated the brand from its former days as an overlooked and unknown whisky to the highly coveted single malt it is today.
The recent changes to the distillery’s malt specification form part of The Glenturret’s ongoing journey to define its signature style, whilst continually improving the sustainability of its processes.
Prior to acquisition, the majority of the distillery’s spirit was distilled and matured with blending in mind.
Producing a heavily peated component during this period, was advantageous to the popular blends that The Glenturret previously featured in. Most of the Glenturret whisky was used to make the Famous Grouse, which is set to be bought by William Grant and Sons, subject to clearance by regulators.
Now, the Glenturret is made purely to be bottled as a single malt whisky.
This ‘new whisky direction’ comes just as The Glenturret is recognised as Walpole’s Sustainable Luxury Brand of the Year.
This prestigious accolade celebrates the distillery’s achievements in embedding sustainability across its operations, from significant reductions in energy and water usage to promoting sustainable practices throughout its supply chain.
The Glenturret’s small and experienced team have focused their efforts on crafting a range of whiskies that showcase the finest and most distinctive elements of the distillery. Ian Renwick, distillery director at The Glenturret, explained the important balance between distilling a high-quality spirit whilst reducing impact, saying: “We honour the environment as deeply as we do our craft and that is the mantra for The Glenturret of the future.
“Our attention to detail is second to none and as a small team it’s incredible what we can achieve in our whisky making.
“Significant investment to our production facilities have reduced our annual energy consumption by 27%, our process waste by 1,000 tonnes per year, and saved 1,000,000 litres of water annually.
“As responsible distillers we seek out not only the best materials but also the most considered practices when crafting our whiskies.”
The Glenturret continues to be one of the smallest Scottish distilleries. Despite its size, the brand is quickly attracting a global audience with a current presence in 19 markets including London, New York, Tokyo, Seoul and Paris.
Jennie Baernreuther, The Glenturret’s managing director, highlighted the important role markets have had in shaping the brand’s identity, observing: “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.”
As The Glenturret transitions fully to its signature house style, fans of the peated expressions can still find remaining bottles of the 7- and 10-year-old and other peat smoked editions in the distillery boutique, online shop and select retailers, while stocks last.
Guests are also welcome to savour these distinctive expressions during the immersive distillery tours or at The Lalique Bar, situated next to The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant, the distillery’s two Michelin Star dining destination.
For those seeking a more exclusive offering, limited private casks of The Glenturret peated whisky are also available for purchase.
