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Scotch Whisky Review: Claxton’s Dalswinton Series Highland Park 35 Year Old

You'd be hard pressed to find a better example of what old Highland Park can taste like than this incredible bottling from Claxton's.

OVERALL RATING

10
$1,670
  • Ed Leigh is the founder of TopWhiskies.com and an expert in independent bottlers.
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Tasting Notes

About:

Independent bottler Claxton’s released this special Highland Park 35 Year Old as part of their Dalswinton Series. Distilled in June 1988 and bottled in 2024, this whisky has spent over three decades maturing in an Oloroso sherry cask, resulting in a complex and elegant profile. Bottled all natural at 43.2% ABV.
Appearance:
Medium copper. Oily in the glass with pronounced legs.
Nose:
Expressive and refined. Toffee apples next to a log fire, with soft comforting smoke. Looseleaf tobacco in an old leather pouch. Old oak, like a well-worn library table. Red berries macerated in brown sugar and sherry with grated orange zest. Cloves and cinnamon.
Palate:
Medium to full mouthfeel with a velvety texture. Complex. More of the toffee apples, this time with some vanilla. Delicate sherry notes with red fruit – redcurrants, plums, raisins and berries. Soft, earthy, and comforting heather peat. The high-quality malt comes through, even after three and a half decades.
Finish:
Long and satisfying. Fruit, orange and vanilla fade through floral peat to end with a touch of gentle wood spice.
Comments:
Delicious, elegant, and complex; a rarified Highland Park and a real treat.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Ed Leigh

Ed Leigh is a recognized authority on independent bottlers and artisan Scotch whisky. In 2019, he founded TopWhiskies.com, a specialist retailer dedicated to promoting these often family-run businesses and showcasing their small-batch releases. Based in London, Ed holds certifications in both wine and spirits from The Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

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