Dumbarton 2000/2021 Coopers Choice 20 years old Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky 70 cl 56.5%

Dumbarton no longer exists. The great red brick complex on the river Clyde was pulled down, and all that remains are the casks that made it out in time. This is one of them.

The expert description

Dumbarton 2000/2021 Coopers Choice 20 Years Old is a Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky matured in a bourbon cask and bottled at cask strength 56.5%.

Hiram Walker built Dumbarton in 1938 as one of the largest grain distilleries in Scotland, and for decades it supplied the backbone of the Ballantine’s blends. Production stopped in 2002, the buildings came down, and the site has since become housing. That turns any bottling carrying the Dumbarton name into a time capsule, because no more is coming.

This cask, number 211097, was filled in November 2000 and bottled in 2021 after twenty years. The Coopers Choice is The Vintage Malt Whisky Company’s range of single cask bottlings, and as usual they have neither chill filtered nor coloured it. The cask gave 234 bottles.

Tasting notes

Nose

Coconut and vanilla pod settle first, then buttery pastry, ripe banana and a faint note of sawdust off the active bourbon wood.

Palate

Sweet and oily in spite of the high strength. Caramel, corn sweetness and creme brulee, with a growing spice of nutmeg and white pepper.

Finish

Long and warm. Toffee, toasted oak and a dry, almost powdery close that is typical of well-aged grain whisky.

Specifications

Name: Dumbarton 2000/2021 Coopers Choice 20 Years Old
Distillery: Dumbarton
Bottler: The Coopers Choice
Region/Country: Lowland Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Age: 20 years
ABV: 56.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: November 2000
Bottled: 2021
Number of bottles: 234
EAN no.: 5024720861357

Flavour profile

Sweet · Creamy · Vanilla · Spiced · Single Cask

Investment potential

Medium. Dumbarton closed in 2002 and the remaining stock only ever shrinks. A silent distillery, twenty years in wood and just 234 bottles from a single cask is the kind of release that tends to disappear from shelves and prove difficult to find again.

Did you know?

Dumbarton housed its own malt whisky production inside the complex under the name Inverleven, and for decades a giant Ballantine’s sign stood on the roof, visible from the motorway. The sign came down with everything else.

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Frequently asked questions about Dumbarton 2000/2021 Coopers Choice 20 Years Old

Is a whisky from a closed distillery worth buying?

There is a fixed quantity in the world and it only gets smaller. Dumbarton closed in 2002 and has been demolished, so every bottle is a final record of a production nobody can repeat. Add twenty years in wood and a single cask as the source.

What is Single Grain Whisky?

Whisky from one distillery made with cereals other than malted barley alone, typically wheat or maize, and distilled in column stills. It is usually softer and sweeter than malt whisky, and with age it develops a creamy, coconut-led character.

What does Dumbarton 20 Years Old taste like?

Sweet and oily with coconut, vanilla and caramel in front, and a spiced middle of nutmeg and white pepper. The 56.5% reads as warmth rather than sharpness, and the finish is long and dry.

Why did Dumbarton close?

Overcapacity in grain production. The owners concentrated output at fewer and newer plants, and Dumbarton stopped in 2002 after 64 years. The buildings were demolished and the site is now residential.

Should you add water at 56.5%?

Try it neat first, as grain whisky carries high strength better than most malts. To open it further, add water a few drops at a time. The coconut and vanilla come forward, but the sweetness thins quickly.

What is The Coopers Choice?

It is The Vintage Malt Whisky Company’s range of single cask bottlings. The family firm was founded in Glasgow in 1992 and selects casks from distilleries across Scotland, bottled without chill filtration and without colouring.

Which glass shows it best?

A tulip-shaped glass with a narrow rim holds on to the sweet vanilla and coconut notes, which otherwise evaporate quickly at this strength. See our whisky glasses.