Not your average tasting session today. Five whiskies in total, all 30 years or older, and produced at grand cru distilleries. This is the second Dalswinton Series by Claxton’s, one of the more prolific independent bottlers from Scotland.
The range was launched late september at Claxton’s Bond, the bottler’s home located on the Dalswinton Estate. I was part of a small group attending the festivities, and a memorable event it was. While I had met director Adrian Hoose a few times, those interactions where very brief. Claxton’s remained sort of anonymous to me.
That has certainly changed having now spent more time learning about Claxton’s, their approach and the company’s outlook. If I can share one thing about Claxton’s it is this: they are run by proper whisky geeks. It was contagious to see how proud Adrian, his co-director and childhood friend Tom Roskams, and general manager Martin Burnett were of this new series.
And what a series it is. Clynelish, Bunnahabhain, Highland Park, Springbank and Bowmore – you’d be hard pressed to find whisky distilleries held in higher regard. The range celebrates the glorious Dalswinton Estate (see picture above), a place I’ll certainly be coming back to next time I’m in Dumfries and Galloway.
Each of the five whiskies is etched with a historical scene from the estate, which is brimming with history. To illustrate, the Dalswinton Loch was were the first steamboat in Britain set sail. And the estate was once home to a large Roman fort, housing some 2,000 soldiers in one of the most northern Roman outposts of its kind. There is also a fascinating story about the demise of John Comyn by the hands of Robert the Bruce.
And, you know, then there’s the liquid history of almost 160 years of maturation across five different releases. That’s not nothing either.
Clynelish 1993 30 Years (44.4%, Claxton’s Dalswinton Series, 2024)
Nose: Quite fresh and tart, with a nice mineral, ozone-esque touch. There’s a touch of cured lemons followed by hints of beeswax and chalk. Then a whiff of cider, and maybe some clay too. It’s rather textbook.
Taste: Not the waxiest of Clynelish (but certainly infinitely more waxier than your average malt). It’s very chiseled. There’s a sliver of white pepper, hints of pear, some peach and finally bitter herbs. Slightly custard-y at times, and there’s a touch of cardboard too. Maybe even a whisper of tobacco.
Finish: Medium length. A soft bitterness accompanied by lawn clippings and fennel. Really memorable.
Bunnahabhain 1990 33 Years (48.6%, Claxton’s Dalswinton Series, 2024)
Nose: Dried orange slices, gentle floral notes and candy floss alongside hints of tobacco leaves. Then a touch of muesli with blackcurrants, a sprinkle of cinnamon and apfel strudel with warm vanilla sauce.
Taste: Warming spices initially. There’s a gentle smoke, some charred oak and a sliver of cherry syrup. The sherry influence is slightly more pronounced, but still very much well-behaved. Faintly oily, plenty of polished leather and some cigar boxes. There’s a touch of crushed mint, or something similar herbaceous at least.
Finish: Medium length. A hint of resin. Also raisins. And lingering spices.
Springbank 1993 30 Years (44.5%, Claxton’s Dalswinton Series, 2024)
Nose: Classic but elegant. Notes of hemp ropes, dunnage floor and burlap. Also slivers of wet pebbles, apple skin and sheep’s wool. A good chunk of olive oil as well, accompanied by eucalyptus. The smoke is wonderfully subtle, as are the hints of petrichor.
Taste: Hints of beeswax and honey, as well as some lime stone. But then a whisper of tinned peaches too. It’s rather fruitier than expected. The soft, earthy peat is like a bass player – the foundation of this whisky. Gentle tobacco notes too, with finally some nice salinity as well.
Finish: Medium to long. Minerals, chalk and Meyer lemon.
Highland Park 1988 35 Years (43.2%, Claxton’s Dalswinton Series, 2024)
Nose: A very mature, well-integrated malt. Sliver of pine needles, but also pipe tobacco and damp old wood. Then fruitier touches as well. Think plums, quinces and melon. There’s a soft floral tinge here as well, with the herbal peat present but very much in the background. Finally some soy sauce as well.
Taste: Okay, we might be taking a step up here. There’s hints of macchiato, some nougat and dark chocolate, but also slivers of pink grapefruit, Galia melon and ripe apples. Earthier peat notes now, as well as gentle but warming spices and herbs too.
Finish: Medium length. Definitely some aniseed, but also stewed fruits and oak spices. And subtle peat notes again, of course.
Bowmore 1992 30 Years (43.5%, Claxton’s Dalswinton Series, 2024)
Nose: Hints of overripe mango, a touch of lime zest, some ripe kiwis. Yes, that’s Bowmore for you. Now, of course there’s coastal influences as well. Hints of seashells, nori sheets and pebbles. And then there’s a sweet, almost floral peat influence that ties everything together.
Taste: More of that Bowmore deliciousness. Initially it’s the barley and peat taking the lead. Hints of peanut skins too, as well as some vanilla custard. But then the tropical fruits take over and lift this whisky to new stratospheres. There’s grapefruit, definitely papaya, but also pineapple.
Finish: Medium length. A nice salinity, lingering exotic fruits and hints of plasters and soft peat smoke.
Samples provided by Claxton’s
