The Real Reason This Scottish Distillery Uses Dogs For Quality Control
Dogs are adored by everyone on the planet — unless you happen to be Catwoman, obviously. The bundles of fluff with squishy noses and unrivalled affection for humans are the dream relation of everybody, filling Instagram feeds with tear-inducing displays of bumbling and cuteness.
As well as being funny and friendly, dogs provide many uses to their favorite humans. National Geographic notes that over 50,000 dogs across the U.S. selflessly help people by showing off a huge range of abilities, such as assisting with the recovery processes for cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, and dementia.
With their loyalty to humanity proven beyond a doubt, dogs are finally being allowed into the sanctuary that people hold most dear: alcohol. While the critically important taste testing will be left to indulgent and highly experienced humans, Food & Wine reports that the Grant's Whisky distillery in Scotland has hired a dedicated pooch to ensure its whisky products are of the highest standard.
Dogs are able to protect aging whisky from faulty casks
Famed for its Glenfiddich brand, William Grant & Sons (which has an annual turnover of almost £1.5 billion, according to Scottish Financial Review) has employed the services of a cocker spaniel at its distillery in Girvan, South Ayrshire, to take on the significant task of ensuring casks of whisky are distributed to thirsty customers without issues.
One-year-old Rocco will harness his advanced sniffing powers to spot any imperfections in the wooden casks used to store whisky while it ages (via The Drinks Business). If any problems are found, Rocco will alert his boss, associate global brand director of Grant's Whisky Chris Wooff (yes, really).
As enticing as a career smelling whisky sounds, Food & Wine reveals that Rocco had to undergo a rigorous six-month training regime, focusing on teaching him how to spot different scents within the wooden casks and communicate his findings in a way distinguishable by humans. Rocco will also live a life of luxury for his efforts, residing in a handmade kennel with a caregiver on-hand to service his every desire.