Ep. 174: Peat and Whisky Author Mike Billett

From Bogs to Bottles: Peat's Unbreakable Bond With Whiskey

This one's for you, Bill.

In this episode of the Whiskey Ring Podcast, I had the pleasure of welcoming Mike Billett, a peatland specialist and researcher, to discuss his newly released book, Peat and Whiskey: The Unbreakable Bond. His passion for peat led him to write a popular science book that not only highlights the scientific aspects of peat but also intertwines it with the cultural and historical significance of whiskey.

There is so much more than can be covered in a single episode or writeup, but we touch on: 

• Peat's significance as a fuel source and how that brought it together with whisky
• The changing uses and applications of peat as coal and oil overtook peat as a fuel source
• How peat forms, is stripped, and how it occurs on all 7 continents and a landmass equal to about 3% of the total surface of the earth
• How regionality of peat in whisky is, at best, a red herring, particularly in modern whisky
• The importance of peat in climate change, carbon capture, and why conservation and reconstruction of peatlands are crucial to our future

I cannot recommend Mike's book highly enough. Even if you're not a whisky drinker, you'll have plenty to learn about peat. If you don't love peat, you'll still get a better sense of how the modern whisky landscape developed, through the lenses of taxes, regulations, consolidation and expansion cycles, and the subtle globalization that led Scottish peat to reach Australia, New York, Belgium, and elsewhere all at the same time. Scientifically-interested folks wiil also love the dive into cresols, phenols, and guaiacols. There's more than one PhD thesis I want to read after this interview. 

Pick up the book on Amazon or wherever you get your books!

Thank you to Mike for entering the Whiskey Ring!

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Peat and Whisky 

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