Is your Scotch strong enough? A new lab-on-chip device has been developed by researchers in Scotland which could be used for quality control and regulatory testing of whisky and other spirits to ensure that you get full, 40%, strength liquor.
The same chip can also demonstrate the providence of the drink to ensure that if the bottler claims they are filling up with a delicious ten-year old, cask-conditional single malt, that is what you’re really getting. No ice please.
UPDATE: Nature Chemistry’s Neil Withers just pointed out the irony of the research on whisky having been published in Optics Express. I cannot believe I didn’t spot that as I was writing the article…
Whisky test discussed in detail in my latest SpectroscopyNOW science news round-up.
Ashok, P., Praveen, B., & Dholakia, K. (2011). Near infrared spectroscopic analysis of single malt Scotch whisky on an optofluidic chip Optics Express, 19 (23) DOI: 10.1364/OE.19.022982