Leonardo defence lab shines light on whisky bottling
An Edinburgh-based lab more used to working with radar systems and lasers has turned its hand to stress-testing premium whisky products.
The team at global aerospace and defence engineering giant Leonardo are using their environmental testing laboratory as a key facility to support Scotland’s best-known export.
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What started a few years back with basic transportation vibration testing of whisky cases has grown to incorporate a wide range of tests. The core issue for the industry is the cosmetic appearance of the bottles when they arrive after international shipment.
Leonardo has now expanded its lab’s capability to test a wide range of products, predominantly whisky, but also gin, with a mix of standard and premium spirits which can sell for hundreds of pounds.
A spokesman for the firm said: “Our volume of work and the sheer range of our customer base continues to grow, not just with whisky producers, but with a range of packaging manufacturers.”