Dumbarton (silent)

Dumbarton featured American-style stainless steel columns rather than the traditional Coffey stills used by most Scottish grain distilleries. Its process and strict adherence to the use of maize, meant its spirit was rather heavy in character.  At the time Dumbarton began distilling in 1938, it was the largest continuous distillery in Scotland producing grain whisky.  While Dumbarton was producing grain whisky for the Ballantine’s blend, Inverleven, which opened in the same year, began producing malt whisky. In 1956 a third Lomond still was added with an attached rectification column designed to produce different styles of spirit. While the still used Inverleven’s wash still, spirit receiver and low wines and feints charger, it was technically classed as a separate distillery called Lomond. It was decommissioned in 1985, though its still was salvaged by Islay’s Bruichladdich to produce its Botanist gin. 

In 1991 the Inverleven distillery was mothballed, and in 2002 Dumbarton itself followed suit. Its whisky was mostly reserved for the Ballantine’s blend, and was never bottled as a single grain. However, some independent bottlings have emerged.