Dewar’s has created a robot detective that detects whiskey vapor leaks.

Dewar’s attracts a robotic dog – “the first automatic whisky nose in the world”

The Scottish whisky producer Dewar’s solved the problem of alcohol leakage and evaporation from barrels by installing a Boston Dynamics Spot robotic dog in one of its warehouses. A specially modified version was named Royal Barkla.

Why it matters
- Whisky is aged in wooden barrels for 3 to 12 years.
- Each of Dewar’s more than a hundred warehouses stores 25,000 barrels.
- Over time barrels begin to leak and alcohol evaporates – the “angel’s share” (liquid loss) typically amounts to 2 % of volume per year.
- If leakage increases, the whisky’s flavor changes and the product’s value falls.

Large plants usually inspect barrels manually: tapping them or using other simple methods, but this is impossible in large warehouses where barrels stand vertically up to the ceiling.

How Royal Barkla works
1. Manipulator and “nose” – a 3D‑printed dog arm has an ethyl alcohol sensor capable of detecting vapors even at low concentrations.
2. Patrol – Spot moves through the warehouse, “sniffing” each barrel and measuring vapor levels.
3. Data analysis – when anomalies are detected, the robot sends a message about the problematic barrel.

The project cost about $100,000. After testing on a small number of known barrels, Spot successfully passed trials and began working in Dewar’s real warehouse, identifying 10 % of barrels needing repair.

Limitations and future
- Height – Spot can move only up to 1.5 m, covering just the lower level of barrels.
- Development plans – the team is considering options: a spider robot that can climb barrel walls or a drone with an alcohol vapor sensor.

Bacardi already uses drones for safety monitoring and roof inspections, so integrating them into whisky inspection looks like a logical step.

Conclusion: Dewar’s showed that an automatic “nose” can significantly speed up detection of leaks and alcohol evaporation, improving whisky inventory management efficiency. The technology’s development promises even more accurate and affordable solutions for the industry.