Simple gold salt test for whisky maturity could be round the corner

Every barrel of whisky is unique, its colour and flavour based on a host of variables that distillers want to be able to replicate. Now chemists at the University of Glasgow have used gold nanoparticles to measure how whisky is maturing, which they think will help distillers understand how individual casks are ageing and when they’re ready for bottling.

Residual compounds can be found in whisky such as esters, aldehydes and ketones, and the alcohol also dissolves chemicals from the wooden casks it is matured in. So, to ensure the consistency of their products, distillers use experienced master blenders, who regularly sample the casks to check if the whisky is ready to be blended, bottled and sold. This is a time-consuming and somewhat subjective process.