Leonardo defence lab shines light on whisky bottling

The Leonardo lab tests how whisky packaging stands up to being shipped around the globe. Picture: Mike Glendinning

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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.

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.

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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.”

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