Knockdhu Distillery, established in 1894, is one of the most enchanting in the Scottish Highlands. Bounded by an abundance of natural resources wonderfully suited to whisky making, the distillery lies in the shadow of nearby Knock Hill – home to springs of pure, clear water – and sits on the doorstep of a region rich in barley and peat.

A natural resource, peat was historically embraced as fuel to fire the still and dry the barley for the distillation of whisky. It 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. Peat smoke produces chemicals called phenols and it is by its phenol content that a whisky’s ‘peatiness’ can be measured. This phenol content is expressed as PPM (parts per million) and to ensure consistency, Peatheart uses barley, specified by our Master Blender, malted to 40PPM.