The global malt producer Boortmalt is using our Ionsmoke technology since spring 2026. In the peat smoking of whisky malt, ionisation now ensures that 30-40% less peat has to be burned. This reduces the burden on peatlands in Scotland and Ireland, makes the process much more efficient and lowers pollutant emissions.
The ionised smoke has another beneficial effect: «With Ionsmoke, we smoke much more consistently and with repeatable results», says David Cooke, who is responsible for innovation and continuous improvement at Boortmalt.
The ionisation process has been established in meat production since 2018 and has now been transferred to the peat smoking of malt in a joint project. The consistently high quality of the malt smoked with Ionsmoke was confirmed in tests with the Scotch Whisky Research Institute (SWRI).
The new process was presented at the Worldwide Distilled Spirits Conference in May 2026.
