Dumbarton 1986 SMWS 33 Year Old G14.7

'A Fabulous Fusion'

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) was founded in 1983 by a group of friends lead by tax accountant Phillip ‘Pip’ Hills as a private members club. The concept behind the society was to source casks from all over Scotland which would then be bottled and made available exclusively to its members. Perhaps the most famous feature of these bottles are the unique codes. Each distillery is represented by a different number and the following digits indicate that particular release. That same year, the SMWS set up its first location in Leith’s Vault buildings in Edinburgh where it still stands today.

This whisky was distilled on 1st October 1986 and laid to rest in a ex-Bourbon Hogshead. The whisky was finished in a 1st fill ex-Moscatel Hogshead before being bottled at 33 years old.

Dumbarton is a closed grain distillery, known for using American-style stainless steel columns rather than the traditional Coffey stills. Only using maize (instead of wheat or barley) meant that the spirit possessed quite a heavy character. Rarely bottled as a single grain, the overwhelming majority was used in the Ballantine’s blend. The distillery itself shut in 2002, and is now demolished.

One of 112 bottles.